Winter

wow, that's a lot to deal with. do you find it worse than your previous car?

 

I find the C does pretty good with snow tires, the stock wipers do ice up. Time to replace front and back.

 

When I drove a c last year, I was using the Michelin X-Ice XI3 snow tires. Had no issues at all driving in the winter, unless the snow was more than 3-4 inches high.

So far on my liftback with the same tires I haven't had any issues either, but I haven't had the chance to really test it yet either. Not that I really want to, but at least I know I'm ready for it when it comes.

That reminds me, I should probably put some winter windshield washer fluid in too. Don't really want that stuff freezing up on me again when I use it lol.

 

I have one rather severe winter under my belt with a Prius C. The Nokian Nordman 4 snow tires on it provided fantastic winter driving, even in Michigan's "snow belt" area. I found that the car heated up fairly quick and for some reason had no issues with the head lamps icing over. The best front wheel drive car I ever owned and used in the snow, was a 2 stroke (yes you had to mix oil with the gas) 1961 SAAB. Surprisingly, my Prius C ranks a close second. I'm looking forward to another fun season of winter driving. My friends think of me as crazy, I cheerfully continue to provide them reasons for thinking so.

 

I was in north dakota for a winter, prius did fine as is until I got stuck on some ice on the road. Got pushed off the ice and it damaged the e-brake so when I drove off the e-brake deployed and destroyed one of the tires.

I live in the south now and will never live where it snows again.

 

Just got my Prius C this weekend and was faced with a wintry mix the day after which iced over the car. After I was able to get the door opened, I turned on the car for about 10 minutes, and most of the ice on windows (particularly windshield and hatchback window) came off pretty easily with my gloves. Side mirrors took a bit longer and more effort to remove...instant heat is probably one of the best features in the car so far that I appreciate (will appreciate low mpg if/when gas prices go back up).

Car handled surprisingly pretty well (in light of this being a cheap economy car) in the snow/ice/slush (it wasn't even 6" of snow, but snow was packed into the ground). Felt pretty good control of the car overall and took more effort than I thought to slide the car.

 

yes, my 60 saab was the same; we raced it and in set/snows conditions unbeatable by anything.
tho I rarely have snoe here except in mountasins equipped with Mich or conti winter sxervice tires the prissy wsas more fun - not the least was not having to mix oil with gas.
cheers

 

Where and how do you achieve this "instant heat" that you speak of?

Maybe it's because lately the outside temperature in the morning is anywhere from -8ºF to +11ºF with wind chills down to -25ºF, but I don't start feeling the heat in my '13 Prius C 2 for at least 10 minutes/sometimes longer into my daily morning commute.

 

When I say "instant heat", I mean electric powered heat. Of course in freezing weather it will take a bit longer for the coils to heat up and warm air to blow at you, but I'm comparing this to my brother's older Prius liftback which draws its heat from the engine - where it takes forever for the heat to kick in (and max temperature isn't all that hot).

 

yes, where wlee and i live, the electric heating coils actually have some effect.

 

Good to hear it's noticeable up where you are bisco...you guys had a ton of snow this year.

 

any heat is appreciated.

 

Your neighbors to the north sympathize...

Every morning here it's heat the car up for like 15 minutes to clear the windshield before I can go anywhere.

 

do you have it in eco?

 

Turning Eco off in the winter helps--fans blow a little harder & cabin warms up a minute or two more quickly.

 

Snow tires make the car a tank in the snow. Though the other day it was -20 and heat (with eco off) was lacking. The block heater helps a lot also.