I have over 150 k on my 2007 Gen II and still going strong. Thinking about replacing the old Honda Odyssey with a 2015 Gen III. We would use the Ody for driving in snow or icy roads in New Jersey and leave the Prius at home. Wonder if there have been improvements in the snow handling with Gen III before we decide to buy another Prius for a 2nd car.
I have no experience with the 2007 Gen II, nor with driving the Honda Odyssey. So I can not say which is better. We have a Prius Gen III, it handles the snow / ice of Maine wonderfully. Our other vehicles [Toyota Corolla and a Chevy dump truck] do not handle ice nearly as well as our Prius does. I suspect that we drive on ice a lot more frequently here in Maine then you do. People here like the Subaru Forester for off-pavement driving. So many of our towns do not have pavement, rather they depend on dirt / gravel roads where the Forester excels. [I would hate to do daily commuting on gravel roads with a Prius] Fortunately my town has one paved road, and our drive way leads directly to pavement. We drive mostly on pavement, with occasional river/lake crossings when they are frozen over. For winter driving our go-to vehicle is the Prius gen 3.
yeah I had an 08 which basically we had the park when it snowed I got a 2010 III, not Three as it is a 2010, and it is excellent just like a regular car
I live in the relatively mild suburbs of the Pacific Northwest. Winters are relatively tame. So I'll admit that maybe I'm not the most skilled winter conditions driver. That being said, we do get snow and ice, and I have owned many, many vehicles over my lifetime. IMO the same melding of electric motor and ICE that allows The Prius the wonderful benefits of being a hybrid, simply DON'T make it the best winter conditions vehicle. Add also low ground clearance. In nearly even the most mild winter conditions I would recommend good snow tires on a Prius. Starting out with the instant torque of the electric motor, coupled with regenerative brakes, and IMO an overly aggressive traction control system, makes them a must. Yes, The Prius can be driven in winter conditions, even harsh winter conditions but to suggest that for most it's an ideal or preferable winter vehicle? I disagree.
Which tires do you have on the '07? I find that its snow performance depends largely on tires and driving technique. With some grippy rollers, the Gen II is an incredible little snow rambler. It's my go-to, out here on the wind-blown plains. The 4wd stays in the garage. I'm using the Hankook H727 and they're like velcro in snow, but the Continental True Contact is supposed to be even better. For ice, you might go for something studded. I find this car to be well-suited for winter conditions. The power delivery is very smooth and controllable, the B-mode is perfect for slippery descents and the weight distribution is pretty ideal. With the grippy tires, the traction control and ABS rarely activate--unless I really try. I would think that all other things being equal, the Gen III could have a harder time in the deeper stuff, with its lower ground clearance, wider track and longer wheelbase. I believe I read that the Prius V was up a little higher.
The 4WD has good ground clearance too? If I had a 4WD, good ground clearance, and it was snowing like heck, I think I'd go with that option, lol.
The 4wd has plenty of ground clearance, but it doesn't have the best tires, it's clumsy and top-heavy, not very responsive, and the visibility, defrosters and wipers, are not very good. Unless the accumulation gets deep, I much prefer driving the Pri--it's a lot more agile and sure-footed.
Around here people who need and use 4WD tend to have messed up alignment. Obviously 4WD is a good option for off-road, but when you go on pavement, the tires are very loud and handling suffers. Short trips on back roads that is fine, but not for longer trips or interstate driving. We use studded winter tires. We find the Prius hugs the road, is very stable and responsive, on ice, on pavement and when pushing through levees of slush thrown up by plow trucks. Obviously clearance can be an issue. Much over 8 inches of snow and our Prius does get high-centered. Best to wait for the road to get plowed first.
I'm still running on the OEM "rim protectors" that came with Pearl S and they work surprisingly well. I don't drive Pearl S in deep snow, instead I use "Bruiser" the FJ Cruiser. But Pearl S is better on ice, believe it or not, even with the FJ in 4WD. Probably because of the low centre of gravity and lower weight (3000 vs 5000 lbs). The GII, Pearl, did not do as well as the GIII, Pearl S, even accounting for the better tyres I put on her (Nokian WR), so yes, the GIII does much better that the GII. Waiting impatiently for the rim protectors to wear out so I can put "real" tyres on Pearl S. I may even put on Nokian Hakas, as a friend put them on his Prius C and uses them year round with no wear issues.
We took your advice and drove home from the dealer this afternoon in a Blue Ribbon Metallic Prius V. I like the added room for cargo and the rear seating feels really spacious. Got a good price and Toyota is offering 0% APR through the end of the month. Dealer gave us a fair trade in on the Ody despite a failing transmission and busted HVAC system.
I was extremely impressed with mine last winter. Fortunately, we never got more than 8", otherwise I would have switched to my 4wd pickup.
The biggest improvement is the TRAC. The 2005 we have will cut the power completely upon slippage. The Gen 3 will allow for wheel spin (and even continuous wheel spin if necessary) to get the car going in snow and ice. It's also stable under full emergency braking on ice with Nokian Hakkapeliita R.
