Prius C in the snow?

Folks in snow country have had good luck with a C and snow tires (Michelin X-Ice Xi3 have worked well for many) but there are also a few in milder climes who get by without snows. On this site there are several "Prius C in the snow threads" like this one:
Prius C in the snow | PriusChat

 

We just bought a Prius C in Montreal, Quebec where we get four MONTHS of snow and I'm not expecting any problems with some good winter tires (don't have a choice, it's mandatory!). We got some Michelins X-Ice xi3 on all four.

I'm not expecting it to be any worse than any other front-wheel-drive subcompact car.

 

I bought my Prius C at the end of August 2014. I got whatever tires came standard on it, I didn't use any special snow tires. And I did great in the winter near Washington DC. In the Pacific Northwest, you shouldn't need snow tires for normal driving. For going up a mountain in the snow, I have only a little experience, however. I did drive to Deep Creek Lake in January a few days after (not during) a snow storm, and it did fine, even on the dirt roads. That was my only experience off of paved roads or in the mountains during the winter.

 

I used my 4 season tire last winter. Didn't drive it out during the snow day but after that it was fine, during the spring, it was a raining day. I was driving about 20km/h and can't stop at the 4 way stop. Maybe freezing rain? I almost hit the Civic in front of me. I was able to steering and hit the snowdrift at the side of the road, the bumper was popped up but I did manage to push it back in.

I got ws80 this year and will report back after the snow.

 

Brand new all seasons will do passably well in snow, just well enough to lull you into complacency. But their rubber is not formulated for colder temperatures, so there's an edge lost there. And once the tread starts to wear, say down to 5~6/32" remaining, they can be a menace.

I'd get an extra set of Prius c steel rims, with good snow tires mounted. And replace them once they hit 6/32" tread remaining.

 

I live in Portland, Oregon and my boyfriend is from Eastern Oregon. He's been driving in dangerous snow and icy conditions his whole life and has dealt with being in the Gorge when it gets closed. He said my little Zoomie is the best car he's driven in icy and snowy conditions. We traded cars last Xmas since it made him feel safer than his truck and handles better.

I live in Portland, Oregon and my boyfriend is from Eastern Oregon. He's been driving in dangerous snow and icy conditions his whole lifeI live in Portland, Oregon and my boyfriend is from Eastern Oregon. He's been driving in dangerous snow and icy conditions his whole life and has dealt with being in the Gorge when it gets closed. He said my little Zoomie is the best car he's driven in icy and snowy conditions. We traded cars last Xmas since it made him feel safer than his truckand handles better. and has dealt with being in the Gorge when it gets closed. He said my little Zoomie is the best car he's driven in icy and snowy conditions. We traded cars last Xmas since it made him feel safer than his truckand handles better.

If you are going to get tires go to Les Schwab. I got the Z900 and they are AMAZING FOR SNOW! They are all weather. They are very grippy on the road which is great for the rain too. They have 80,000 mile warranty with damages covered like nail in your tire. They will replace or repair for free and a great bundle of other free things.

 

I drove C last Feb in snow storm for 140mi/7hr (yeah one of those) on stock A/S tires, and it performed better than any FWD I had owned before. People were sliding left and right, we only got stuck once due to lady (take it back, she was a b!ch) who decided to stop in the middle of steep hill and tell everyone what she thinks of the cars driving on her street.

With winter tires or chains it wouldn't be any problem as long as snow isn't foot deep.

 

I drove my little C (with good winter tires) up the Coquihalla Highway (also known as the "highway from hell" on TV) and Okanagan Connector to Kelowna where they had just had 46cm of snow fall in 12 hours (breaking records from 1970s). there were cars abandoned all over the place! But not with my C!

My C was amazing. Sure I totally had to plow parking spots at the hospital (family emergency otherwise I would've waited a few days) which I would not recommend. Coming down the very long and steep sections into Kelowna the battery regeneration acted like a brake which was AWESOME as the snow became more wet and slippery at lower elevations.

 

What kind of tires were you using, and how was the fuel economy for the trip across the Coq?

 

Not my tires on slush. There's an unregulated, high-traffic intersection that I have to navigate to get out of work. When that intersection turns to slush, my stock all seasons would just spin even with the slightest acceleration. Everyone else got out easy and some would tailgate me.

So this year I switched from all seasons to snow tires. Currently I have Nokia Hak R2... so if there is slush in the intersection, or in the parking lot, the tires just cut right through without spinning crazy like my all seasons. I'm still scared of black ice since I don't think it matters if you're going fast like on the highway or downhill I would think you're going to skid regardless.

 

Yup. Snow tires help a lot, but you're still not invincible. Ice on steep grades, or wet snow deeper than 8", great equalizers.

Up here we're PRAYING we might get a dusting of snow for Christmas, have yet to have any so far this year.

 

I got a 2014 Prius c last year, haven't had much problems in snow, we get plenty of snow here in the mountains. I still have the factory tires on it @45k miles, they are still doing ok. Looking to get some with better bite for winter. This one comes with standard 195/50/16. There is a particular tire I have had in the past on several different types of vehicles. The smallest I can find in that tire is a 205/50/16. I was wondering if that one would be ok on my car, haven't had a chance to get to the Toyota Service center in my area to ask. A friend recommended this site.

 

205 is pretty wide. In the winter - you want skinnier for more traction.

On my C - my factory size on my Prius C three was 175/65R15
But I wanted to go minus one - I ordered a set of 14" steel wheels with Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Tires in 175/70R14

The 14" wheels give me a much more comfortable ride! These tires got me to work in a really bad ice storm. I was able to drive on an iced up hilly road that no other car was able to - an F-250, an Outback, an Accord and a Wrangler just spun the tires.

 

Rawr!








These have given me such confidence in snow-covered lots that my all seasons couldn't give me. And they're quieter than the all seasons that came with the car, and nearly as efficient. I just keep the tire pressure to like 45 psi.

 

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I kept the factory wheels and size for my winter Michelins, but there is no doubt they have engineered some amazing magic into the X Ice 3s. For a tire that looks no more aggressive than your average all season, they perform like champs in the snow. Wish the tread life was a bit longer, but they definitely do the job.

Have been looking into the General Alitmax RT43 all season, and may give them a try when the X ice's wear out. They have been getting some unusually good ratings in the snow for an all season. 75000 miles and a low price as well. Would love to hear from a Prius owner who has used them.

 

Will be trying out our new C with OEM tires this winter. I've gotten along fine with all-seasons on open diff FWD cars previously so the TC in the Prius should only help. Fingers crossed!

 

No matter what you are driving in my opinion, you benefit with all snows. Mileage versus traction when you need traction, you won't care about the mileage. Good luck!

 

Been through a few winters here on PEI, this last one in the Prius C. I put on the studded winter tires late October to early April (yes, you read that right). Was in a Yaris 2008 before the 2015 Prius C.

To say that the roads hereabouts in Winter are hellish is an understatement. Typical morning conditions photo attached.

Car handles great around corners at the usual speeds. Traction control kicks in nicely when needed after a fresh snow and before the plows clear the roads. Mileage goes from about 4.2L/100km to about 5.5L/100km. (~43 mpg), probably due to heating. Back window needs periodic wiper attention due to splatter.

From the standpoint of "winter driving" -- nice car.

My biggest piss-off is not the winter handling, it's the bright headlights. Because it's winter, darkness comes sooner. Because of that, night driving with the Prius C headlights seems to have oncoming convinced that my highbeams are on. They most certainly are not. I had my lights adjusted down a bit, but the angle was horrid and I couldn't see well far enough ahead, so I put them just below factory spec. (Well, my Toyota service people set them.)

One in 15 cars oncoming flashes me to turn my beams down. I have taken to flashing them a "hello to you, too!" back.

So winter driving in the Prius C so far has been a great experience.

Except for those oncoming drivers who have not yet realized that some modern cars have bright lights when in normal headlight mode.

 

There's a not-atypical road after a light smattering....