interested party

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jacks @ Mar 25 2007, 08:15 PM) [snapback]412071[/snapback]</div>

I'm in Buffalo NY, and up here we know a bit about snow and my Prius is great in the snow and adverse sleet/wind condidtions. The gadgets are easy and intuitive - if you can drive a golf cart you can drive a Prius. Look into some snow tires for the snow season, although I've never had any problem with the stock tires, I plan on getting a set of something sturdier for next year but that is also an excuse to get a set of stylin' whells for the warmer months. Putting on an after market stiffening plate is a common modification that helps in windy situations. As you can probably see by the online community here Prius owners are a dedicated breed, I don't know about the Fusion crowd - looks like another Ford to me. The mileage and sheer coolness of these cars is plenty reason to get one. My vote, ditch the thought of a Fusion and get to your Toyota dealer today.

 

We live North of Traverse City on the tip of the Leelanau peninsula, so I know about Michigan winters. We've had our Prius for a year, and 12,000 miles later we still love it. It's a great car all the way around, even without considering the fantastic gas mileage and low emissions. It's the best winter driving car I've ever had. I've owned a Jeep C-J5, a Subaru, and a four wheel drive Ford van. The four wheel drives will go through deeper snow, but the Prius is much more controlled and stable. Make sure you get a model with VSC; it really helps in the winter. My only complaint has been the stock Goodyear Integrity tires. You might as well drive with banana peels. Make sure you replace them before winter. We swapped them for Michelin MXV4+ Energy tires in the same size.

If you have any specific questions, be sure to ask.

Tom

 

As a New Englander, I can tell you: In the winter you won't get near the advertised gas mileage. On the other hand, it's still better in terms of MPG than any other car out there.

And even ignoring the MPG (which I have been the past three months or else I get depressed), it's still an amazingly fun car to drive.

 

Check out a car rental place & try it on for size. Here at PC we will most all, likely say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread
(because it is)

 

You should definitely budget for a good set of snow tires to go with it. If you do, it will go just fine in the snow. (The car itself is great, but the stock tires can make winter driving...interesting. I've tried it both ways and made it OK with the stock tires but wouldn't want to make a habit out of it.) The gadgets are pretty easy to understand. You basically push the button next to the screen that corresponds to what you want to change (climate settings, radio settings, etc.) and it brings up another screen that has all of the controls laid out for you. They're pretty intuitive. The only difference is that you're touching a screen instead of a real button. Works for me.

For me, it's a great car. It has enough power when I need it, it's quiet compared to my last car ('02 Accord) and it can carry a surprising amount of stuff for its size. Just make sure that you can both get comfortable in the driver's seat. The most common complaint is that it doesn't have the adjustability for really tall drivers, particularly those with long legs. I'm 6'1 and don't have a problem, but I do find myself wishing for a little more thigh support and a telescoping steering column.

 

Ditto the snow tire advice. Note that the Prius drive system makes it *impossible* to spin the wheels, so a Prius cannot dig itself out of snow or mud. But it is also impossible to stall the engine, so you can go 1 MPH if you need to to avoid slipping while going up an icy slope.

Prius MPGs are better under all conditions than essentially any other car. During a five mile drive at -40 a Prius may get only 30 MPG , but any other car will get less.

When the last pip on the gas gauge starts to blink it means "buy gas right now".

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Mar 26 2007, 08:09 PM) [snapback]412605[/snapback]</div>

I still haven't experienced that in my '07. The last storm provided a pretty good snow cover and it definitely started to slip, but the wheels were more than willing to keep turning albeit very slowly and in steps rather than continuously.

 

I got mine a couple of weeks ago and I think it's the best designed car I've driven (even forgetting about the great mileage).

Here's how I would rate the gadgetry on ease of use:

SmartKey System (let's you open locked doors and drive without your keychain ever leaving your pocket): couldn't be easier to use! Very handy when your hands are full and you don't want to fiddle with unlocking the door. Fun to push a button to start the car and drive.

Backup Camera: very easy to use and handy.

HomeLink (thingie on the rear view mirror that opens your garage door): pretty easy to program. Super easy to use.

BlueTooth Hands Fee Phone: As easy to pair as any other BlueTooth device, very easy to answer calls, very cool that it turns off the stereo when you're talking, though it's a little bit of a clumsy interface for placing them via your voice. You have to wait till a voice prompt ends, say the number, wait again for the voice prompt to end, then press the proper button. I'm used to the ease-of-use of Microsoft Voice Command and the Toyota system seems relatively cumbersome.

GPS System: Not as intuitive an interface as, say, a Tom Tom and lacks the capability of spoken street names, but the big advantage is that it turns down the radio when it's announcing an upcoming turn. I still don't understand how to get it to work by spoken commands.

Stereo: controls right on the steering wheel. Very easy to get the hang of. There's an aux jack and second DC outlet in the center console for an iPod or other MP3 player, but the disadvantage of it is that you have to use the iPod controls instead of those on the steering wheel to scroll through songs/playlists.

There are also lots of other cool innovative things about the Prius like it's the most aerodynamic car on the market, it now comes with side-curtain airbags, it has the capabilty to play WMA/MP3 CDs, it has instrumentation right at the bottom of the windshield so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to read the speedometer, etc.

It's also literally the #2 most reliable car on the road behind the Honda Civic Hybrid which is a big plus!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Mar 26 2007, 09:14 PM) [snapback]412653[/snapback]</div>

Thanks, that is a much better description of what happens. I was thinking of people who try to free a stuck car with rocket action by spinning the wheels at full throttle; that can't be done in a Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Mar 27 2007, 12:32 PM) [snapback]412961[/snapback]</div>

I absolutely love my prius and would buy another in a heartbeat. After I took possession of mine, I swapped out the OEM tires and put on Nokian WR's, due to the area I live in. I can litterally go backwards uphill in snow with them. I never have nor will I ever buy a Ford vehicle, but that is me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jacks @ Mar 25 2007, 08:15 PM) [snapback]412071[/snapback]</div>

Best car on the market today As you can see from the signature line, we have 2. My wife drove mine for 2 weeks in Aug 2005. Her '97 Subaru didn't have headrests in the back seat and the girls got big enough to need them. Instead of thinking about getting a newer back seat (the '98s have headrests) she decided she needed a Prius. Of course the Subaru DID have 60K miles on it, so obviously it was on its last legs :lol:

• Get VSC - I always go for the latest safety technology (in my prior vehicle a '95 Odyssey that was ABS). Works great (at least in my tests. Fortunately I've not needed it is regular driving)
• Smart Key (probably can't get one with VSC and NOT get this but I've not kept up with the packages)
• You can get a ton of stuff in it with careful packing. Like everything BOTH girls needed for 2 weeks at horse camp (yes, they provide the horses and tack) at the same time. Up to 10 foot long lumber/pipe with the hatch CLOSED. The front seat folds FLAT back to the rear seat and the rear seatbacks fold forward (unlike the Honda Civic Hybrid). VERY versitile.
• Starts at -20F just as fast as +80F. No cranking the (by comparison) whimpy starter motor with a half dead battery and hoping. The Prius ICE is started by the electric motor which is run off the 500V battery.
• Drives well in snow but you DO want high end all seasons or snow tires. The decision depends on how often the roads you drive on will be poorly plowed.
• Yes your mileage will be down in the winter (see the signature line) because the ICE runs more. YOU want heat and the computers want the ICE at a certain temp so it pollutes as little as possible. You will quickly get used to the ICE shutting down at stops when the weather is warmer. When it is cold, and you have the heat on, it won't shut down. ARRRGG , drives me nuts. So I hit the Auto AC button on the steering wheel, the engine shuts off and the inside of the car doesn't noticably cool down before I start moving again and turn the heat back on.

 

The Prius is an amazing little car, it is extremely quiet which is what I love about the car and at times it feels like your in a golf cart (quoted from my brother! lol ).

It is very smooth for a car and has decent acceleration, i would however agree with the person that the mileage is decreased during winter however so are other cars. So far haven't found anything I dislike about the car.

Not sure where your located, but going to be looking to sell mine in the near future, 2007. Can't justify having two vehicles anymore and the Prius was a total impulse purchase.

Good luck shopping!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jacks @ Mar 25 2007, 09:15 PM) [snapback]412071[/snapback]</div>

Prius is not ideal all-weather car, but it is not worse than Ford Fusion. It is of course not comparable to, sya, Audi Quattro and won't climb snowy hills, but it is OK, Remember to use winter tires (not all seasons) and don't drive fast in the rain. I personally don't feel that can is stable at 60mph in the rain with puddles on the highway.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jacks @ Mar 31 2007, 10:25 PM) [snapback]415735[/snapback]</div>

I am actually parting with my 2005 this Wednesday for this very reason: poor rain and snow performance even with upgraded tires. I live in a hilly area and have a steep driveway, it rains often on Pacific Northwest and life is too short to be driving 50 on the highway in the rain. Getting back to a regular AWD sedan.


When you are reading someone's feedback, look at the year of the car Of course owners of 2007 are happy. My 2005 rattles all over the place after 2.5 years. Depreciation is also pretty high. I paid $26,500 in Oct 2004 and now no deal wants to pay more than $16,000 for 2 years old car under warranty with only 20K miles that still looks like new.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 1 2007, 12:22 PM) [snapback]415985[/snapback]</div>

That's so true! We thought about getting a used Prius, but a quick look at the used prices and we wondered who would buy used for just a few thousand less than retail, brand new! We just hit the one week mark on our new Prius and my only regret is that we bought it as my husband's work car and I've only been able to drive it once myself, so far. We'll definitely be a two-Prius family one day.