use of chains/cables with Prius 2007

Hi Steve,

If you do a search for traction control issues you will find numerous complaints. The Goodyear Integrity tires have inadequate traction on surfaces that are not warm and dry. Purchase of better tires will help, but Prius is not a Jeep. The design of the hybrid system will not allow any wheelslip, to protect MG1 from spinning up beyond design limits.

If you have a 4x4 vehicle available, that would certainly be a better choice for snow country. That is one reason why I own a HiHy. However I've also seen lots of Prius equipped with front traction cables driving around in the snow (i.e., Lake Tahoe), so that is probably a reasonable solution should you decide to drive your Prius.

 

Steve

I travel from NM to CO often and I was worried about winter travel. I found an excellent solution for traction in a product called Spikes Spider (spikes-spider dot com Sorry as a newbie I can't can't urls in my reply.)

They are pricey (cost as much as a premium set of snow tires). You put a set of external hubs on your drive wheels with a special clamp that goes over your wheel lug nuts (they can remain on the wheels during the winter) and if you run into snow it takes less than 30 seconds a wheel to put them on or off. They are like a clamp that gos over each wheel, each of the eight (spider) arms has 4 tungsten buttons/spikes in them.

I have used them for two years in snowstorm/ice that leave snow tires spinning but you can just chug along.

Good luck

 

Prius with cables worked fine the last three years of snow in the Portland area. Worked great when I stuck myself in a deep snowy shoulder near Mt. Rainer.

Don't worry about changing tires until you have to - chains will be fine for the occasional traction assistance in ice/snow.

Tip on not becoming a sitting duck - don't press the pedal so hard. Ease into the acceleration/deceleration.