Prius in the snow

I'm kind of in the same boat - I've had a Subaru and currently have an Audi. These other threads gave me some comfort that the Prius can handle the messy Mass. winter roads:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...3067-driving-2010-prius-in-sever-winters.html
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/62176-snow-high-wind.html

 

The Prius has a traction control system. It is very good, but not as good as 4 wheel drive.

 

I own both an AWD vehicle and drove my 08 in the snow last year. There is no comparison, AWD is simply better but I didn't have any problems with the prius in the snow even with the stock tires. I know many people report problems but my experience is that most people only "think" they know how to drive in the snow and really suck at it. If you actually know how to drive in the snow you won't have any problems.
G

 

From my experience, the Prius operates quite differently in snow than any other vehicle I have driven. There is a learning process.

I would say in the snow the Prius is...average...not exceptionally superior or inferior to other cars I've driven.

If you have significant snowfall and slick roads -- and you want a Prius anyway - you have options: Winter tires and/or chains.

If you don't want to go that route, then an All Wheel Drive vehicle such as a Subaru will be a better bet for driving in harsh weather.

That's just my opinion; I could be wrong.

If driving in the snow was my primary reason for picking a car, I would not pick a Prius. But the other attributes of the Prius outweigh its less-than exceptional snow performance.

Good luck!

 

I like to think of myself as even-sided on most issues including a car I love

Personally if you get quite a lot of snow in winter I think you should get some decent snow tires ... put them on when you hear of the first heavy snowfall coming and leave them on till the end of winter.

I bought some for my 2008 and it definitely made a significant difference. In Gen 2 ... the Prius tended to cut power to the wheels if there was any significant slippage to protect the electric motor. This made it important to keep on the gas pedal rather than the traditional notion one would have when slipping in a "regular" car.

No one knows for sure how sensitive the Gen 3 is to slippage, but if you want to be safe ... a good snow tire can go a long ways imho. At the end of last winter I was getting ready for a road trip to Arizona, so I went ahead and put on my regular tires thinking winter was over. On the way home, I ran into a really good snowstorm and could tell a BIG difference in traction.

I plan on getting snow tires for my Gen 3 before winter rolls around.

 

What kind (brand/style) snow tires do you plan to buy for the 2010 Prius?
Where would you buy the wheels on which you'll mount them. It costs $80
to dismount the summer tires and mount and balance snow tires here and
only $20 if the snow tires are already mounted on an extra set of wheels. That
is a $120 savings per year for having the snow tires mounted on their own
wheels.

 

I'll probably just buy the tires on tirerack.com and pay to have them mounted each winter ...

 

I have read in other threads, that there is a triple-thread tire out there, that people really like for all drviing conditions, especially rain and snow.

 

I was working in Atlantic city the last big snow storm we had. I waited til morning to drive back to Trenton. The roads were packed snow/ slush but not really icy. The route is fairly flat, though there are some small hills.
MY 2006 had michelin hydroedge tires. I had NO problems , the stability control worked really well when it was needed. The car is light enough so that you don't have much momentum so all you need to slow down gently is take your foot off the gas. I would suggest that you consider a set of snow tires. ALthough, the way things are going in NJ, I really haven't seen that much snow since about 1996!

 

My daughter and I love to do downhill skiing. One of the things that makes life interesting for skiers is you take a look at the 5/10-day weather map and if you see a huge winter storm cell predicted to hit a region where you like to ski, THAT is EXACTLY where you point the nose of your car and off you go.

For this reason, I plan to hold onto my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee after I get my Gen III Prius. That Jeep comes into its own as a safe highway/backroad vehicle when the snow gets deep and the roads get icy. But I plan to run the Jeep only for ski trips during winter and for backcountry fishing trips the rest of the year. Everything else will be in the Prius, I bet, including commuting in the snow in Chicago.

 

I live in northern Wyoming and bought a Prius in March. I immediately had Blizzaks mounted on a stock size 15 inch wheel and took a 600 mi ski trip which involved driving in storms. It works surprisingly well on ice and snow with all of the electronic safety features. There is enough weight on these narrow tires to give good traction. Ground clearance is the issue which is why there is a shovel in the trunk. Haven't high centered it yet but it is only a matter of time.

Will be using the pickup on deep snow days.

 

Great to hear that the Prius did OK in your winter environment! I ski Grand Targhee just about every year, and there are usually some "interesting" road conditions associated with that trip, especially going over Teton Pass.

BTW, do you mount a roof rack on your Prius for ski trips? Or just toss the skis in the back?

 

I live in Northern Michigan (Traverse City) and this past winter we had over 120" of snow (the average is 92" per season, however). I (still) have a 2005 Prius fully loaded and it has been performing well in the snow with original tires and Michellin Hydroedge as well. All the electronic safety features do really help. I don't expect anything less from my 2010 Prius III that I bought a week ago (June 13th).

It is really a matter of learning and getting used to driving in the snow with a Prius. The main problem is probably the ground clearance. It happened to me once getting stucked in the snow right after I got out of the garage. Lesson learned, more than 6" of snow and is not safe to take out the Prius. Keep a shovel in the trunk.

My parents do have a Corolla that performs well in the winter, but with my Prius I do feel safer and more stable driving in winter conditions. But again, not when you have more than 6" of snow on the road.

 

I throw them in the back, no air resistance that way. I haven't been to Targhee in two years but it is one of my favorites.

 

I had the WRG2's I though they were better than the WR's. They seem to have a better albeit funk looking tread design.
For serious snow and ice it's Nokian RSi's or studded tires. My wifes Honda Fit will claw through snow with the stock tires!
I guess that's the advantage of a very tall skinny tire. The Fit has 16" tires that use a width meant for 14" tires!
Somehow it works.
6 inches of unplowed snow was no problem without snow tires! :rockon:

 

This is so important for people to know. My wife was driving our Honda Civic Hybrid (with snow tires) to work after an eight inch snow storm. The Civic like the 2010 Prius has a plastic tray under carriage (to direct airflow under the car) 5.5 inches from the ground. This tray goes from the front bumper to the just before the rear wheels on the Honda.

The car was literally sledding on this under carriage. We were talking on the phone as she drove to work and she started to hear the exhaust system banging on the bottom of the car.

Turns out after she got home that night, I crawled under the car (with it on ramps). Between the bottom of the car and the under tray it was firmly packed with snow. The exhaust was completely surrounded with it. I had to remove all the under trays and clear it out.

Now granted this was with the Honda Hybrid. But if there is more than 5" of snow she is driving the Van to work.