Hello from Switzerland

I thought we had a lot of snow above 800m during first half of April, Sylko.
It seems Villars was an exception.

 

Does Babelfish support SwissGerman ? :lol:

On a serious note, I found the comments in the thread about the small engine not being able to cope with the mountain a bit odd. Maybe its a cultural difference (?) but 1.5 ltr motors are the a normal size in Europe and I dont think most Europeans would think twice about the ability to climb hills. We once had a small car with only 900cc and 3 cylinders and that could zip along motorways at 70mph without problems, but not much faster :lol:

Maybe you guys in the USA are use to bigger (less efficient) motors? From my experience, most of the US cars available in Europe tend to be gas guzzlers, for example the P.T. Cruiser or the Crossfire, which I why I have not got one.

I am living in Munich, south Germany, my outlaws live 1200km away in Le Mans and the idea of getting to them on only 1 1/2 tanks of fuel is very inviting. The roads are a combination of motorway, and cross country main roads through the hills of Burgundy. Driving time about 16hrs.

We dont have a Prius yet. I have a test drive next week, but delivery is 9 months.

 

It seems that you don't know that French is spoken in this part of Switzerland, not Schweizerdeutsch :lol:

On a serious note, there is no doubts that Prius is capable climbing "hills" and even steep mountain roads.

Problem is, it's not the most efficient car for this kind of terrain, especially at the full loads (4 people plus luggage).

If you live in Munich area and regularly go to the mountains you better test it not just in the city...

For me it's ideal second family car for the city. For longer range trips on the highway and mountains I prefer to use my other car.

 

Ouch! Who was first at the intersection? The truck or the Prius?

 

Looks like the truck tried to take the corner and didn't notice the Prius sitting there.

That really sucks about your car Sylko. I've seen cars in worse shape come back from the dead; I hope this is the case with yours.

 

Winter tires in Finland

Greetings from Finland,

I think VSC-system is exellent in winter and it works well when driving on slippery roads.
I ordered Bridgestone WS 195/55 R16 winter tires with orginal alloy wheels.
We can use studded tires in Finland but I think studdles tires are much more confortable and quieter. :wave:

-Heikki

 

Hi there Heikki! Welcome to Priuschat!

 

Ouch. I hope you are ok and the car is soon repaired.