Snow time driving

Mode choice is pretty much a personal preference, especially since snow types & conditions vary dramatically.

Here in Minnesota, the snow tends to be light until the end of winter arrives. For plowing through very short spans of heavy stuff, I have actually found favorable handling in POWER mode... which seems totally counter-intuitive. All other times, I use ECO mode.

 

It's best to use "eco" mode as you will have better control of wheel torque. You need that to try to keep the torque below the slip level. While the Prius won't let you spin the tyres much, -any- wheel slip will reduce traction.

Keep in mind plowing snow -can- result in expensive damage to the plastic underbody parts. It shouldn't result in any damage to the power train. The problem is not the light fluffy snow, the problem is the chunks that other vehicles drop and the ice chunks.

Finally, the term "good tyres" is weather dependent. A tyre that is good in summer is often too hard for winter use on ice and snow. If you intend to drive in snow and on ice you -need- proper winter tyres! I have said it before and I'll say it again here, a set of four proper winter tyres will cost about $500 to $700 including steel wheels. The cost of even a "minor" accident will be more than $1000 and there is always the possibility of injuries or even loss of life.

 

I agree with David. All-season tires have no place in the snow on a regular basis. They are not designed to stay pliant in temps below 40F and as such your traction and stopping distance are compromised even when roads are dry and clear of snow. Better to use a studless snow tire or an all-weather tire like the Nokian WGR2.

 

You'll have a hard time telling that to the 10's of 1000's of those who joined that on the snowy daily commute this morning. It was a non-eventful drive... fairly routine, in fact. Very few actually use snow tires. All-Seasons are the big thing here.

 

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Consumer Reports who actually tests all kinds of tires will explain that you, who do not test tires, are simply wrong in your assumption. If you're lucky, you may never be on a road where the difference can save your life, but many other people will need the Serious Advantage of a high quality Winter Tire. This isn't a 'Popularity' issue as in we all wear blue jeans. There is a reason why most mountain passes will not allow you to cross in winter without either a set of cahins, or actual winter tires on any car, 4 wheel drive vehicles included. So the "Big Thing" when crossing a mountain pass in winter is Snow Tires. I consider my family, friends and my own well being worth the extra cost and effort of installing a very good set of winter tires.

 

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Regardless of what you drive, in snow or on slippery roads, like those covered in slush, the key to keeping the vehicle, 'Under Control' is not to make sudden sharp changes in direction or speed, so use engine braking on down slopes, never swerve sharply, or slam on the Brakes, as such maneuvers run counter to the Laws of Motion. A Prius in motion tends to stay in motion in the direction it is going, and attempting to change that 'Momentum' requires the one thing you don't have on slippery roads, Friction between the tire and the road surface. Hence small incremental changes in speed and direction keep you where you need to be far better than quick sudden moves. Make sure If the weather is wet snow or slush at night that you can be seen from behind, and can come to a full stop should an accdent appear ahead. This keeps you out of those Chain Reaction Pileups.
Winter Tires are designed to perform better under such winter temperatures and conditions, so the amount of tread on a lesser tire may not save you in the worst situations. The best thing then is to not drive when it gets that bad.

 

That's good advice. It also points out the underlying difference.

Here, we replace our tires sooner.

You simply don't let the tread wear down as much as you would in areas that don't experience driving conditions as bad. With such a long winter, you replace rather than push it. That's part of the seasonal preparation those in warmer climates don't encounter. We have lots of tires advertising & sales that promote preparation for the onslaught of snow & ice. People take advantage of that. New all-seasons handle our needs. That's just the way we do it... here.

There aren't any mountains here. It's a non-issue for this region of the country.

 

John,

The thing is this: As F8L mentioned above (by ommission), tread depth is only part of the equation. The other half is the rubber compound. All season tires lose enough flexibility at temperatures below 40°F to have a markedly detrimental impact on their ability to maintain traction. All the tread and siping in the world cannot overcome this immutable fact.

This is why (a) winter tires are recommended for cold places, regardless of the snow/sleet/ice, and (b) you see a shift towards referring to them as "winter" tires as opposed to "snow" tires -- their important benefits are not limited only to traction in the snow, but in all conditions, be they wet, dry, snowy, icy, etc.

 

I think there's a terminology issue at play here.

 

I have to agree with John on this, in MN people usually don't use snow tires and we get a lot of snow most years. We do NOT have any nasty mountain passes to worry about. I would agree that the vast majority of folks here do not run with snow tires. Just drive in control and don't speed! Good luck

 

Pichner,

Most people in Illinois don't use snow tires either. However, both my roommate and my little sister (neither of whom are very car-oriented) noted quite definitively the positive impact winter tires had on their driving. Most interesting was my roommate who, after trading her '06 Jetta for a '10 Outback noted after the first winter: "This thing doesn't stop in the snow nearly as well as the Jetta did." Needless to say, we got winters on it the next season.

And, the last two words of your post are probably the most poignant: "Good luck". I'd like to do as much as possible to have luck on my side. It's not enough to say "Drive in control and don't speed" -- as my dad used to say, "It's not you on the road I'm worried about -- it's everyone else". I can drive in control and not speed all day long; however, when someone else doesn't and I have to make an emergency correction to avoid an accident, I want the deck stacked in my favor. As I used to tell my customers, a set of good winter tires is usually cheaper than an insurance deductible.

 

Of course you -could- get Nokian WRG2 tyres and use them year round. They work well on snow and ice and don't wear rapidly on dry summer pavement. Bonus, they work very well in heavy rain (are hard to hydroplane). They are legal in winter on mountain pass'.

 

Basically winter tire cost is on par with insurance deductible if you did get in an accident. It's like insurance you don't want to have to use it but its there if you need it. It's nice to try to have all the help you can get sure 95% of the driving all seasons would probably be fine but winter tires really are nice. They are hard to justify by most but if someone somewhere set up sets of cars with new all seasons vs winter tires on snow, ice etc conditions you would be seeing in winter driving it might make people buy them. All we can do is read what companies claim or magazines test etc.

 

Snow tires a must in mountain driving where ice is often issue from packed snow to day melts turning to morning black ice. New high tech snows with silica impregnated rubber a must.

Michelin Xi3's I have are great. $118 a tire.

Eco mode for snow/ice driving as it provides the slow power to wheels to maintain traction.

In this way Prius is built for snow driving.

 

In addition to all the other benefits- you'll maybe get an extra summer out of your regular tires by running on winter tires for 3-4 months out of the year too...

 

Chris-
I agree that if you have a place to store your other wheel set and have the money to buy rims and snow tires they are a smart investment. My point above was just that the car is still derivable and handles well without snow tires on.
Rob-
You do make a good point about reducing overall millage on a single set of tires by running snows during the winter months.

 

So what's the derivative of a Prius?