Why I'm going to ditch Prius for Subaru

Let alone comparing snow tyres and a smart driver to AWD and a dumb driver.

This is why safety features are always less than expected -- the driver becomes dumber.

 

From my experience living in the Midwest where temps can get to 60 below zero and have 6'+ of snow AWD is no more useful than any other feature of a car. I have seen many trucks 4x4, AWD cars and suv's get stuck because people put to much faith in the system. The fact is it's not the car and more the drivers that create the situation of getting stuck. I have never gotten stuck in a prius.

 

Not sure what your point is, you state that he was going to fast for the road conditions, AWD can't control stupidity.

 

Some of us are fortunate enough to have both a Prius (or other full-hybrid / PHEV / BEV) and a Subaru. My multi-vehicle household is on its second of each.

Or that the next Subaru Hybrid provides a meaningful HSD-like MPG boost.

Crossing Stevens Pass today, in the early stage of a very-heavy-snow-and-rain event, I was quite happy to have both AWD and X-Ice3s all the way around. The ascent was more sure-footed, the descent was very well controlled. The later was important on the descent where the cold snowfloor quickly transitioned into warmed grease, and a spinout three cars ahead took out two vehicles on the side and the minivan immediately trailing. The Legacy in front of me did get stopped in time, with little margin, but I had much more margin in both grip and space.

That couple miles had other vehicles in the snowbanks, both directions, and multiple tracks of additional upsets already cleared. (Maybe that is why so many state patrollers were already nearby, one even oncoming in perfect position to witness the above spinout.) The news reports show that traffic conditions have since become much worse.