Traction Control

[qbee42]

The new trac control works much better than the old 2004, as jayman reports in the previous post. I have a 2006, with the same traction control you have. It was terrible on gravel roads until I replaced the OEM Goodyear Lack-of-Integrity tires. With Micheline MXV4+ Energy tires it does much better, with no loss of mileage. Even so, Toyota should be able to provide a limited slip mode instead of the all-or-nothing mode it has now.

Tom

[Aegison]

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The only way for me to get reliable winter traction out of my Prius is to run very aggressive Euro style studded winter tires.
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I haven't had my 09 Prius through a SE Michigan winter yet, but I'm ready with Michelin X-Ice snow tires.

But, I have to agree with you that nothing compares to a good set of studded snow tires. A number of years back, that's all I ran during upstate NY winters. They handled about any situation.

Michigan doesn't allow them, saying they tear up the road (an opinion many who've analyzed it disagree with). Heck, if they're that worried, put a surcharge on the annual vehicle registration for those wanting to use studs and put it into a road maintenance fund ... and provide a sticker to that effect. If they don't get many takers, then there must not be much "damage" from the few cars with studs. If there are a lot of takers, then they'll have more money to fix the supposed damage. The real reason for poor interstate road condition in Michigan is, I'm told, that Michigan allows much heavier weight loads for 18 wheelers which stresses road surfaces which aren't as robust as it should be.

I know an extra fee could be unfair to those with limited incomes, but they could waive the extra fee for those who qualify as limited income.

[LeviSmith]

Originally Posted by Aegison

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The only way for me to get reliable winter traction out of my Prius is to run very aggressive Euro style studded winter tires.
snip


I haven't had my 09 Prius through a SE Michigan winter yet, but I'm ready with Michelin X-Ice snow tires.

But, I have to agree with you that nothing compares to a good set of studded snow tires. A number of years back, that's all I ran during upstate NY winters. They handled about any situation.

GOOD studless tires should be better than studs. The Blizzaks used to outperform the studs on anything but pure ice where the studs had a bit better grip.
But as I recall a couple years ago the Blizzaks were to the point of surpassing studs even on bare ice.

Technological or Traditional Traction For Ice and Packed Snow?

Levi

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by Aegison

<snip>
But, I have to agree with you that nothing compares to a good set of studded snow tires. A number of years back, that's all I ran during upstate NY winters. They handled about any situation.

Michigan doesn't allow them, saying they tear up the road (an opinion many who've analyzed it disagree with).
<snip>

This statement is technically incorrect, but true from a practical perspective. The State of Michigan does allow studded snow tires, but only those demonstrated by the manufacturer to meet certain road wear standards. To date no tire manufacturer has certified a studded tire for use in Michigan, so effectively you can't use them.

Tom

[PearlDriver]

I recently noticed my 2007 having traction issues on wet pavement. 52,000 miles on the factory tires. I got a new set of hydroedges and didn't stall at the same stop sign.

The stalling is very scary when pulling into traffic. I hope this fixes it for the 80,000 they say they're good for.