Prius on a beach?

[kdmorse]

So we're heading down to the beach (Outer Banks), out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of folks drop the air in their tires, and take their jeeps, suv's, or even little nissans out for a drive up and down the beach. (I think the nissan got stuck). We did it last year with a couple of 4WD SUV's and it was an absolute hoot.
My question is - is there *any* safe way for a prius to get in on the fun. Can the (stock) tires be lowered enough to get enough traction as to not torture the extremely sensitive traction control?

Or is it just a bad, bad, bad idea........

(If the SUV has to rescue the Prius, there might be some embarrassment involved)

Thanks,

-Ken

[daronspicher]

It's mostly undocumented, but yes.

In fact, you can drive it in the water up to about where the windshield wipers deep in the water and it will do great. The body shape and high torque electric drive make this actually the best car out there for hitting the beach. The doors are designed to seal so the water doesn't come in, so if you keep the windows rolled up, you'll be fine and dry on the inside.

Most Prius owners are just too finicky to use this side of the car, so you don't hear much about it or see the pictures on here. Make sure you take some, especially when you're door deep in water and cruising along ahead of the Nissan 4x4's.

Have fun!!!!



I'm sure it will be ok... as long as starfish don't cling to the rear wheels? Stingrays may be attracted to the submerged battery pack... watch for that...

[JimboK]

Now for a serious answer to your post....

I wouldn't try it, except possibly on firmly packed sand. I had a Honda CRV (all wheel drive) on the beach at Cape Hatteras. It did fine on the firm stuff. Since you're headed that way, maybe you know where this is: There is a parking and day use area off Route 12 on Hatteras Island between Avon and Buxton, on the Pamlico Sound (west) side of the highway. You can access the sound's beach from the parking lot and drive on the beach southward a short distance. Most of that sand is pretty firm, and the Honda did well. The Prius might do OK too, as long as you avoid the more loosely packed sand that's there too.

I wouldn't dream of it on the ocean side, where the sand is much looser and thicker, and a vehicle needs pretty good clearance beneath it to "ride high" in the sand. My CRV simply didn't have the power, and almost didn't have the clearance. I got stuck once, and came close several other times. When I was stuck, thinking the wheels were spinning, I got out to dig the sand out from around the wheels, and then got my lady to try to gently drive it out while I pushed. It turns out the wheels weren't spinning at all; the CRV's engine simply didn't have enough power to push it out of the hole, even with me helping. Fortunately, some good Samaritans nearby helped. But I noticed the temperature gauge had spiked. As we continued, I watched the temperature gauge more closely, and it never really retreated as the 4 cylinder engine tried to push it through the sand. So I concluded that the CRV simply wouldn't do on the beach.

The Prius' traction control might help, and maybe the electric motor with its low-end torque might give it a little more "oomph" in these situations (pure speculation on both, BTW). But between the fact it's not 4WD, its overall low horsepower (compared to the 4WDs you see on the beach anyway), the low clearance of the car's body, and the fact it's simply not designed for this, I would avoid it except, again, possibly on firm sand.

Good luck and have fun. The Outer Banks, Hatteras and Ocracoke especially, are among my favorite vacation destinations.

Jim

[Soylent]

No, no no and no. Don't be ridiculous!

The sand and salt will wreak major havok with all your electrical systems and mechanical parts. As Jimbo said, you need a pretty powerful and high-clearance 4x4 to even attempt that kind of driving. You should have bought a car that you would enjoy, not one that doesn't fit your lifestyle...in other words, you should have bought an SUV instead.
I, unlike most Prius Chatters, have no problems with big 4X4's if they are used for off-roading at least some of the time. I love offroading, I've even been to Moab, Utah, but I don't like people who buy Hummers or Suburbans (which both are no good at offroading) for simply commuting everyday. So, if you like riding on the beach, go buy some old beat-up 4x4 (because salt/sand will destroy a car quickly).

[brandon]

You could always rent a 4x4 for the occasion...

[Syclone]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Sep 15 2006, 09:55 AM) [snapback]320035[/snapback]</div>

No, no no and no. Don't be ridiculous!

The sand and salt will wreak major havok with all your electrical systems and mechanical parts. As Jimbo said, you need a pretty powerful and high-clearance 4x4 to even attempt that kind of driving. You should have bought a car that you would enjoy, not one that doesn't fit your lifestyle...in other words, you should have bought an SUV instead.
I, unlike most Prius Chatters, have no problems with big 4X4's if they are used for off-roading at least some of the time. I love offroading, I've even been to Moab, Utah, but I don't like people who buy Hummers or Suburbans (which both are no good at offroading) for simply commuting everyday. So, if you like riding on the beach, go buy some old beat-up 4x4 (because salt/sand will destroy a car quickly).
[/b]

The average life of the chassis on a heavy duty body and frame based vehicle like the Jeep CJ series was about 3 years of cruising the beach on Long Island - NY. What chance do you think a Prius has with no frame and most of the structure almost bendable?

[SW03ES]

I agree, absolutely no. While fun on the beach is fine for vehicles with low range 4WD and high ground clearance, its not something you want to do with a Prius.

There are a lot of SUVs I wouldn't try it in either, I wouldn't do it in anything without low range 4WD

[msmit002]

Uh...no way.

We're leaving for OBX tomorrow (Corolla) and this year we specifically did NOT want to be in Corova Beach area because we do not own a 4x4 and had no intentions of bringing the Prius anywhere near the sand.

In fact my husband was just saying, "Honey, maybe we should drive the Passat to OBX. I'm worried the salty air might corrode the hybrid componants of the Prius."

*sigh* sometimes I have to remind him that the Prius is still a car...not an infant...

[kdmorse]

Thanks for all the advice, about what I was expecting - a unaminous "Hell No".

Except post #2 up there.... He actually had me there for a minute, until the Starfishes and Stringrays started showing up...

[i]We're leaving for OBX tomorrow (Corolla) and this year we specifically did NOT want to be in Corova Beach area because we do not own a 4x4 and had no intentions of bringing the Prius anywhere near the sand.[i]

We too are heading down to OBX Corolla tomorrow too, will be staying for about two weeks. Should you happen to notice a Black 06 Prius, fairly clean (but could still use a washing) - with a exquisite coat if RainX on it all around - you've found me .

Should you be curious, and actually see people - I'm the skinny one whose not standing up straight.

Grugh.. 6am is going to come up real fast tomorrow, as it's a long trip down from MD (as you probably know).



-Ken

[Bill Merchant]

Don't try this on an east coast beach...
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