Thinking of buying a Prius, but in a cold climate. Are there negatives?

[aediamond]

I am thinking of buying a 2007 Prius. But in Rochester, it can get quite cold in the winter. Is there something about a Prius that would be a big negative in this climate?

[qbee42]

Not really. We have a pretty cold climate in northern Michigan, but our Prius does just fine. Mileage drops off in the cold, but it does that for all cars with internal combustion engines. The traction control on the Prius is a bit fussy, which can cause some trouble in the snow, especially if you have bad tires. You will want to replace the Goodyear OEM tires with something better.

Tom

[hyo silver]

The stock tires are lousy, and even more so in the winter. Problems have been reported with the traction control systems, mostly on earlier models, and using good snow tires seems to be the cure. You won't get as good mileage when it's cold, partly from having to run the defroster more often. A block heater will help, and so will using a radiator cover. Other than that, it seems to work pretty well.

[Stev0]

I live in Massachusetts. With no block heater or radiator cover, in the winter I got about 38 MPG city, 45 MPG highway. While that is nowhere near what our friends in CA are getting, it's still better than any other car on the market.

[aediamond]

How long does it take for the car the heat up? I drive about 10 miles to work, and dont want to freeze the whole way.

[bruceha_2000]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aed1 @ May 15 2007, 02:57 PM) [snapback]442627[/snapback]</div>

How long does it take for the car the heat up? I drive about 10 miles to work, and dont want to freeze the whole way.
[/b]

That depends on how much gas you want to use. If you can stand to sit at a signal and have the engine running because you have the heat on, it is pretty quick. If, like me, it just KILLS you to have the engine running when you aren't moving, it takes longer <_< Either way, once the interior is warmed up, you can kill the ICE at red lights by hitting the 'auto A/C' (which REALLY means 'automatic climate control, not automatic air conditioning). Hit the button (on the steering wheel) again when the light changes. Unless it is REALLY cold, you dwon't even notice a change in cabin temp. And yes, it gets REALLY cold in Vermont.

One tiny tip - keep the cargo cover closed - it somewhat lessens the volume of air that must be brought up (or down in the summer) to temperature.

[Betelgeuse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bruceha_2000 @ May 15 2007, 04:38 PM) [snapback]442748[/snapback]</div>

One tiny tip - keep the cargo cover closed - it somewhat lessens the volume of air that must be brought up (or down in the summer) to temperature.
[/b]

Interesting idea; it makes sense, but I'd yet to hear about it on here yet. Do you notice a significant difference between "cover closed" and "cover open"?

[andreaswin]

'hi!

no big issues/problems that ive experienced last winter when its comes to temprature. Was down to
-27Celcius.
It behaves like a normal car . And i dont find the heater warming slower or faster than other cars i had.
engine actually gets warm pretty fast.
just drive it :-)

Cheers
Ola


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aed1 @ May 15 2007, 08:11 PM) [snapback]442573[/snapback]</div>

I am thinking of buying a 2007 Prius. But in Rochester, it can get quite cold in the winter. Is there something about a Prius that would be a big negative in this climate?
[/b]

[tnthub]

You get a LOT of snow in Rochester. The only real thing i can think of is perhaps removing the front lower air dam before the end of October as I have been through Rochester enough to know that you folks will drive through just about anything. Oh yea.. Like any car... Get some really good studded snow tires for those wonderful winter months.

[Bill Lumbergh]

If you plan on owning a Prius in a cold climate, definitely buy a block heater and power it for a few hours before you plan on leaving. Also you should block off your radiator openings to help hold the heat in. lastly, you shoudl plan on running your car for around five minutes if you want actual heat prior to beginning your drive on the coldest mornings.

The Prius heater is a little inadequate for my location durign the winter and I tend to leave the block heater on constantly when I'm at home. The hot coolant storage bottle is insufficient for my needs. The windows clear fairly quickly (especially the rear), but cabin heat is often lacking.

Snow tires are a must! I use Blizzaks and have only gotten stuck once (my fault for high-centering on a pile of icy snow). The traction control will still be very active, as will the ABS, but it's completely controllable. I don't have VSC.