Prius n00b here - ready to absorb info =)

Thank you for your service SIR! It is very much appreciated from this old man.

Ron (dorunron)

 

Congrats on the new-to-you Pri...it looks great! And best wishes with your wife's treatment.

I find these cars to be pretty underrated in the snow, especially with some good tires on them. I thought it was okay with the Integrities on even, but when they wore out (it didn't take long), I decided to try the Hankook H727 for their snow performance. Man, we were blown away! We put them on Dad's Pri as well and it became a mountain ski car. The weight distribution, power delivery and features (B-mode!) are pretty ideal for driving in the stuff, and when you add some good shoes, it's pretty inspiring. We're in a rural area now, off a seldom-used, dirt county road. The pickemups around here can get through the deeper snow okay but they don't have the surefootedness. The last time I drove home, there were a few inches of fresh snow and I noticed a 4wd I passed by was looking a little squirrelly--I watched it in the rearview as it slid into the ditch (it got out okay). The Pri has always gone right where I point it.

I'm hoping to keep this a long time as well. My "other" car is a 1985 Toyota 4wd I've had for 17 years. I'm hoping to keep this liftback at least that long. I sure do like it.

 

I was looking at the Hankook, but Tire Rack rates them pretty poorly for rain....and since I live in Seattle.....

 

I have a 2005 of the same color. I have been amazed at how well the gold paint has held up.

 

Are you sure you were looking at the H727? Hankook makes a lot of different tires. Tirerack surveys show 8.2 in hydroplaning resistance and 8.1 in wet traction for the Optimo H727.

Hankook Optimo H727

 

Look at the actual test that TireRack did on the tire -- that is where I saw the data about wet traction:
Tire Test Results : Testing Standard Touring All-Season Tires: Which Tires Strike the Perfect Balance?

 

Hmm, okay. Snow traction is really the big thing for me, I guess. I've never had any issues with wet traction before, even with really crummy tires.