Traction control- how it works?

I have a question about traction control on the third and second generation of the vehicle. I lived in a rural setting where the highways get snow plowed in extreme weather conditions. What ends up happening, the snow from the highway just simply is pushed to the side of the highway. In extreme weather, the plow trucks do not stop to clear a small amount of area at the entrance onto the highway. So there is a lot of snow that is piled up right at the entrance onto the highway. As you can imagine, front wheel drive car with studded winter tires is just able to make it. Once it makes it onto the highway it's a little bit easier as it does not have to make a path in the snow for itself. They highway might still be covered with ice and be very slick though. What I'm wondering is, has anybody had this scenario in the Prius. The reason I'm asking this, hybrid cars are one of the few cars in the world where the traction control cannot be overridden. My fear is that the system will simply give up and heavy snow. I'm talking about deep and heavy snow. As you can imagine, that would be a really bad scenario when I'm trying to cross the highway so I can go in the left direction. If you then experience with this type of scenario, let me know. My present vehicle does not have traction control whatsoever. Should I be looking at an all-wheel drive vehicle instead?

I know EXACTLY what you're speaking of, we lived in the country and had the same situation, however, I don't think the TC will be ANY problem. The NEW 2010's TC has been redesigned, and people are highly praising its performance.

I DO think what you'll need to be worried about is the LOW clearance of the Front lower spoiler, which will drag on anything much higher then 5-6 inches.

David (aka Blind Guy)

With deep heavy snow, ground clearance is going to be a problem long before traction control becomes an issue. The Prius sits pretty low to the ground.

Tom

Thanks for your response,

Right now I drive a Honda Civic which has very low ground clearance. The ground clearance is more of a problem on fluffy powdery stuff. The fluffy and powdery snow is usually on roads that have not been plowed up all. I've had that little bit of an issue with that, but where I live don't actually get a lot of snow. We do however get a lot of ice underneath the snow. And I can't emphasize enough, once the snow plow goes through the powder it leaves and much more compacted and heavier snow on the side. The height of the snow was not the problem, it's the fact that compacted and heavier snow is a lot harder for a vehicle to drive through. It's kind of the equivalent to the wet heavy snow you get in the springtime, you can drive your ATV through a foot of powder snow but there is no way you can make it if it's the wet and heavy stuff.

Now when you see the new traction control is a lot better, are you saying that it's a lot more aggressive. I need something that is at least keep trying when things get really bad. I've had people in General Motors vehicles complain that the vehicle simply gives up in nasty situations. Since you can't disengage the traction control in this vehicle, it needs to work a little bit better than this. The low clearance I am not that worried about, when clearance becomes an issue the stuff isn't compacted. It's still going to be the white fluffy stuff and vehicle would simply skip over it.

The fact is since the 2010 is a new model no one has yet driven it in deep snow and other severe winter conditions. At this point any advice you get will be conjecture.

I don't think it sits in the lower to the ground and my Honda Civic. I'm used to something that sits low to the ground. I've never had a problem around here with being not able to make it because the snow is just too deep. I think more or less just getting onto the highway safely is what I'm concerned about. I do have to mention that this does not happen very often, but since I work on a shift I need to be able to get their in any weather. So far I've been driving a front-wheel-drive and have always been able to make it. When ground clearance becomes a problem I do have the alternative of driving a 4x4 truck which I also own. But the problem with the ground clearance as a slight issue maybe to three times a year. I don't live in a particularly snowy part of the world, just an extremely cold part of the world. If this vehicle performed as well with traction control, as my front wheel drive vehicle and it would be good enough.

Hasn't Toyota come out with a clip on plow blade for the low bumper?