Would you want a Prius AWD?

No thanks. For the simple reason that it's less efficient, which defeats the purpose of a Prius somewhat.
More weight, more friction, more fuel consumption. And for what purpose? If I want to go offroad, the Prius would need a *lot* more changes than just 4WD. Looking at the sexy, but low, front fender... we'd get stuck at the first serious bump anyway

Offtopic: Dealer just called. Next friday is the day!

Ohyea
It's already the best car on the road
all wheel would only improve it
Got a hybrid highlander it's nice... preffer the prius

Absolutely not! Let's try to not add any more weight and energy consumption to the US.

I'd rather see solar roof + Adv. Tech together first.

Absolutely! Rather than park it for the winter I would rather have it getting less mpg and put away the SUV.

Replacing the SUV with a 4WD Prius? It will just mean you have 4 driven wheels in the air while you are stuck due to the limited ground clearance instead of just 2...

+1

You are welcomed to cross the border: already here!

:canada:

To be useful, it wouldn't be an AWD Prius, but rather would be a smaller more efficient hybrid SUV. I could see them doing something like the RAV4 with a more aerodynamic shape, and a hybrid engine. If it had cargo room and power/weight ratio similar to the Prius, but shorter wheelbase, an inch or 2 higher off the ground, and more room under the front and back, it could probably handle moderate 4WD trails, which is all we would need. And it would give us the snow mobility we need. It could be a replacement for our Forester. It would not replace our Prius because I can't imagine it would be as efficient.

Since Matrix already comes in an AWD version, wouldn't that be a more logical starting point, assuming you want something smaller than the RAV4 (which IMHO is now oversized)?

Yes, a Matrix size with Prius technology and I'd give up my Volvo awd for winter driving.

No, I'd want to do better than 21/29 mpg, especially considering the Matrix cargo capacity is smaller than Prius. Matrix fuel economy is only slightly better than the Subaru Forester but cargo capacity is far smaller than the Forester. Agreed RAV4 is too big. I think there's a sweet spot that Toyota hasn't hit, somewhere in the 40-45mpg range with AWD suitable for snow and light off-road use like the RAV4 but Prius-size, maybe costing $2-4k more than Prius. Does another company offer something like that?

Some of those saying no aren't reading the question completely. It's not "change the current Prius to AWD", it's "introduce an AWD Prius as well". I voted for the Matrix type AWD Hybrid. AWD in a Prius body would be only slightly more practical than the current Prius, due to ground clearance issues, as stated above.

How about a Hybrid AWD Matrix with height adjustable suspension? So I can go charging down gravel roads when I need to yet get good mileage most of the time when I'm on good paved roads -AND- have better performance in the winter on said paved roads?

Pearl does just fine in winter, but there's always a few times it would be nice to have AWD. I'd pay an extra $10,000 for that in a Matrix style body.

Interesting idea. I had also thought of something perhaps more far-out, that the lower front skirt, which I assume contributes a lot to the aerodynamics, could be flexible so when it contacts an object such as deep snow or a rise in the ground, it moves up out of the way. Hey, we can dream, can't we?

90% of the time I don't need AWD here in Virginia. The other 10% of the time the car's staying in the garage, because of all the nutcases who shouldn't be on the roads.

Snow mode!!! Right next to the EV, Eco, and Power buttons would be a Snow Mode button. It raises the body an inch or two using the adjustable suspension, retracts the front skirt, turns on the AWD, sets the computer with power settings suitable for snow or off-road use, and probably limits the speed to deal with any handling issues from the higher center of gravity. I swear, Toyota should hire me.

Just to clarify, I was referring to turning the Matrix into an AWD hybrid, rather than the Prius. I assume it could get much better mileage than the current Matrix, based on weight and engine size. I don't know the relative cargo size, but the Matrix does have the advantage of being more squared off at the back, so it could be better for certain kinds of cargo. We do basically agree on what's needed, though. How about a stretched and lifted hybrid Matrix?

FYI, some recent reports have suggested the Rav4 hybrid should be here sometime next year, or 2011 at the latest. Judging by the Ford Escape, I just wonder how high they can get the MPG numbers on a hybrid Rav4, given its current size.

+1

Personally, while I KNOW that there are real difficulties in adding the weight and complexity and maintaining the efficiency, aka mileage, I chose to answer the question more to point to a goal - would I like a car that uses the Prius technology AND adds the additional safety edge when driving on less than perfect surfaces (rain or snow)? The answer is yes.

This begs the question of whether it can be done with Toyota's current understanding of the technology. It also assumes that my interest in AWD does not stem from a desire for either the image or real use of driving off road. But, then, my answer is colored by the fact that I just moved to the Prius after driving a Subaru for 11 years. I liked the AWD and never took it off road. My mileage in the car was not that bad - compared to most fleets - I certainly got better mileage than the C4C rating it has - missing the 18mpg cutoff by 1mpg. I regularly saw 5mpg better. But I like the 25mpg bump I am getting now!

Finally, saying that I would like a Prius-like car with AWD does not answer the more realistic question of what tradeoffs I would accept in order to have the AWD. I guess I might find out when Subaru starts licensing the Prius technology.