1st drive in winter weather

please don't use four letter words on priuschat.

 

Took us a good 15 minutes to get my girlfriends Dodge Magnum out of her parking spot in the snow this morning.
Thing was basically going sideways just trying to back out.
My 2011 Prius 2 didn't even notice.
They're way better in the snow than most people give them credit for.

 

Glad you're happy with it. Last year was pretty wild up here in the North East, especially the month of Feb. (see other threads for the description of my escapades out to a friend's house (at the very top of a steep hill). At least a couple of times the only way I could get up the hill was to reverse all the way up (about ½ mile) (…it's all to do with weight distribution over the driving wheels!), and there were a number of other instances in the snow where I got bit worried about losing control or even getting stuck, so this year I decided to fit a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks to a set of steel rims for winter, and I put them on this week in anticipation of another winter like last year. I nearly went with studs, but although they're legal in this state (Nov->Apr) they're a bit noisy. So we'll see how the Blizzaks do. The summer rims were shod with 80% worn Michelin Energy Savers, and they were just about OK in the wet, but being almost worn out, not very good in the snow/ice!

 

I've no personal experience with the gen 2s but I've heard they aren't nearly as good in the snow as the newer models without studs or chains.

 

That may change as the tires wear. Both my Prii were far worse the second winter than the first. I've now had this one long enough to put fresh tires on it a few weeks ago, but the new ones haven't seen snow yet. And may never see much, as I use a Subaru with better clearance and true winter tires for the more serious stuff across the mountains.

 

Like next winter. The OEM tires on both my Prii were OK in winter at 8k but worthless for my use before 20k, as they quickly went from 'All-Season' to 'Three-Season'.

At 43k, with 4/32nds of tread, the 2012's factory tires are now degraded to 'One-Season', fairly poor in wet Puget Sound weather. Taken off mid-September, I haven't decided whether or not to use them once more next summer, or scrap them and go direct to true winter tires for next winter. (The new A/S tires should be adequate for my needs this winter.) Now with two wheel sets, I can make the choice when convenient.

 

2012 now, 2010 for three years before that.

 

I just dug this out from an old thread which I noted recently:
"…Well, I realise this is resurrecting an old thread, but I put my winter wheels (15x6 steelies shod with 185/65R15 Blizzak WS-80; set to 40psi (front) and 38psi (R)) on the car today, replacing the summer wheels (OEM 16" alloy, shod with Michelin 195/55R16 Energy Savers; set to 46(F) 44(R)) and I've noticed that the steering feels much lighter, especially when low-speed maneuvering. I expected it to be a little different, but I'm suprised that it's actually quite noticable! Just curious, that's all - anyone else notice something similar???"

I noticed it again as I was driving today, the Blizzaks on the 15x6 steelies feel lighter and easier to steer than the 80% worn Michelins on the OEM 16" rims. It will be interesting to feel how they are in snow! (…not that I'm wishing for a bad winter)

 

Gen3 is certainly better than Gen2 (2004-2009), but I'm not aware of 2015 being different than other Gen3s.

I was always quite happy with how the car made use of the available tire capability to handle the little snow and ice it faced. My second- and third winter issues were very clearly the result of inadequate tires, not ABS / VSC / TC problems.

 

(1) As stated above, mine were OK for my use at 8k miles, but not at 20k miles;

(2) I can easily see it. A/S tires are not true snow or winter tires in the first place. While fresh A/S tires have been adequate for much of my past needs on many cars (including before Prius), that adequacy generally lasts for somewhat less than half their tread life. After that, I must treat them as 3-season tires. Other people will have different findings depending on their particular climate and driving needs. Some need real snow/winter tires, which are quite different than A/S;

(3) I've never had factory tires on any new car rated for 50-60k miles, or even with any useful mileage warranty at all. Such ratings and warranties start coming with the replacement tires.

 

I also keep them, until they wear out and need replacement. They always do, there are no tires yet that last the life of the vehicle.

And because All-Season tires lose their initial winter capability long before their other capability, I have to exile them to 3-season use long before their treadlife is done.

 

Brand new all-seasons will get you through the first winter, then, not so much. There's a 15" Corolla rim that'll work with snows, or you could get some aftermarket 15" alloys I guess.

Our OEM's are 17", but come winter I switch to these: