1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Let's talk about the Prius AWD

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by elendilmir, Mar 18, 2019.

Tags:
  1. elendilmir

    elendilmir Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2008
    108
    9
    0
    Location:
    western maryland
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    I was out car shopping, and came across the Prius AWD. A potential game changer that ticks most of my boxes. I love my current Prius, and I love getting great milage. I want AWD, but really only need it about three days a year because I live in Maryland. It's a hatchback (my '02 isn't), so I can put a bunch of stuff in it. It has adaptive cruise (swoon!). But for some really stupid reason the digital screen gagigger doesn't sync with phones other than with a bluetooth or support it's own navigation system.

    Let's talk about this car, and whether there are any plans to un*%&# their infotainment thing. Do you have one? Would you buy one?
     
  2. Bob Comer

    Bob Comer Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    708
    454
    0
    Location:
    South Carolina low country
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    If I still lived in Wyoming, I'd buy one, but I don't, and it's more like 1 day in 4 years that I'd need it here. :) The infotainmant is crappy, yes, but so are most infotainment systems I've seen in the last few years. I use bluetooth all the time and it works most of the time. You'll love dynamic cruise control. :)
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The box it doesn't tick for me, and sadly all 2019 Prius levels in Canada except base are thus, is the lack of spare tire.
     
    fuzzy1 likes this.
  4. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Not sure AWD Prius with the same ground clearance as non-AWD will help me in situations when I really want AWD. For most part, as long as road has been plowed, non-AWD Prius with a good snow tires will do the job. That said, I do want a high ground clearance AWD vehicle with a large cargo to go off road in occasions.
     
    Awap, SFO and Mendel Leisk like this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i would really have to want prius gas savings over a rav4h or subbie. no toyota infotainment works, but my daughters subbie CarPlay is amazing.

    i guess price might determine my direction, are they knocking a ton off msrp?
     
  6. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2016
    2,567
    1,595
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere in Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    $26,000+
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    This winter I have been making frequent full use of my Forester's entire ground clearance on the road to the family farm, not plowed by the 'gum'nt'. Sometimes plowed by us, but that is problematic under drifting conditions because it makes subsequent drifting even worse. So some other times we prefer to push a bit of snow with the undercarriage rather than plow that 0.6 mile section. (And there are still times that we didn't dare attempt it with a fully chained up F250 with a full load of feed in back.)

    If you drive only on government-plowed and -groomed roads, then ground clearance becomes much less of an issue.
     
  8. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,594
    11,214
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Something to keep in mind about the Prius AWD is that Japan is resource poor. Most likely already knew this in regards to oil and other fuels, but it also applies to salt. So Japan doesn't salt their roads, and the rusting issues seen in their early imports were because the manufacturers never had to deal with road slat before.

    Ever consider a drift fence? My personal history shows that they will prevent drifts from forming on the road when placed right.
     
  9. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2016
    2,567
    1,595
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere in Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
     
    Salamander_King likes this.
  10. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Wait, didn't I see that plow on a Prius??? :rolleyes:
     
    The Electric Me and fuzzy1 like this.
  11. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Surely you are joking. No Forester has the traction, thrust, or super low gearing to handle much of the heavy wet snow experienced at this farm. The only vehicle we have that can push that stuff, has tracks, not wheels, similar to this:
    D3.JPG

    Even the usual wheeled county vehicles that do the public roads, need chains on 4 of their giant tires, which I seem to remember as taller than these:
    [​IMG]
    And when (not if) these can't get through, there are snowblower trucks for backup.
    (Step)-grandad had a few rows of them, but they were never maintained and are now long gone. And they weren't in the right place for the current issues.

    The deepest problem location would require placing the snowfences well in to a neighbor's pasture, not our own. And entirely for our family's benefit, not their's. The next level problem area would interfere with harvesting a significant portion of our crop lands. Something (climate change?) has significantly reduced the need compared to the years of my youth, so this hasn't bubbled up high on the priority and resource allocation lists. But this year has been unusual compared to recent times, reminding us of what things were often like long ago.
     
    #11 fuzzy1, Mar 18, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2019
  12. elendilmir

    elendilmir Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2008
    108
    9
    0
    Location:
    western maryland
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Thank you for pointing that out. I forgot it, and it's kind of a deal for me as well. I don't like just having a donut. Do the AWDs have the same weird "under the floor storage" area that the classic Soapdish Prii had? I might just store a donut/tire under there.
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,767
    16,016
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    It does. AWD has 5.3” of clearance while the FWD ones have 5.1” of clearance.
     
    SFO likes this.
  14. bamike

    bamike Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2019
    59
    32
    0
    Location:
    DC
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Don’t buy AWD in Maryland. It’s not worth the cost and the maintenance expenses that come with an AWD car. It will cost you many thousands over the life of the car and offer little benefit. Good snow tires will give you what you want without the hassle. I know this from AWD BMWs with the transfer case, control arms, front and rear differentials, etc. There are more things to go wrong on AWD, more maintenance items, and more expensive parts.
     
    Salamander_King likes this.
  15. kevin.c

    kevin.c Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2019
    98
    76
    8
    Location:
    sf bay area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Really? I thought the Prius (and other Toyota / Lexus hybrid AWD) is implemented by putting motors in the rear wheels. It should be fully electric, no mechanical linkage to the engine.
     
    drash and fuzzy1 like this.
  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    OK, 0.2 inch increase. :) I still think it's a NO GO when more than 6 inches of unplowed snow is on the road, AWD or not. I want a minimum of 8 inch clearance.
     
    #16 Salamander_King, Mar 19, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
    Tideland Prius likes this.
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,767
    16,016
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Except that’s a mechanical AWD system you’re describing. The Prius is electric AWD. It’s jsut a rear electric motor and some wires. No transfer case, no centre driveshaft. It’s an open differential.
     
    drash and kevin.c like this.
  18. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,688
    6,375
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    That's not the same as "free" or "maintenance-free."
     
    Trollbait likes this.
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    luckily, awd gets nimh batteries for very cold areas where it never snows more than 5.3".
     
    Trollbait likes this.
  20. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That would exclude where your are, doesn't it? We certainly had more than 5.3" snow when I lived there!