Steep Glacial Driveway vs Traction Control

I think you're right that the current system is improved. The GII was terribly problematic, as you've likely read. But if those Audis and Subarus had 4WD or even a limited slip differential, then naturally they're going to be better climbers.

As long as you've got traction, prior to going up the driveway, you'll be able to gain momentum, don't you think? Perhaps someone else has a better answer.

 

i had semi limited experience with heavy snow and ice (4 months in colorado mountains)... from what i gather, it's best to think of it as the computer being in control instead of trying to "ride" traction. so if you call 100% out of the pedal, it's going to try and grip and accelerate with 100% effort. as long as you hit the driveway with some momentum, it should be able to keep it and go forward (and i have a genII). it's up to you when to reduce pedal, depending on experience with the car stopping... you may want to test that in an open parking lot...

good tires definitely help...

ask a local dealer if you can test drive it to your house? find a local member and test their car?... idk

 

Alternately, buy a bag of sand and sprinkle a little before you leave. Or park on the road. I've known many people with steep driveways that park on the road or in the first few feet of their driveway because no car can reliably get up the slope. I have no idea if it'll work on your particular driveway or not, but even if it has a hard time, there are some pretty easy alternatives.

 

How steep? I live in Sheridan, WY where the roads are often snow-covered and when the sun comes out they are as slick as anywhere I've been. My 2010 Prius with studded snows is a very good snow car! I also have a Toyota Sequoia 4WD with snow tires. See if you can bribe another Prius owner to give it a try. Once used to the traction control on ice I haven't had any problems with it backing off the throttle.

To put it into perspective, we'll soon be in the market for a house in Sheridan. There's one house that we really like. It is on a great hill with a great view. But - it has a very steep and long driveway! If it snows tomorrow (it might) I'll go drive it and report back. This driveway is position such that I won't have the opportunity for any momentum. From previous experience with steep snow-covered roads, the Prius with studded snows is better than any other 2wd car I've driven. Not sure about the ice, though.

 

Hey Readster,

I'm sure you've seen these videos on Gen II vs Gen III traction control but here they are just in case.

Gen II

Gen III

Sorry not sure which PC members originally posted these videos

 

The OP is from Minnesota, so he can't use studded tires.

As for the OP's initial question, please answer the following:

1) How long is the steep section of your driveway?

2) Is the driveway straight or do you have to turn?

This question makes me uneasy. Prius in general don't do well going uphill with limited traction, but in some cases do as well as other front-wheel-drive cars. The key is momentum. If you can keep them moving you are good. If you stop, you are finished. That's why the questions about the length and straightness of your driveway. If it's straight and relatively short, you should be able to get up with a running start. If not, I can't recommend buying a Prius without trying it in your own driveway.

Tom

 

The (2010 & later) gen3's use the brakes, not throttle cut, to control wheel spin. As a result, I think they are as good as the better 2wd cars on slippery stuff. Ground clearance is an issue in the deep stuff due to the low clearance and the plastic aero panels underneath.

 

I don't believe this is true, as it doesn't agree with the information that was told to me by the Prius chief engineer when we were in Detroit. Do you have any technical documentation to back up this claim?

Tom

 

VSC uses the brakes to bring the vehicle back under control, but not for slippage.

 

I stand corrected.

 

how is it then that the 3 works where the 2 doesn't?

 

I believe from what I've been reading that the 3 is better than the 2 on snow/ice, but these videos don't say anything to me.

To me it looks like what I already know. Thin ice on blacktop is more slippery than packed snow on blacktop.

Let's see the Gen 3 go up the same driveway that the 2 didn't. That is the only thing that would mean anything.

 

The issue is snow tires. I have a separate set of rims with Continental ExtremeWinterContact winter/snow tires that I use from late October into March.
I live in a dirt road. There are two steep hills between my house and the pavement. The steepest of these hills is North-facing, and gets very icy in the winter. With all-season tires, I could not always make it up the hill; with the winter tires, I have no problems.
The difference is in the tread compound.

 

It looks like the rubber compound for the Prius is engineered for low friction and MPG. I guess I will have to add a set of dedicated winter tires to the cost of my Prius. I had Blizzak and Nokian on cars before. Who makes the best performing dedicated winter tire for the Prius?

 

The Blizzaks have a good reputation.
I got a deal on the Continental ExtremeWinterContact tires and have been very happy with their performance in snow and on ice.
There is about a 5 mpg hit with the winter tires since they are not LRR, but that's life.

 

There are 2 Gen II's and 1 other Gen III in my neighborhood. All 3 are running the stock 15s with all-season rubber. The path out of my neighborhood includes a slight incline following by a hard right turn up a steeper incline. When it snowed here a couple weeks back, both Gen II's were unable to make it up the slight incline. The other Gen III and myself were able to make it up both slight incline and the steeper 2nd incline. The other Gen III did require a few runs to successfully make it but that was probably due to their semi-worn down tires.

Sorry I don't have video proof of this...but I'm pretty convinced it's due to the traction control differences. Note, this is for snow not ice.

 

the 3 is better because they changed the way the car does its brakes. since the gen3 has larger rotors in the rear it helps keep stability in corners and slip situations (a little more like lexus DSC or whatever it is). they also relaxed the traction control by having the brakes do the job instead of the entire system reducing power.

btw.. you're never supposed to use low power and let the car roll back while in D... it's said over and over it's bad (i'll leave it at that). when i was driving in ice and snow i learned that 100% pedal isn't a throttle response but a way to gauge the cars ambition to move forward. (i let it go wild... it works great for passing uphill on non plowed lanes... wait.. is that illegal?.... maybe i didn't do that.. i know it's stupid. there are many other similar experiences from my limited living in the snow)

 

The sensitivity has been dialed back for the Gen III. With the early Gen IIs, the slightest amount of wheel spin cut all power from the drive wheels. Later, with the 2006s, a limited amount of wheel spin was allowed. Even so, power pulses on and off rather coarsely, making it hard to keep moving.

I haven't driven a Gen III in slippery conditions, but reportedly they allow a lot more spin, and are less aggressive about shutting down power. It's still a power control system, so loss of traction at one wheel means the game is over.

Other more sophisticated traction control systems, like that used on the FJ Cruisers, apply the brake to a slipping wheel to force torque to the gripping tire. The Prius isn't that sophisticated.

Tom