Prius, getting stuck in snow

My Nokian Haakapellitta (sp?) are also LRR. They're getting better at it every year. But non-winter LRR tires are just not designed for winter weather. I've had too many close calls in MN winter to take that chance any longer.

LG-H810 ?

 

The reason you see more 4WD trucks and SUVs in the ditch in winter is because they get overconfident thinking since they can accelerate quickly with 4WD that it will translate to stopping quickly with 4WD, which clearly isn't the case. Also, they probably have cheap all-season tires on their 4WD vehicle. Putting snow tires on an AWD or 4WD vehicle is the ultimate winter warrior. But people just aren't smart enough for that.

LG-H810 ?

 

I agree.

However, ironically, for many people snow tires are not even considered due to cost. Many people spend way more than they can afford on an expensive vehicle and then do not want to spend the extra money on snow tires, etc...That is just the way it is.

I tend to like having a "winter beater" vehicle. I use our old (2004) Mazda MPV for this. I realize this is not possible for many to do this but our MPV is paid for, is reliable, we have room for it, the insurance is cheap, and it has higher clearance than our other cars. That being said, I am also too cheap to put snow tires on it! . I should probably do that though.

 

I saw this much more in the mid to late 1990s, as the SUV craze exploded and a lot of drivers were new to that class of vehicle. Since then, as those drivers have become more accustomed to their new wheels, the proportions in the ditch have returned to being more representative of what is moving on the road.

 

I tend to disagree based on what I see here in Minnesota. However, with a sample size of 1, I'm not sure it is statistically accurate!


I also think it may be that folks with 4 wheel drive feel more confident and go out more in bad weather. I have a son that plays hockey and we have been in some pretty crazy scenarios where we probably should not have been out on the roads. I tend to see more 4WD vehicles out during those times.

 

I can see that. People pay a premium for 4WD, get worse mpg, have to deal with extra fluid changes and complication, and when there's a big dump of snow, they want payback.

 

The traction control has left me down several times. Just when I seem to make it up the driveway the power is reduced to nothing like shutting the engine off. This is even with 4 Blizzaks!
Tried the first year with the all seasons and found the car almost undriveable due to the weight balance. The traction battery moves too much balance to the rear.
With the snow tires, the car is quite capable in the snow. Just be careful in unplowed areas, due to the traction over control....

The traction control can be disabled, but it is a pita procedure that takes me a few minutes to get it work(maintenance mode)

SM-G900V ?

 

First use snow tires and chains as required, but if you do get stuck...

Power off, then power back on when you get un-stuck to return the vehicle to normal.