Driving in snow

Best car I've ever owned in the snow. But the traction control requires good snow tires.

And it does great in snow to 4-5 inches deep. If you need to drive in 12 inch deep snow it can't do well due to the low ground clearance but most regular cars will have a problem within a few inches of where the Prius hits it's limit.

SUV's have some advantages. But when snow is that bad, it is hard to see enough to stay on the highway anyways! Stay home.

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And my Toyota dealer offers free winter tire storage for their customers. It wouldn't surprise me if they offered free mounting as well. I guess I'll find out in a couple of months.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kaysea\";p=\"106608)</div>

That's a misconception.

Smaller is actually better.

You want the tires to be able to dig into the snow, not float on top of it. That means you want as much pressure as possible pushing onto the part of the tire making contact... which is the very reason way some vehicles benefit from adding weight to them for improving traction.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kaysea\";p=\"106642)</div>

That depends on where the weights (engine for instance) are located in a car. For a Prius, both engine and motor are located in the front and it's a front wheel drive. So the Prius will benefit from what you've stated.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kaysea\";p=\"106642)</div>

Traction control is standard, but VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) is optional. You can check toyota.com for details about the standard and optional features.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kaysea\";p=\"106608)</div>

Like Tomdeimous, the Prius has handled better than any car I've ever owned.

Last winter I had two experiences. One was on a long drive home after the holidays and it started snowing. I slowed down a bit but judged my speed on the basis of slippage and the traction that I felt i had. I quickly realized that I was passing everybody, so I slowed down a little more.

But I still realized I was still safely passing everyone. When we got home, both my wife and I commented on how safe it felt in that car. Never once did we spin. And by the time we got home, there was 10 inches on the ground.

Another experience was in another storm and I'm drivng to work and all of a sudden a car is coming right at me. I'm 5 seconds from destroying my front end and testing my air bags. My only hope is to ditch the car into the snowbank to my right. But I felt that too hard a turn to the right would result in my going down the road sideways. Well I try it anyway and the car moves right into the snow bank, and the other car miraculously doesn't even clip the back of my car.

Now I'm heading for a telephone pole, though at only maybe 5mph. So I turn back into the street. Again, no problem. The car responds easily. I get back in my lane and continue on to work like nothing happened. The other car is a bit buried in the snow bank as I look in my rear view mirror.

Now, the dashboard lit up and all kinds of bells and whistles went off for the traction control and VSC alarms. But I never got to test my airbags or my cars crumple zones. And I have stock tires. With special tires, I could probably fly.

I have never before owned a car that could have pulled that off, and that includes VW bugs, Dodge Dart, BMW 325, Toyota Corona, Toyota Corolla, Suburu Impreza, and 57 Chevy BelAir, 64 Chevy. Nor that monster Chrysler I had for about 2 years.

And again, I repeat, I have never had a car do as well as this one in the snow in my life. Indeed, when my daughters or wife ever decide to buy a new car, I will insist on VSC, to the point of paying for it myself.

 

Do not rely on the VSC or traction control at stop to very slow speeds (this applies to all cars). I was stopped sideways on an icey slope and the car needed a very light pedal to get it started forward without any side slip (yes I put on chains after this).
The VSC saved my butt under normal driving around a 45 mph turn when I went through a spilled 5 gallon bucket of hydralic fluid that fell off a truck. The car drifted 6 feet to the shoulder and stayed pointed in the right direction. I had fluid flung up both sides of the car when I stopped.

 

Remember too that you have the electric motor to get you going - the motor has more low speed torque than a gas engine. It is sort of like starting in second gear in a manual tranny. Except for the low ground clearance these cars are great in the snow. Remember too, with the synergy drive and battery pack the car weighs more than a comparable small car so you have more weight on the small tires which gives better traction. Further, the weight is more evenly distributed with the battery pack in the back of the car.

 

The OEM tires are NOT reasonable for snow. They do not have enough tread grip or width of channels (or whatever is the appropriate technical term) even for plowed roads with a bit of junk left. If she drives a lot in the winter, I suspect she has snow tires on her current vehicle and should put them on any vehicle she gets to replace it.

As ScottY said, traction control is standard on ALL Prii, it makes sure you don't rip the electric motor apart. It can even be touchy with the OEMs on sand or gravel. Better tires improve that a lot, summer and winter.

If she is concerned about being as safe as possible in the snow, make sure she gets a package with VSC. VERY stable, I couldn't get more than a gentle slowing curve when I tried a test skid in a snow covered parkling lot. In addition, the VSC packages also have side curtain air bags (most of the packages do). Makes for a double 5 star crash rating.

PLUS, she will LOVE how it starts in 3 seconds winter at -20 F winter temps. No cranking, no "Go get the battery charger to boost it". Just get in and go. She'll be half way to her destination while her friends are waiting for their cars to stop feeling like they are in a paint shaker.

 

I too played with the VSC. Mine was an empty ski resort parking lot with about 3-4 inches of very slippery unplowed snow on ice (My niece slipped and fell in the parking lot on her way to the lodge . . . she needed GSC :wink: ).

Within the limit of not wanting to risk bouncing off a 20 foot wall of snow and ice around the perimeter of the large parking area - I tested the VSC several times at speeds up to about 25 mph. I could not make that car loose control!! And that was on the standard tires - so I bet with snow tires this car would be able to maneuver like a cat on carpet.

On another occasion I drove out of Yosemite Valley during a snow storm. Chains were required, but I know the Prius would have handled better without them. It was a rough several miles with chains on a plowed roadway! :x

I will NEVER buy another car without VSC!

 

It is the middle of July. It is ~100* outside (Southern California valleys).

And you guys are discussing driving in the snow???

:icecream:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kaysea\";p=\"106642)</div>

Consider getting a relatively inexpensive set of steel wheels and mount your snow tires on them. Saves wear and tear on the alloys and makes the seasonal changeover very simple.

 

The Prius with VSC/traction control and GOOD snow tires (I have Nokian WRs) is the best FWD car I've had. I also had a Jeep Liberty at the same time and felt MORE control in the Prius. On snowy days the Jeep stayed home. I sold the Jeep after one winter with the Prius. It's GREAT!!!!

 

Even though it's 94 in the shade and with the Humidity Advisory it feels more like 114, it was only 7 months ago I was complaining to the forum about the -40 temps and record windchills.

We also had quite a few blizzards and record snowfall, so I routinely had to drive in ruts 3-6 inches deep down the street, especially the side street to the condo underground parking entrance.

I found the stock Goodyear Integrity tires to be terrible on the polished ice we seem to have at every intersection here. Snow traction was poor. I was backordered for snow tires so I put on Michelin Harmony, they were slightly better on ice and much better in snow.

In December my snow tires finally arrived: Dunlop Graspic DS-2 on cheap black steel rims. Considering another blizzard was raging, I figured the Condo Association wouldn't mind terribly if I took my floor jack in the elevator to the parking garage and changed over immediately - they didn't mind.

After I washed the salt off the factory wheels I put them in the storage room, then went for a spin on the new Graspic tires. I figured it would be a good test, the police were warning folks to stay off the roads, and the Trans Canada was closed both East and West of Winnipeg.

It was a day and night difference!

I could easily charge through 12 inch drifts, 15 inches if I had some momentum. Although the Trac still kicked on when the light turned green, I could get going much more easily.

I was actually worried before about being rear-ended as the car used to barely creep along when the light turned green. I even got stuck once going up a mall parking ramp that was icy, the car just came to a stop and refused to budge with the pedal to the floor. That never happened again with the Graspic tires.

I can't speak highly enough of the Dunlop Graspic DS-2. About the only issue - a minor one - is turns are a bit sloppy, the Graspic has a lot of sidewall flex and heavily siped, squishy treads. This is more than outweighed by the traction and safety advantages.

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 is also a great winter tire. I would have preferred studded Nokian winter tires, but the Condo Association prohibits them in the underground parking.

I don't think states like Michigan or Wisconsin allow studded tires anyway, so a good studless winter tire could save your life, or at least your car.

You also don't want wide winter tires, as other posters have mentioned. You want the tire to dig in not float on top. Many folks with performance summer tires will Minus Size a step or two for winter with their winter tires.

Hope this helps.

 

Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 are great I have them on my BMW which is rear-wheel drive and the car handles great in the snow with them. But be warned they are very soft rubber and if you leave them on once the weather gets warm you will wear them out super fast.

 

Before I considered the Prius, I was looking at the Audi TT and A4 because I wanted an AWD convertible. But I wanted to buy a used 2004 with specific options, and no Audi dealers would get back to me. So I gave up on the Audi and went with the Prius. I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't have AWD for the winter, but having read about VSC experiences, I'm almost looking forward to driving in the snow this year. I will definitely look into snow tires.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kirbinster\";p=\"106754)</div>

Great point and thanks for reminding us.

I think every studless winter tire has the same "limitation" and especially if you have to drive on them in temps 45 F or higher they will quickly wear.

The big advantage to that soft squishy tread is that it really sticks well at cold temps, even down to -40. Most conventional "all-season" tires lose almost all of their limited ice grip in temps -10 F or colder.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(meeminator\";p=\"106767)</div>

To be sure, an AWD has traction advantages over a Prius especially in deep snow and starting off. It won't stop any quicker though, a lot of 4x4 pickup folks forget that.

I had thought of getting a Subaru AWD like the Outback, but just couldn't see any sense to it. The AWD car has a permenant fuel economy penalty, so the 99% of the time I don't need AWD traction, I'm still paying for it in terms of much increased fuel consumption.

Now if Toyota could offer a Prius with the same electric rear axle like the Hybrid Highlander/RX330H, I would very seriously consider it. There probably wouldn't be any huge fuel economy penalty, and I could have even more fun blowing away 4x4 pickups in winter at a green light.