I love winter! but maybe not with the prius

Stan, relax! I managed quite well through the past winter around here with no trouble at all in the snow with the Prius, even with the stock tires. My biggest concern was the ground clearance, but that's also coming off of 20 years of either SUV's or pickups, all 4WD. Granted, I do still have the 4x4 pickup as a backup and used it on only one snowy day for work that I probably otherwise would have called in and said I couldn't make it in. And also granted, it was a fairly mild winter with regard to snowfall (I was in the Caribbean when the blizzard hit in February! :lol: )

 

Lots of people have driven lots of Priuses through several winters. The consensus is that if you have very deep snow for which you would normally need an SUV, you still need an SUV. But the Prius out-performs most conventional cars in winter conditions.

I drove mine through one and a half winters in Fargo, N.D.: Bitterly-cold temperatures, lots of ice, but only moderate snowfall. It was a big improvement over my old '89 Civic. The traction control and VSC work wonders.

Traction Control is fantastic!!!!!!!!!! A few people have complained that on occasion it is too sensitive. But when you have to start out from a stop at an icy intersection, it will get you going faster than conventional cars without it. I would see cars spinning their tires and sliding from side to side as they tried to get going. Then when my turn came I'd step on the gas and the car would take over, reducing throttle (so I didn't have to judge how much to apply) and preventing tire-spinning, and I'd be through the intersection quicker than anything other than a 4WD or AWD. The complaint about TC is that if there is a bit of loose sand on an otherwise good solid road, the TC will kick in and slow you down rather than spinning the tires to kick away the sand. The payoff is that on ice it will get you going where other cars cannot.

And VSC is a life-saver: it prevents loss of control during turns. You must get a package that includes VSC. It is a safety feature. As are the side air bags.

Conclusion: For very deep snow, don't get a Prius, or any other 2WD car. Otherwise, the Prius is an excellent winter car.

Caveats: Because of the small engine, heat takes longer to come than in a gas-guzzler. And do get good winter or all-season tires, they'll makea huge difference.

 

get snow tires on dedicated steel wheels from tirerack.com (or print out the price from tirerack.com and get a local store to match it; that's what I did, and now they mount/dismount them every year for free, so I don't do it myself anymore), you won't regret it. it'll turn your prius into a tractor. blizzak revos are fantastic. even if the hills aren't big enough to really be a problem with the OEM tires, the difference in stopping power on ice and snow is the real big benefit.

consider 'em free...you're saving wear on your summer tires while the snows are on. just costs you a couple hundred for the wheels, if you look at it that way.

rob (MN)

 

I've driven through *SIX* winters in Minnesota now with two different Prius and four different types of tire. It's no big deal.

The factory tires deliver the basics. High-Traction all-season tires are the preferred. Those that require the best grip go for dedictated snow tires (and rims).

 

I was lucky last winter and evaded driving in the couple of bad storms we had. used to live in CT and know how bad it can be-

More worried about the other stupid drivers who don't know what they are doing.

The other key to winter driving is to be very conservative- drive slower, brake lighter & longer- let the idiots who are in a hurry pass you......

remember the tortise and the hare- slow & steady wins!