Prius is a dangerous vehicle in snow

Details ? Without them, there can't be any discussion.

Traction control and VSC are different systems.

The OP has more details than your one statement claim above.

 

You can't compare mechanical breakdowns with a normal operation.

I would be interested in seeing the throttle/torque transfer curve of the Prius under TC and nonTC situations.
It's the car's fault if that relationship is abnormal.

Again, VSC is not the topic being discussed.

Care to share any details ?

 

Interesting thread (minus the "hot under the collar" posts).

I have two '07 Prii (one touring, one standard), one with stock Integrity tires and the other with Yokohama avid envigor tires. I don't find the Integrity tires "crap" in snow. They drive better in snow than the Yokos. I find the TC engaging much more often with the Yoko, including on "crosswalk stripes" when the ground is wet. I also have found myself not able to make it up a hill with the Yokos that I know I would have had no trouble with with the other Prius (w/Integritys)

Overall I don't think the Prius is a great snow car (nothing I've driven ever beats the '70 VW Beetle, as long as the snow accumulation wasn't over the (low) height of the bumper!), but it's certainly better than some I've driven.

I've been driving in snow for many years, but not much for the last 15, now that I'm in the Pacific Northwest. I have to say I've never felt the loss of power described here. I don't know for sure, but perhaps it's because of early training/experience I always ease up on the accelerator when my tires start to spin, which is the reverse of what most people here do. They give it MORE gas, which just makes the tires spin more, of course.

 

Hi camner,

Slipage of the right front tire on wet slick curved surface road striping during right turns, is greatly mitigated by the chasis stiffening plate in the 2nd Gen Prius. As the car flexes less, the patch pressure in the right front stays more constant as the road surface height varies.

I had a BT Tech chassis stiffenting plate on my 2006 Prius. These are offereed here on PC, and there are other cheaper alternatives on Ebay.

 

Is this approved by Toyota i.e. for warranty etc ?

 

Hi tpfun,

There is a law that modifications, in and of themselves cannot be used to refuse waranty repair. Magnsun Moss act? Many dealarships installed the BT Tech stiffening plate in response to customer complaints on early 2nd Gen Prius, anyway.

For a modification to be a basis for waranty refusal, it has to be directly involved with the failure. Like a disentegrating, non-stock air-intake filter for failure of the engine or catalytic converter.

There have to be thousands and thousands of the BT Tech plates installed since they came out around 2005.