Prius on Dirt Roads

Dirt roads around here aren't 'groomed'. One Road, named Hobart which is an old mixer brand name, lived up to that rep when I thought the car would shake apart. Seems they grade it off only after a few months of rough use.

So far, I haven't gone up a dirt road hill in bad, wet conditions, but I don't see the loose gravel situation where the car can't hack it coming up much around here...

 

I've driven my Prius on a dirt road, and it was just as good (or bad) as any other car.

 

I drive on two miles of dirt road twice a day for the last year and the Prius does just fine.

 

The Prius is no 4x4 and was never intended to be one. On "normal" gravel roads it's like any other car out there.

If you have to drive up extreme angles on a gravel road, a little wheelspin is beneficial to keep moving. I said a *little* wheelspin, too much and you dig in.

The Prius standard Traction Control doesn't appear to allow *any* wheelspin, so in a situation of extreme grades on gravel roads, you may come to a stop.

 

I would be wary. The TC cuts engine power at the slightest slip. I find a "hiccup" when accelerating from a stop just from the water in the drainage grooves at suburban intersections. Wheelspin is strictly prevented, and wheelspin is part of normal driving technique in dirt or gravel roads.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(surfoutsider\";p=\"83599)</div>

Handled fine, but I hate taking a good car on bad roads.

The NAV routed me home over a few dirt roads once, with washed-out patches leaving only one lane. I don't really like joyriding around here anymore, due to how I might be told to go home...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nmrickie\";p=\"83607)</div>

Same here. Though I don't have the vehicle stability control feature I've been on dirt roads in Wyoming and in Death Valley with no problem. However, none of the roads had steep inclines to speak of.