Prius vs. San Francisco

Hi grapier,
[you don’t have you location in your user profile . . . it’s required and it may affect answers you receive]

My Prius with three adults and bags for a European vacation for two women took the steepest of SF hills in quite well, although it wasn’t a rainy day. That scenario sounds like a good reason to get a Prius with VSC (Vehicle Stability Control). Not all Prius models come with VSC . . . ABS and Traction Control yes, but not VSC. I have no doubts about a non-VSC Prius navigating SF hills in the rain, but I would feel safer in one with VSC.

I’d suggest you check into it . . . this time no matter where you live.

[UPDATE:]
I just read your other threads.
You should seriously consider a Prius model with VSC and HID.

I can tell you first hand that the VSC does in fact keep you from sliding sideways. I tried my hardest to slide my VSC equiped Prius in an empty, and very slippery, Sierra at Tahoe parking lot. The VSC kept me in control. I was utterly amazed!

The HID headlights are freakin’ outstanding in fog. A godsend in the Bay Area year round and the Sacramento Valley in winter. They are better than any “fog†lights I have ever used! The HIDs have a very sharp horizontal cut-off line between lit and unlit areas. The HIDs do an outstanding job of not illuminating the fog above the level of the cut-off line . . . which makes it much easier to see further through the fog when you don’t have to try to see through lit fog at windshield level. There is very little glare. The Prius “fog lights†are practically useless for allowing you to see further, but they do allow others to see you better.

[UPDATE #2]

ESC [VSC] reduced fatal single-vehicle crash risk by about 56 percent.
http://www.iihs.org/news/2004/iihs_news_102804.pdf

When the subjects were not primed before driving to pay attention to the headlamps,
they did not show, as a group, preference for either type of lamp. However, when they were told to pay attention to the headlamps, they overwhelmingly preferred the HID lamps.
http://www.umich.edu/~industry/PDF/2002-03-Abstract.pdf

 

I drove all the way from San Rafael up to the top of mount tam today, straight from the dealership, itn the rain, and it handled great! Think about all the time you go downhill and apply the brake....

 

My '04 has been to SF a dozen times, and we always go up and down the steepest hills, partly because we always hit Chinatown and partly just for fun. I've never had a problem, including starting, fully loaded with people (5) from a stop sign while angled upward as steeply as you can imagine (worse than Lombard St.). Have never spun or slipped, even when it's been slick from rain. Always go down steep hills in "B".

 

Prius Envy, fog lights are not to help you see "further". They are to allow you to at least see the road markings and edge of the road so you can continue to travel (at low speed) in severe conditions. They are extremely short range, by design.

I've only used them once - a couple of weeks ago driving at night in a snow blizzard; I could barely see the lane markings on the dual carriageway, and they helped to pick them out.

 

I've read complaints about parking downhill and not having the power to reverse out of the space. In those threads, other people said you could get out of such situations by flooring the gas pedal. The basic problem is that the prius can only use the electric motor in reverse. The engine may be running, but it's not being used to propel the car because it would have to turn backwards to do so. However, if what people say is correct, flooring the gas pedal would work because reving up the engine would produce more electricity to power the electric motor.

I have not encountered such a situtation, so I can't verify if it's an issue. The moral of the story however, is to avoid parking downhill on steep inclines so you don't have to find out for yourself.

 

it drives quite nicely on rainy slippery days even on hayes hill...

 

have not had the chance to visit SF since getting my Prius, but have done Seattle many times and the terrain is basically the same. a lot more rain here though. never an issue on anything. power was great. went to the Seahawk-Colts game on Christmas Eve. 4 adults in the car, one guy was 6-6 and 320 lbs. no power issues at all. no rain either that day anyway

 

omg... how do these stories get started?

 

When we last visited last spring, I was amazed at how many Prius I saw in the city. My friend commutes there daily in his and has had no problems. We had no problems in ours either and it was easy to park!

 

By reports from PriusChat memebers of course...

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=4621&hl=

This is the only one I found, but the search feature on this site sucks. I'm sure I remember another discussion about this, but maybe it was lost with all those threads that got lost a couple of months ago.