Prius in Winter Snow

My 2005 is like any other car on snow except the traction control keeps the wheels from spinning during those situations where a car without traction control would sit and spin. When this happens you find yourself at a standstill with the pedal on the floor and engine at and idle.

The OEM tires were decent on snow and ice until about 25% worn, after which performance deteriorated to useless at 50% worn. I bought a set of blizzacks mounted on some nice alloy wheels and they have performed so well I sold the 4WD Explorer I'd kept to get up my driveway in winter. In fact, the traction control has never engaged with the Blizzacks in place.

Ground clearance is a factor and I have floated over a few pillow drifts. I've tested the VSC on icy curves and it works as advertised.

I have a Prius and I could comment on that. _All_ vehicles that run on wheels or metal treads (military tanks, construction vehicles, etc.) that I know about are subject to skidding in winter snow. I don't know about trains because I have not driven a vehicle that runs on rails in any conditions (but I have seen trains skid on steel rails, so I presume they could skid on ice). The Prius is no worse than any other vehicle. My remarks apply only to winter snow. I have no experience with summer snow.

Davoud

I've never had a problem in the two winters I've had one, and we have moderate snow. Factory tires, too.

Be aware, though: you cannot rock the Prius by moving back and forth between R and D. You might get some motion going, but not like other cars you're used to.

Just get snow tires if you're concerned, and move on with your life. In fact, anyone who lives in cold/snow should get winter tires for the winter season. It's far, far better than just using, say, 4wd or awd.

I'd take a snow-tire-equipped Prius over an awd car with all season tires any day.

Right. Last winter an awd Subaru with fairly new all-season tires couldn't climb my driveway but I climbed right up with the blizzack-equipped Prius.

The only time our 06 Prius has been stuck in the snow was when the snow was wet and more than 6 inches deep. The Prius pushed the snow into a pile and then climbed up on the pile until there was no traction. That's an unusual situation even here in northern Ohio. A couple of inches of snow have not been a problem even with factory tires.

TKM

Well, I come in on the side of these tires being _not_ so good on snow, as compared to other tires on other cars (not to other tires on a Prius). The winter tires are the way to go if you want to be doing tire swapping and loss of MPG. We take the Jeep when we are not comfortable driving the Prius in a significant amount of snow. That's OK with us. I put the same tires on it for the second time around to keep the MPGs up. Tomes

bag of doom:

If you feel secure driv> > > I have heard that the Prius slips and slides in winter snow.  Could any

Davoud replied:

I doubt a Prius is any worse in snow than any other car. For the purpose of aerodynacis, the ground clearance is very low, so you won't be out in an 16" snow before the plows come by (my father actually took a 1941 Ford out in that much snow; he was a doctor, and he had to go). If you want ground clearance, buy a Model T Ford.

Its true. Its not a practical vehical.

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