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From: Willie K. Yee, MD on 21 May 2008 07:46
On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:28:05 GMT, vfo22(a)netzero.net (Bill) wrote:

>Is the car good in the snow? I'm going to go soon and get one if the
>answer is yes.

On packed snow and ice, the Prius handles better than most, between
VSC, traction control and ABS. I had to work to make it skid on a test
drive.

It does not do well in deep snow (greater then 4-6 inches) because it
is so low to the ground. On very steep slippery slopes it may have
difficulty. The road to my house had a short grade that I had to get a
run on (going through a stop sign in the process). If I had snow
tires, I would not have had a problem.

Real snow tires make all the difference.
From: husbandnextdoor on 26 May 2008 10:26
On May 21, 7:46 am, please(a)nospam (Willie K. Yee, MD) wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:28:05 GMT, vf...(a)netzero.net (Bill) wrote:
> >Is the car good in the snow? I'm going to go soon and get one if the
> >answer is yes.
>
> On packed snow and ice, the Prius handles better than most, between
> VSC, traction control and ABS. I had to work to make it skid on a test
> drive.
>
> It does not do well in deep snow (greater then 4-6 inches) because it
> is so low to the ground. On very steep slippery slopes it may have
> difficulty. The road to my house had a short grade that I had to get a
> run on (going through a stop sign in the process).  If I had snow
> tires, I would not have had a problem.
>
> Real snow tires make all the difference.

My wife's 2007 Touring with traction control and VSC behaves like a
little tractor in snow, on the stock tires. As they wear I think it
might get worse, and we will probably look for some snows this winter
or the next. But we are both good snow drivers, and this car is
better than many of the others we've had - BMW, Saab, Volvo, VW.
We're in southeast MIchigan, which can be hilly enough to cause
problems, though it's not Colorado!

I expect snow tires to make a difference.
From: Troy on 27 May 2008 06:30
On Apr 29, 11:28 pm, vf...(a)netzero.net (Bill) wrote:
> Is the car good in the snow? I'm going to go soon and get one if the
> answer is yes.

I don't have a Prius yet... we're doing lots of research and waiting
for the third generation. That said, I've always been an advocate of
winter tires. As far as I'm concerned, "all season tires" is just
another way to say "summer tires." I had the opportunity to a number
of winters ago to test different kinds of winter tires on the same
vehicle. I had a car with winter studded tires on, and in February of
that year my wife bought the same car. Studded tires were no longer
available as it was late in the season and dealers were getting there
summer stock in. So we ended up getting Pirelli ice tires. I was
absolutely floored to see how much better her car with the ice tires
was in snow and ice and on hills than my own. Prior to that I thought
nothing could be better than studs. It seemed like having metal spikes
sticking out of your tires, digging into whatever you were driving on
would be about as secure as you be. I really could not believe the
amazing performance of the ice tires.

I agree with many of the other posts, in particular that good driving
habits make for better, safer driving in snow. But, at the same time,
I would encourage anyone who lives in a snowy climate to invest in a
good set of ice/snow tires. There is simply no comparing these to all
season tires.

When I do finally get my Prius, the first add-on I buy will be a good
set of ice tires.

Hope this helps.
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