Is Prius good for long drives? VD12345

I have 43,000 miles on my 2010 Prius.

It is great for long drives.

I have snow tires and does great in the snow and ice.

Alot of this is covered in many other threads.

 

The Prius is great for long drives, but will be fine at only 50 miles each way, as well.

Toyota Prius Hybrid - 2010 Models: Prius II, Prius III, Prius IV, Prius V

 

The III has an upgraded stereo, built-in XM receiver, and bluetooth. The II does not have these features. That is the only difference. The base price of the III is $1,000 more than the II. I purchased a III and am glad I did, as I very much enjoy the XM, upgraded sound system, and bluetooth.

My III does great on long drives (>250 miles).

I live in Columbia, SC and purchased my Prius last July. The day I bought it the heat index was 111 degrees fahrenheit. I am still using the AC in October. I have no idea how the car drives in cold weather and snow, but I can tell you it does well when it's hot.

 

I've found it comfortable and relaxing on long drives. What are your priorities? If comfort is high, you might want to consider a IV or V (nicer seats) if your $ permits.

Satellite radio is good on long drives in desolate areas, if that is a consideration.

In my experience, pretty good in cold and snow; winter tires would make it great. Ground clearance is the biggest issue in snow, imo.

Good luck,
T

 

My weekly comute to/from work is about 400 miles/week, or about 80 miles/day round trip. I'm a big guy (6'4", ~230 lbs), and I find it comfortable. Have i been in more comfortable cars for trips longer than an hour? Yes. But i would say the Prius is far better than average in terms of comfort, leg/head room. I'd put it in my upper quartile of all the cars I've owned - ie, Jags, BMW, Saab, Volvo Ford truck, Jeep and Honda mini-van.

My only wish was to have power seats...and to have the ability to rock/tilt the seat.

As far as snow...have not used it yet in the snow. But from the threads I have read on this topic, I've concluded the traction control works very well when on packed snow. There's a great video of a guy coming up a hill in his Prius...on packed snow. The wheels spin, but the traction control works and does it's thing...and he makes it up the hill (from a dead stop at the bottom of the hill) with little effort. The problem comes when there is a significant amount of snow, and it's not packed. Keep in mind, the Prius has very low ground clearance. very low for aerodynamics/fuel economy reasons. ANY car (not just the Prius) that has low clearance can hang up on the underside of the car if the snow is not packed down, or driving on a deeply rutted snow covered surface. So keep that in mind.

Cold? No problem. Also can get with heated seats.

 

I have a 52 mile daily round trip commute and the Prius is as comfortable as any of the other cars I have owned; Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Accord, Mazda 626.

It handles well in the cold but you do take about a 5-10 mpg hit during really cold weather, below 30 F. I average 48 mpg, above 50 mpg in spring and fall and about 45 mpg in winter.

 

I live in Wisconsin so winter means WINTER around here. My 2010 Prius III in ECO mode is practically unstoppable as long as the snow doesn't get so deep as to bog down the front bumper. My wife has a Mazda 3 with the Sport package. I had to get snow tires for her and she still spins at every stop sign (of course she has a lead foot). In ECO the power delivery is so even that with a light foot I don't even spin in the slipperiest stuff.
I love it,

 

Just as others have stated here already, Prius is a great car for long trips as well as handling in snow. I can also attest to this. I drive around 600 miles per week, and have done a few road trips as well to Boston and North Carolina (200 - 500 miles each way), and the car performs fantastically! You'll notice MPG go down a bit during the colder months, but this happens with every car. Still, it's a nice feeling to know you'll get around 40-45 MPG rather then 15 in most others during the winter time!

I have a Prius III as well, and I couldn't be happier. The bluetooth really comes in handy, and the upgraded speakers and XM built-in is a lifesaver while on long road trips. (Don't have to search the dial for local stations). Good luck with your decision!

 

The more you drive, the more you'll save in terms of gas - when compared to another car. This will more then offset the "Hybrid premium".

 

I've driven around the state several times now and I have always been more comfortable in the Prius than in other vehicles I've owned on similar drive. The trick is as always to pay attention to the ergonomics of your driving position when you set the seat up. There are several sites on this but it is important to sit-up straight to avoid neck strain.

 

Rent one and find out. Many Toyota dealers have daily rentals.

 

The wife and I just got back from a six day swing down to North Carolina from Wisconsin and we stuck on almost 2700 miles during that time. Our 2010 was comfortable and moved through the Great Smokies with ease. It would have cost over $600 dollars in gas money to do this trip with our Honda Pilot, but it ran us under $150. (It almost paid for our hotel cost)
As we live in Wisconsin, we have our fair share of snow, ice, wet roads, deer, fog, and wind. Our Prius responds to all with calm assurance and the ride is as good as any other mid sized car. By the way, we are averaging 54mpg at this time but with winter coming at us quick, will drop to 48 over the winter months.

 

I think one of the major differences is the 1.8 liter engine in Gen 3 compared to 1.5 liter in Gen 2

 

We just took a trip to St. Louis from Evansville,Indiana. About a 2 1/2 hour drive. The car is fairly comfortable especially with the lumbar support. Pennys Dad is right though find the best position for your seat. It makes all the difference. Can't believe how quiet it is inside the car. We can actually talk without having to raise our voices. You'll be pleased.

 

It was great!!! Was it good for you?

 

I drove my Prius 980 miles from Florida to Ohio in 15 hours last month for a family emergency. It was the most comfortable vehicle seats I ever experienced. Then of course drove it home the next week. Long trip approved here.

 

I'm a big guy and I find it quite comfortable for longer trips. Longest to date was 265 miles in the morning and the same return distance that evening.
No sweat.

 

That is good information to know. We are getting ready to drive from Illinois to Florida in a few weeks and I am figuring about 2500 miles round trip. The drivers will probably need to stop before the car does for re-fueling or de-fueling