So, hello everyone, first post from a brand new Prius owner. Came from the 2008 Camry Hybrid, which I wasn't necessarily looking to replace until my dealer called to say the model's in demand and gave me a great trade for it (especially for the chipped taillight, tree sap etching in the paint, roof rattles, etc.). In the process, we bought a 2011 Prius Two with BluLogic added, and a 2010 RAV4 for my wife. Been enjoying the car for a few days now, when I awaken to blowing snow this morning in Denver. My first instinct is to lurk over here and see what people think of the Prius in the snow (no, wasn't really worried, there are a bazillion Prii in Denver). Pretty mixed bag of results - some great, some recommending snow tires, others saying it's horrible. My experience? Pretty damned good - put it in ECO mode and treated it like a "snow gear" as I've read elsewhere, and had good control over acceleration. TC kicked in once taking off from a stop light - it's definitely a different behavior than the Camry Hybrid, had to take the foot off the gas for a half-second, then gently reapply, and off I went. And, perhaps not too surprisingly to some, my FE was not too shabby - my tank average about 200 miles in is 53mpg, which I think is fantastic given the cold weather and the snow! At some point, I may consider a set of snow tires, but I'm really quite impressed with how the Prius did - I actually felt a touch more secure than in the Camry!
If you do end up needing cables, Amazon has the SCC cables for $61.00 free ship, no tax depending on your state. You have to have them for our local mountains to getup the hill if the CHP is checking. SoCal drivers lose all driving skills during rain or snow so we're treated as such by the law. . Best snow car I ever owned was a Subaru Impreza AWD. Snow, Ice no problem with no chains, I'd pass big 4x's sliding or stuck on the side of the road putting chains on.
That pretty much sums up my experience, but I have studded snow tires... wouldn't leave home without them.
@yogi56, chains might be my first line of defense if I feel the need... @spiderman, what brand/model of snow tires, and what did they cost installed? Also, guess I'm not surprised given your location!
I picked up some slightly used General Altimax Arctic for like $150 and some steel wheels (can't remember the price off hand). Those are the best snowtires I have ever used. Yeah, we need the tires occasionally up here.
