Snow driving

My 2014 Prius really surprised me on how well it handled in all winter conditions here British Columbia. Our winters here in the interior can be a test for all cars even all wheel drive! Subaru are great but I cannot stand poor FE. h

 

I think tire selection makes a huge difference. I will never drive with Yokohama's ever in the winter again. I had a really bad experience with a set of yokohama enviogors on my subaru. They were just downright scary trying to slow down in slushy conditions. The rubber compound was just too slick in those conditions, the ABS would kick constantly and it was hard to get any traction coming to a stop. I managed one winter with them, then swapped out to Continential Purecontacts(not procontacts) after doing tons of research. They are absolutely the best all-season tires i've ever driven in the snow. The abs kicks in only when i'm being stupid and right at the end of a stop in deep snow. This shows that i'm in control and i have traction when i need it. I'm not sure how the yokohama s33's are in the snow, but if the rubber is the same as the envigors, i'd stay away from them. The key to the success of the purecontacts is that they have laterall ridges inside the grooves of the tire, supposedly this helps with snow on snow traction or so they say. Either way i'm sold because they do perform very well. Really the only thing better i think would be actual snow tires.

To the previous post, ground clearance is not that big of a deal unless you're driving during a snowstorm. After it stops and the plow trucks make a pass or two, you only have an inch of snow on 95% of the roads out there.

 

Slush can be a problem for any tire. H

 

Not really, i never had a problem in slush before. For any of my other tires, it's no different than rain. I drive about 30k miles a year and never stay home unless it's a blizzard like condition. Even then, i've driven through that. Never slid like i did in the yokohama's. It wasn't hydroplaning that was the problem, it's the actual rubber compound that was slick and didn't give me any grip at those temperatures in wet slush.

 

We have Firestone 'Winterforce' tires with studs mounted right now.

Our Prius with these tires is far superior on snow, ice and slush; as compared to most previous vehicles we have owned.

Today has been the first day, since November, for me to drive and not to be on snow/ice. We still have about 2 foot of snow on the ground. Our roads are finally cleared of it, and the ice on the rivers is breaking up. People have been hauling their fishing shacks off the ice. We will not be driving across the rivers, lakes again until next wintah.

 

Yeah, and if the temperature warms up, all the snow and ice melt away, and you have no snow on 100% of the roads out there.

Doesn't change the fact that The Prius has low ground clearance and under plating, both which can be problematic in certain winter conditions. Yeah, if you're counting on plows and the snow stopping...you can ride a bicycle down main street. That doesn't mean a bicycle is your best winter choice for transportation.

I realize from years of hanging around Prius Chat that many of you drive the Prius in snowy/icy conditions. I'm not arguing that it's not possible.

But I just think it is disingenuous or somewhat misleading to promote the Prius a a "superior" or great choice for winter driving.

We had a minor, snow storm hit where I live this winter, and I drove the Prius in it. With just the OEM Goodyear Fuel Saver tires...in my case very new...but not snow tires.

Yes, you can drive The Prius in snowy/icy conditions. But given it's low ground clearance, IMO aggressive traction control that cannot be "easily" turned off, coupled with Hybrid Synergy Drive, which has you starting out and slowing down on electric motors, I would honestly just say, while doable...and with snow tires maybe even more doable...A Prius still isn't the "best" choice for inclement winter driving.

I love my Prius, but with snow and/or ice on the ground. I honestly have to say I felt more comfortable and confident in almost every other vehicle I've ever owned in the past. My old Honda Accord...front wheel drive..and my Honda Fit...also front wheel drive..were both just a lot better snow vehicles.

With a Hybrid and Hybrid Synergy Drive, there are just too many parts of the system that really aren't designed to be ideal in inclement winter conditions. From regenerative brakes, a IMO very aggressive traction control system, and also a low to the ground, drag reducing, economical under most conditions, body design. The Prius just isn't an "ideal" winter vehicle or even IMO the best choice by comparison to many standard vehicles.

If you placed me in front of a parking lot filled with various vehicles, with a Snow Storm warning and snow and ice falling and forming and told me to pick which vehicle I wanted to choose? It simply would not be a Prius.

The good news, is give me the same choice, in almost any other situation? And I do choose The Prius.

I await the flaming of those of you that live in harsh winter environments that will undoubtedly now express how The Prius is a wonderful,- nay superior choice, for harsh winter driving.

 

Well, there's a reason i still have my subaru. Specifically for winter driving, and because i have to idle the car outside for 10-15 minutes for the baby, my winter fuel mileage is only slightly better in the prius. So just drive the subaru, it's the best car i've driven in the snow with all seasons.

As someone who lives in PA but also travels all over the country, with occasional winter snowtorms, several this year. And also as someone who has to drive to work regardless of weather conditions, or snow emergencies. I have quite a bit of experience in snow driving and in fact, love driving in the snow.

Low ground clearance is not a huge issue because plow trucks are out as soon as snow starts laying more than an inch. The amount of snow on the roads is dictated by how often the plow trucks can get through their route and make a pass. In certain areas, it's quite often and i never usually see more than 2-3 inches on the road. At other poorer rural areas, it can be 6 or so inches usually before they make a pass. Basically if you're in the suburbs and you don't have alot of hills. You can go out in the snow, and yes you are relying on the municipal road crew to keep you going. So you are taking a chance, especially if you encounter any hills. Once the snow storms starts to slow down and the plow trucks make a pass, you should be able to go out and ground clearance is definitely not an issue at all.

As for the sarcastic comment about the temperature warming up and snow melting away. That takes days and weeks sometimes. Usually the next day roads are clear enough to drive any car, but in some cases it can take 2-3 days to have clear roads. Really my point is, it's doable thanks to road crews, but i personally would wait until the at least when the snow stops falling. Or you could do what "the electric me" said and just wait for spring. ;-)

 

You are entirely correct.

Where I live, we most snow storms give us between 3 inches and 8 inches, so it is no big deal. The Prius works great.

However 2 or 3 times each winter, we will generally see snow storms of 12 to 14 inches. An un-plowed road can not be traveled on with a Prius when it has 8+ inches of fresh snow. Just like 80% of all the other vehicles on the road. The low ground clearance is a problem in that instance.

I disagree.

The Prius is head-shoulders above all Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles [with noted exception of vehicles that have been fitted with track-crawler treads on the rear] during most winter driving conditions in my area.

And it seems to us that the Prius is much better than most of the other Front-Wheel-Drive vehicles that we have driven, for handling on ice; and specially in slush.

Most of our winter driving we have snow/ice packed down and scraped smooth. Or else we simply have ice. As we travel into more urban areas [generally with much higher tax-base] we see towns where they dump salt on the pavement. As we cross into those areas you drop down onto bare pavement. On bare pavement, it is all about the same. Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles do not fish-tail as much then, they have ability to generally maintain control.

I see, you drove in snow with summer tires. Okay then.

 

My argument has never been that you can't find vehicles worse than the Prius for winter driving. I've never advanced the idea that The Prius is "The Worst" vehicle you can find....simply that it's not the best, or IMO even among the upper half of best choices for harsh winter driving.

I don't know, I had years of driving rear wheel drive pick-ups. And with weight put over the rear wheels, I was always very confident with them. Rear wheel drive of course not as good as all wheel drive or even I think most front wheel drive, but I use to put weight over the rear wheels of my 2 wheel drive, rear wheel drive pick-up, and I felt I could get almost anywhere. A lot of people are simply "stupid" when it comes to driving rear wheel drive vehicles, with no weight over the back axle.

Yeah, that's why I made that admission.- I know The Prius can be a lot better with snow tires. BUT...where I live? With all my past vehicles I really have felt snow tires were not really necessary for the environment I live in. The Prius? Is the first vehicle I have owned where I have felt for winter driving- Snow Tires would be an absolute must.

Yeah, again so far my experience with the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires...which came OEM on the vehicle has actually been good, I like them for "normal" and even wet rainy driving. BUT..yes, I will admit they are horrible snow and ice tires...IMO like the Prius itself, they are not designed to perform best in those conditions.

 

Having weight over the rear tires is relative, it works well in a pickup because the tire size is spec'd for a certain load rating, and has width accordingly. Pickups are designed to carry very heavy loads and the tires are spec'd for the max weight rating of the truck. So essentially with a completely unloaded truck you have lots of flotation and poor weight balance to the front end since the back is empty. This is why an 18 wheel'd semi truck can't go anywhere in snow. They are designed to carry 80,000lbs total, and unloaded they weigh about 35,000lbs. But they have the same tires in either case, so after they drop off their load, they are basically stranded until the roads clear. They simply have way too much flotation.

I drove my brother's Mazda RX8 in the snow with all season Continental extreme contact DWS tires. It actually wasn't that bad in the middle of a 12inch snow storm. That car was a perfect 50/50 weight balance, and had a limited slip rear differential. Among sports cars, it only had relatively narrow 225 width tires, but i think because they are low profile, the contact patch is smaller than a larger sidewall 225 width tire.

The prius has 195 width tires, which is really narrow and akin to cars from the 90's. Most modern cars, other than super cheap economy cars, all have at least 205 width tires, usually 16" is the new standard. So i think the low 195 width tire also helps in the snow.