We've decided to purchase a Prius...a few questions for you veterans... SNOW/ICE driving: does the VSC help (package 2+)? Will we need to upgrade tires? Any problems with starting in cold weather? Dealers / Pricing: I've seen several posts from users getting cars under MSRP. I've contacted a couple of dealers in our area (MN, SD, ND) and all say there is no movement on price. Does anyone know of a dealership nearby (midwest) that has good pricing and service? I know that demand varies by area, but a number of dealerships here have cars on the lot or claim to have no problem getting one. Does it make sense for me to go outside of our area? Advice?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(katyjoy @ Dec 7 2006, 05:09 PM) [snapback]359026[/snapback]</div> I'm in Minneapolis. Have had a 2004, 2005, and now a 2006 Prius. No problems starting car. VSC is a must for safety. It's there to help you from spinning out, etc., in all conditions. The traction control, however, hurts in the Prius. It'll prevent you from moving in certain very slippery conditions such as solid ice or deep snow. You can't turn it off in order to rock your car. IMO, the solution is not upgrading your OEM tires, but switching over in the winters to a soft-compound ice tire such as the Blizzak. You can get a set premounted and balanced on steel wheels for about $500 from tirerack.com or, better yet, get a local tire store to match that price and the local store will usually also swap them out for you each spring and fall for free. You're really only paying $150 for the steel wheels, as you're resting your OEM tires while running the snow tires, if you know what I mean. That said, most people feel that the OEM tires are poor tires (for my purposes, they seem just fine). I would switch to another brand once they are worn out. I think the dealers in the twin cities are still charging MSRP for Prii. You might get a few hundred off at a small town dealership. I'd call around some more. There still remains some of the tax credit to take. Rob
