We just bought a 2015 Prius, and was wondering what priuschat members use for snow chains. When we get winter conditions here in the few mountains of SC its mainly ice. We live on a steep hill and need them to get into the neighborhood that is not government plowed or sanded. I was looking at the Michelin Easy Grip, but wanted to see what you guys use, that may be better.
In the land of ice and snow, I've never used tire chains in all the 40+ years I've been driving. I carried a set for years, but never had occasion to put them on. Basically, if the conditions are bad enough to require them, you shouldn't be driving, and chances are, the snow it too deep for a Prius anyway.
The Amazon reviews of them don't seem too great; they don't seem to last long, cost more than cheap cable chains, and aren't approved when chains are required in California. So far, I've just used cheap cable chains a few times (before getting the Prius, or on friends' cars); not that I've felt like they were really necessary, given that I'm used to driving in Wisconsin, unlike the rest of the schmucks around me on the roads to Tahoe. Plus, they require chains when the roads aren't really that bad anyway... Anyway, I got a set of Thule K-Summit snow chains one year when I saw them on sale for about 70% off from an Amazon return (the seller "Warehouse Deals"). They're super expensive (and fairly expensive even when 70% off), but way easier to install than chains or cables. So far, I haven't had a need to use them, other than making sure they fit, however; right after I got them, we entered our current drought, so there just hasn't been that much snow - and thus neither a strong reason to go to Tahoe, nor a need for chains on the occasions where we go anyway. So I can't really tell you whether they're any good or not. They're just better than the time we spent like 20 minutes crawling around on wet, slushy ground during some heavy rain/snow mix trying to get cables properly installed...
@Steve Type-4 did a nice write up here below..... DIY: How to Install Snow Tire Chains On Your Prius | Balancing Act
