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Winter Driving In My 2010 Prius
How well does your Prius III handle the snow, ice, and winter driving conditions?
December 21st is the first official day of winter but somebody forget to tell Mother Nature. Here in the Midwest, we’ve already seen over 17 inches of snow. That is more than half of our average annual snowfall (32″ where I live) and it seems we are just getting started. For the past few years, I’ve owned several different all-wheel drive sport utility vehicles during the winter driving season, but with the purchase of a 2010 Toyota Prius this past summer – I’m now getting used to driving a front-wheel drive car again.
Most of you who live in New England are also relearning how to drive on snow and ice. With this weekend’s snowstorm dumping 10 to 20 plus inches in Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and surrounding states – road conditions are poor at best. And with well over one million Toyota Prius on U.S. roadways, I have lots of company sharing my hybrid driving experience.
I’ll admit that I debated even buying a new Prius because I wasn’t sure how it would handle the snowy roads, but it had nothing to do with it being a hybrid-electric vehicle. My concern was mainly about moving from a 4 wheel drive truck with 10″ of ground clearance to a 2 wheel drive car with about 5″. Right before the blizzard hit, I decided to do a few online searches to see what others were saying. That’s when I discovered there is a lot of debate surrounding how the Prius does in snow and in cold weather driving.
On sites like PriusChat.com and GreenHybrid.com, most of the negative comments center around poor traction from the Prius’ stock (factory OEM) tires, a big drop in fuel economy, and issues with the traction control reportedly causing the Prius to stop on slippery hills. Comments are all over the board, ranging from those who claim the Prius is one of the best FWD small cars they have driven in snow to those who say it’s nearly useless. The majority of people commenting on these forums own a second generation Prius (2004-2009 model years) but my guess is the experience is similar in the 2010 Prius 3.
Although I have less than 2 weeks of history driving my Prius in the snow, I’ve been impressed with how well it’s done so far. I don’t see any major traction issues yet, but I haven’t had to climb any large hills either. Most of my winter driving with the Prius has been in town as well. What I have noticed more than anything is the big change in gas mileage. For the first 10,000 miles I averaged 50 m.p.g. in my 3rd generation Prius. Driving on snow and in temperatures ranging from zero to 32 degrees (Fahrenheit), I am averaging only 37 miles per gallon. Again, some of that has to do with the fact that I haven’t been on the highway during this time, but it is still about 10 mpg less than what I got during the summer and fall. From what I’ve read, a 20% drop in fuel economy is normal for most cars under these driving conditions.
If you own a Prius, we’d love to hear how yours handles in the snow!
Comment by Heijx on 7 April 2010:
Ok, here goes.
My previous cars have all been Volkswagen: A Jetta 1, a Polo and 2 Golfs.
I took delivery of my Prius on november 1st, on Yokohama 215/45VR17 summer tyres. On the first day of winter, which in the Netherlands was dec 17, I had an appointment for winter tyres. On the way to the shop I must say I felt it skid a bit, but no more than I had in the past with my 96 Golf on 195/50VR15 Toyo’s. Summer tyres, especially V or higher rated, do not cope very well with snow, much less with ice. After the Dunlop winter tyres were fitted on the rims, handling has been exemplary. Traction control kicked in only on rare occasions and I felt secure as a brick on the road. Oh and did I mention that we had 9 or 10 snow episodes this year?
One final thought on winter tyres: These Dunlops managed all right, but the Vredestein Snow Trac 2 I had on my last Golf were so much better.
Comment by BobK on 20 June 2010:
Anyone who says that the Prius is anything less than dangerous in slush and snow just hasn’t driven it in the conditions that cause every Prius – even with great snow tires – to come to a complete halt and unable to move. I have a 2004 Prius and have driven it through 6 New England winters. The simple fact is that if you find yourself in any situation that causes the wheels to spin in slush or snow the traction control will apply braking to the wheels. If you are on a flat or only slightly inclined surface the intermittent braking will allow the wheels to regain some traction after briefly braking them when wheel spin is sensed. this will allow the car to move haltingly forward. However, if you find yourself going up a steep incline or in snow 4-5 inches deep, the traction control will keep applying/releasing the brakes every couple of seconds,thereby slowing the momentum you need to power up the hill or through the deeper snow even with some wheel spin – as every other car will allow you to do. So, when the system finally brings you to a complete halt on an icy hill, and you try to accelerate, of course the tires are going to need to spin a bit to pull you from a dead stop to a forward motion on a slippery surface. In a normal car, not a big deal. But in a Prius – forget it. The second the wheels spin the brakes are applied and so you go nowhere! One result is that you block every car behind you making it so that they too lose momentum and must try to pass you from a dead stop up a snow hill – which on a road with a single lane in each direction means they must somehow cross in to opposing traffic and pass you from a dead stop on an icy steep hill. This doesn’t make you very popular.
In addition, may people don’t know that the Prius can only move in reverse in electric mode – the CVT transmission is not capable of applying engine power in reverse. This means that in situations where the car is parked on ice or snow and must reverse to get out, the electric motor does not have the power to back you up – especially if parked on an incline. On top of that, if the electric motor engages the wheels and they spin, the brake is automatically applied, leaving you pushing on a wet noodle of an accelerator pedal.
The situation I have described is not just a description of my unique experience, it is an engineering fact and limitation of all Prius’ that goes way beyond snow tires. Sure, good snow tires will help the wheels spin less and thereby not engage the traction control as frequently, but no snow tires can eliminate all wheel slippage. So, I have to conclude that those who rave about Prius in snow have not yet found themselves a steep icy hill with traffic behind them.
I know much has been made of the electronic braking anomaly in the 2010 Prius and Toyota then recalled them – after first denying the problem existed. But I believe that the traction control problem in snow is an extremely dangerous flaw and should also require a recall.
Comment by ron on 30 November 2010:
I have a 2004 Prius and have a long driveway with a steep (12%) grade. My experience in the winter has been that the Prius goes up the hill much better than other sedans (Civics and Accords) that I have had. If a tire starts slipping on a conventional car all power goes to it and the car comes to a dead halt. With the Prius only the spinning tire is braked and power is transferred to the other, not slipping wheel (as with a conventional, “limited slip” differential). If both tires are slipping you’re screwed with any car. Also, it is certainly possible to get a running start ahead of the hill with the Prius, but I have found it to be unnecessary. The Prius will slowly creep right up the driveway, transferring power back and forth between the wheels, whereas the conventional car just comes to a halt on the hill with one wheel spinning.
Comment by Alice Cyr on 13 December 2010:
Hi, I live in the Yukon and my 2nd generation Prius has never faltered in winter. I had a block heater installed that I only plugged in when below —25°C and also put on Nokian snow tires with studs. I could plow into snow up to the middle of the front bumper and have only slide once. That was when I sped up to go over a grader berm and hit polished ice on the other side. Picked up a 3rd generation on September 1st and am expecting the same good winter driving. The stock tires that come with the cars are lousy in snow. I SWEAR BY TOYOTA & PRIUS.
Comment by Neil Southerland on 18 December 2010:
I traded in my 325000 mile 1997 Avalon and took delivery of my new Prius in the early spring of 2010. Over the warm weather months you could not ask for a better car. We have had a snow and the car did OK no big issues. On 12/15 we had an ice storm so I hopped into the Prius, thinking it would control like the Avalon. Boy was I wrong the thing was all over the road and the traction control would not let the car go, landing me in a ditch. I walked a couple of miles and borrowed my father in laws 2wd 85 Ford Ranger and drove past the Prius going home to get our Dodge Power Wagon and my wife and drug the Prius back home where it sat till this morning.
The Prius needs a traction control override switch like the Avalon had. Maybe a bypass to make the Prius drive like a regular car when on icy roads. I drive 500 to 800 miles a week and have owned all types of cars but with the way the traction control and whatever else is set up the Prius it scares me to drive if there is even the hint of ice.
Comment by Rod Griffiths on 22 December 2010:
I am driving a Prius in the UK. My drive has a slight incline as you get to the main road. If there is ice on this, mostly from frozen slush thrown off the road by passing vehicles, then the Prius just stops. The traction control cuts in so fast that you get no momentum. With snow chains on there is no problem, because the chain grip in about one eighth of a wheel turn, before the traction control can cut in.
I am thinking about snow tyres for next winter. Chains are effective, but not practical in the UK because salt and grit clear the main roads pretty quickly, which means you have to put the chains on and off too often. On the Prius that is not easy because the clearance around the wheel is not much. I used to have a Citroen C5, which was much better. On the other hand the C5 burns petrol twice as fast as the Prius, so maybe I can afford some snow tyres with the savings on fuel.
Comment by jon from canada on 10 January 2011:
I have to totally agree with Bobk’s post. I have a 2007 prius and I find it very different from any of the car’s i’ve had in the past when it comes to snow and ice. First of all I’m from Northern Canada and i’ve been driving for over 25 years so i have seen some pretty sketchy driving conditions in my day. I have Michelin xice2’s on my prius that i put on when the snow flies which is usually from late october to mid april. The first difference i notice with the car is an overly agressive traction control system that seems to over compensate for when it detects slip. All the previous cars that i’ve had that have had traction control seemed smoother and less agressive in retarding the engine power. Like Bobk said, it its very difficult to gain momentum when the car’s power jerks on and off just as you gain some speed. The acceleration in snow is not what concerns me however. The prius is downright scary when it comes to braking on snow or ice. I think the abs, like the traction control is overy agressive in releasing the brake to avoid wheels from locking. I’ve since adjusted my driving style to adapt to the increased braking distance, but i think its something toyota needs to take a look at.
Like alot of people have mention on other boards and sites, a abs and traction control override system (like most cars have) would be a welcome option for the car. I’ve read that it would be nearly impossible to so because of the hybrid system so i wont be holding my breath for my 2007. I just hope in the coming generations, they would consider making that an option.
Comment by Steve on 29 January 2011:
I traded an AWD BMW for the 3G Prius in November 2010. In the KC area we had a whale of a snow that fell slightly before and during rush hour on January 19-20. My normal 40 minute commute stretched to 5 hours, but I have no complaint with the Prius. I had shod it with a set of 4 Blizzaks, and, surprising to me, this car maneuvered around other stalled cars, stalled tractor trailers, and through easily 5 inch snow on highways and city streets. I did not even spin a wheel until near my house, on an unplowed fairly steep hill that I have been troubled by several times in a variety of cars over my 36 years driving that route. Prius with Blizzaks seems to be an excellent combination for snow. It might be OK for ice, but IMO, you should avoid that regardless of vehicle and tire. Overall, I conclude that the Prius is a very stable drive. It feels very sure of itself.
Comment by Arnold Jagt on 18 February 2011:
Just guessing that an easy workaround to disabling the ABS and VSC systems is to temporarily pull out the fuse responsible for them. Normal braking should still work fine.
Comment by Molly on 19 April 2011:
I don’t expect that there are any all wheel drive hybrid sedans available yet, are there?
Comment by Ricahrd on 19 October 2011:
I have owned a Prius G2 (2008) for 3 years now and have driven it through three serious winters in the Tahoe California area (Altitudes: 6K-9.5K ft). The Prius is exceptional in high altitude and surpasses all others in gas mileage. When chains were required I was able to sneak by saying it was all wheel drive but only after I equipped the car with Ecopia all-season tires from Bridgestone (Avr 46-48 MPG). Also, when in fresh snow with hills it is an absolute requirement to disable the traction control (see how elsewhere on the web). This of course is not recommended by Toyota but I found the car to behave predictably (like a normal car) when TC was disabled for these severe conditions. If your going to head over a snow covered/icy pass that has a fair uphill grade you will want to disable TC. If you don’t have the momentum and there is some traffic you will get stuck if TC is enabled. I thought Toyota would have implemented a TC disable button in the Gen3 but there may be other safety liability issues that arise under normal conditions. The fact that I was able to take the Prius and lead packs of cars through passes under severe conditions is a testament to the performance of the Prius. Of course, I am an experienced winter driver and don’t recommend this behavior. But with the right tires, the Prius should allow the average driver to safely drive in the snow as well as any other conventional car on the road.