Taking a Prius Up a Mountain

[Hastelloy-X]

How do the Prius's handle hills with ice and snow on them. There was a bunch of talk about the traction control turning on and causing the cars to not move in these conditions.

Any truth to this?

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by Hastelloy-X

How do the Prius's handle hills with ice and snow on them. There was a bunch of talk about the traction control turning on and causing the cars to not move in these conditions.

Any truth to this?

That's true for most modern cars but they have a TC off button in case it happens.

Also they have low resistance tires stock and those aren't the best for winter driving, switch those out for some decent rubber and I'm guessing they would be fine.

[mark883]

Originally Posted by 68deluxe

Haters will be haters. I drive 75 commuting to work and have some stop and go, averaged 48 MPG for 20K miles on my Prius. I used to have a Miata and some macho jerks said it was a girlies car. When I had a Porsche 997S some people would say the Vette was better. Gets tiring listening to people who seem to feel the need to dump on other peoples choices.

If you're tired of it, don't buy a Chevy Volt. Take my word for it.

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by Hastelloy-X

How do the Prius's handle hills with ice and snow on them. There was a bunch of talk about the traction control turning on and causing the cars to not move in these conditions.

Any truth to this?

At typical highwas speeds or grades, no problem. However, going up a steep hill with low traction, i.e., ice or even loose gravel/dirt, at low speed or starting from a stop can be problematic. I only experienced this once in a very steep gravel driveway, and I've driven mine a lot, so it isn't a big issue, but definitely something to be mindful of. I don't know if they now do a TC shut-off or bypass in newer Prii or not, but my 08 and earlier models do not have that option, something to do with it being potentially harmful to spin the tires with the electric motor. My Tundra truck has such a feature, but the Prius does not.

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

And I just got a call....turns out he is buying the outback aka the main car I was pushing

He was torn between a Prius and an Outback???? That's kind of apples/oranges if you ask me. A mid-sized AWD station-wagon which will get 25mpg on a good day, 22-23 more typically, versus a mid-sized hybrid front-wheel-drive hatchback which gets in the 45mpg range......

Don't get me wrong, I like the Outback and have a number of friends who own them. If I could only have one car it is one I'd consider because I like AWD/4WD given where I live (NW Montana) and conditions I occasionally encounter in the winter and in the context of my recreational activities (hunting, fishing, kayaking, backcountry camping, and just woods-wandering).

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

Also they have low resistance tires stock and those aren't the best for winter driving, switch those out for some decent rubber and I'm guessing they would be fine.

I drive between here and Minneapolis where my son and his family live at least twice a year, sometimes more. I've made the trip (1300 miles one way) right around Christmas in the Prius several times. The first couple of years I did it in the Prius were with the OEM tires, Goodyear Integrities. Most people on PriusChat hate that tire, claim that it sucks on snow/ice, is noisy, and doesn't last very long (25K miles and they're toast). My experience is that only the latter point was true. One year when making the trip I hit a huge blizzard going across ND and MN. The weather forecasters were claiming it was the worst blizzard at Christmas in that part of the country in 30 years. Whether that was true or not, it was nasty. There were 6-9 foot deep drifts forming on the prairie and visibility was zero. But the Prius with the OEM rubber handled it and got me through. I was quite impressed, a very stressful drive. But, having said that, I did opt to purchase Bridgestone Blizzak snow-tires the following winter. With those it's a very capable winter highway driving car. Or transportation appliance.

[Garp]

Originally Posted by HardCase

He was torn between a Prius and an Outback???? That's kind of apples/oranges if you ask me. A mid-sized AWD station-wagon which will get 25mpg on a good day, 22-23 more typically, versus a mid-sized hybrid front-wheel-drive hatchback which gets in the 45mpg range......

Cars are an emotional decision for a lot of people, logic and spreadsheets aren't always the deciding factor. If people bought just based on logic Guzzi would have been out of business years ago.

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by Garp

Cars are an emotional decision for a lot of people, logic and spreadsheets aren't always the deciding factor. If people bought just based on logic Guzzi would have been out of business years ago.

Oh, for sure! That undoubtedly accounts for the fact that my other "car" is a 504hp supercharged Tundra!

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by HardCase

He was torn between a Prius and an Outback???? That's kind of apples/oranges if you ask me. A mid-sized AWD station-wagon which will get 25mpg on a good day, 22-23 more typically, versus a mid-sized hybrid front-wheel-drive hatchback which gets in the 45mpg range......

Don't get me wrong, I like the Outback and have a number of friends who own them. If I could only have one car it is one I'd consider because I like AWD/4WD given where I live (NW Montana) and conditions I occasionally encounter in the winter and in the context of my recreational activities (hunting, fishing, kayaking, backcountry camping, and just woods-wandering).

The Outback wasn't even something he was thinking of, but based on where he lives and the fact that they never plow it seemed like the logical car for him.

But if you want apples and oranges then look at the cars I like, they range from the Outback to the CR-Z, to the Charger.

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

But if you want apples and oranges then look at the cars I like, they range from the Outback to the CR-Z, to the Charger.

I'm the same way. I presently have the luxury where I can "justify" two vehicles......even though I'm single and my kids are grown and gone. I just have the space and financial wherewithal. Heck, I could probably do three and have done so for a time, but then I start getting pissed off every time I get an insurance bill or license-plate renewal time rolls around and I begin feeling car poor. So two is ideal for me. I can have a "transportation appliance" like the Prius, and a more rugged fun rig.

I recently found myself being torn between the Tundra, a Camaro SS, and a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon!! I went with the Tundra, put a supercharger on it, and do not regret that for a nanosecond as I have found the truck bed to be hugely practical at times.

[Garp]

Originally Posted by HardCase

I recently found myself being torn between the Tundra, a Camaro SS, and a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon!! I went with the Tundra, put a supercharger on it, and do not regret that for a nanosecond as I have found the truck bed to be hugely practical at times.

I'm running a VW GTI now, but it's a 3 door and my 10 year old daughter, who is already taller than my wife, is complaining about the room in the back. Been thinking Jetta GLI, Passat TDI, Charger Hemi AWD, Kia Optima Turbo, Forester Turbo, 2013 Escape....I'm all over the map already and now I have to look at supercharged Tundra's

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by Garp

I'm running a VW GTI now, but it's a 3 door and my 10 year old daughter, who is already taller than my wife, is complaining about the room in the back. Been thinking Jetta GLI, Passat TDI, Charger Hemi AWD, Kia Optima Turbo, Forester Turbo, 2013 Escape....I'm all over the map already and now I have to look at supercharged Tundra's

Man, I hear ya! A Charger Hemi AWD??? I had no idea that such a thing even existed!!

My Tundra is an extended cab version although it's officially called a Double Cab. It does have back doors and a decent back seat with reasonable leg-room. They make a version called the Crew-Max which is truly limo-like. The trouble with that one is that it only comes with a short 5.5' bed. The DC can be had with either a standard (6.5') or long (8') bed. I have the 6.5. There are times when I've wished I had the longer bed, but that is infrequent and the thing is damned long with the 6.5. With the long bed it'd be like driving a Greyhound bus.

PS: The mileage of the Tundra sucks, by the way. If that is a concern to you, scratch it off of your list!!

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by Garp

I'm running a VW GTI now, but it's a 3 door and my 10 year old daughter, who is already taller than my wife, is complaining about the room in the back. Been thinking Jetta GLI, Passat TDI, Charger Hemi AWD, Kia Optima Turbo, Forester Turbo, 2013 Escape....I'm all over the map already and now I have to look at supercharged Tundra's

The Charger AWD might get better MPG than the Forester Turbo. I seriously looked at one over the winter and low 20's is all you can expect....and in town you'll be in the teens.

I have to say the new Charger and 300 are NICE! They solved outward visibility issues and the interior has been improved a lot. The one thing I would say is go for the big touchscreen/leather seat option, it's only ~1.5-2k and the stock little touch screen they use now looks pretty cheap. It's maybe a 4 incher which just doesn't look right in that huge dash.