[bttmama]

I keep hearing about the car not handling well in wind? We live in new england with extreme weather and I am concerned about the safety of the Prius. I have a 2.5yr old in a car seat in the back of my Honda Accord which has never really had a problem with wind although we did have a spin-out in heavy rain. Does anyone else consider this car safe enough to trust their kids' lives in? What does it compare to? Would it be comparable to my Accord or much different?

Thanks for any info...we have an 04 Prius due to arrive in 3 wks and we have been very excited but now I am a bit concerned. Safety doesn't seem to be a topic on any Prius message boards I have seen.

 

[Jerry P]

Wind stability is an issue with any light car, and after the wild winds we had here overnight and during my drive home from work this morning, I can attest that the Prius is pretty good. I managed to stay in my own lane on the freeway, which is better than a lot of people did. It is way better than my Echo was. Safety ratings for the Prius haven't been issued yet but all indications are that they will be excellent. Toyota's goal with the car was 5 star rating in all positons, and this was a stated goal in their development of the car.

 

[efusco]

Listen,
The Prius gets buffetted around a bit in cross winds...it was designed to be streamlined driving INTO a wind, not otherwise. But it's not unsafe in the winds. Just enough to keep you sitting forward and paying attention.

Also, if you get the VSC, you won't have to worry much about spinning out in the rain--a much riskier driving situation than high winds!!
-evan

 

[bttmama]

I got AF (pkg#3) there was such a long wait that we decided to take whatever came in first. According to the brosure, this package does not come with VSC(I didn't even know about this) How much would it cost to have it "installed" later? Do they do this?

Thanks for the info

 

[moocatdog]

I got AF (pkg#3) there was such a long wait that we decided to take whatever came in first. According to the brosure, this package does not come with VSC(I didn't even know about this) How much would it cost to have it "installed" later? Do they do this?

Thanks for the info

bttmama,
I have a new '04. It does move a bit in strong sidewinds but, IMO, not dangerously so. The Prius is actually a bit heavier than other cars it's size and is remarkable aerodynamic. It may be that the lateral movement in sidewinds seems noticeable because the car cuts the air so cleanly under normal conditions. Personally, I feel very safe in the car and drive my daughter around in it every day.
George

 

[nmpriusman]

bttmama,
Unfortunately, I have never heard of an after market VSC. Vehicle Stability Control is a very complex system that uses sensors to compare the drivers seemingly intended path to that of what the vehicle is actually doing. If the two paths exceed threshold of difference, then the computer automatically uses the ABS on certain wheels to correct your path. The system can also readjust the torque on certain wheels. Because of the complexity, I doubt the possiblily of an after market integration. The system is very helpful, but even without it, this new Prius handles very well. I have driven with some very strong winds in the high desert here in New Mexico, and although there is some lateral movement, I still experience similar sidewises movement in our A4. I have complete confidence in the safety of this vehicle, and even more comforting is the new side-curtain airbags with the anticipated quadruple 5 star safety rating from the NHTSA. You can see one of Toyota's offset crash tests of the new Prius with a Land Cruiser Prado (Japenese Version) on http://www.toyota.co.jp/company/prius/en/ I wouldn't worry; Toyota has their stuff together :wink:

 

[teamtoyoda]

I think its been great

I drove the prius on highway 80 last week during the wind storms. The car was super. toyoya told us at our meetings that they believe this car is as safe as car out there and i agree

 

[volvowagon1991]

Crossed the Bay Bridge here is San Francisco a couple weeks ago in pretty high winds - enough to warrant a warning on the bridge approach. My 04 handled fine. I could feel the wind, but it never pushed me anywhere I didn't want to go. My 91 Volvo wagon is much heavier and would move more, I assume because of its boxy (but nice) design. I feel very safe in this car after 5 weeks and drive my kids around in it all the time. Enjoy yours!

Paul