meshell said:
i notice you are from vermont (wayneswhirld). how does your prius handle in rain, ice, snow? i am used to an almost 6000 lb vehicle and an nervous about winter weather.
Well, DanMan, despite being from the land of no snow has answered your query well. I'll just add my winter driving experiences (as RealAle did). I think it does quite well in the snow as long as (as stated) the car is equipped with VSC (which you have) and with a good set of snows--all around. I even concur that traction control can help but might hinder in certain instances as it did to me one time. I was attempting to pull out into traffic from a snowy, icy driveway (at work) and it was almost like the car stalled out briefly. I had to back up fast to avoid getting hit.
As to VSC, it really does help in going around snowy curves in keeping from sliding off the road (but still sensibly go slow). About the only case where my Outback with AWD (and snows) is superior is uphill traction in snow more than a few inches deep. But the AWD may not even be as good as VSC going around curves unless uphill curves--then about even. Also, I find the Prius brakes well in the snow with no skidding--as long as, again, you go sensibly slow.
There was one time I did skid a bit and that was in mid-April going over a mountain with some ice just at the very top--after I had switched back to the OEM tires. So I think snows are a must.
Oh, and my experience is the Integritys handle fine in the rain, though some others here don't agree.
