Hybrid Winter Driving Tips

[kithmo]

If you change the wheels for different style or sized ones, e.g. alloys for steel, then you have to inform your insurance company, if you change the tyres (for the same size and rating), you don't.

[Doesn'tExist]

Only if they are not made for your vehicle otherwise it is absolutely fine. I haven't looked at the Prius, but my audi for example has two measurements in it for winter and summer tyres. And the alloys (cheaper than the steel wheels from the dealer) are official audi as well.

As a prius t-spirit owner and if I had to go out in it, I'd be getting some of those ugly 15" wheels with winter tyres on them, cheap and they do the trick.

[FourFourTwo]

I think this winter tyre business maybe a bit of a con from the tyre makers !!! unless you are in a competitive situation.

Hmmm. I guess this depends on where you live.

Where I live, it is law to equip winter tyres between certain months of the year and with very good reason. We constantly see reports on the news of major accidents caused by ill-informed drivers (very often truck drivers) from other countries who drive into Norway on "summer tyres" (as we call them here) and proceed to slide off the roads, often into a deep valley or lake, or even worse, they lose control and slide headlong into opposing traffic.

If you are driving towards an intersection down a hill on an icy road with good winter tyres on your car, with a sensible driving approach you have a fair chance of stopping. With summer tyres on, chances are you are going to slide straight into the intersection. - That can really ruin your day.

[Sagitar]

I think this winter tyre business maybe a bit of a con from the tyre makers !!! unless you are in a competitive situation.

Apart from a more suitable tread pattern & depth, you are suggesting that normal tyres are 'not fit for purpose' in winter so could be unsafe / illegal.

As far as I am aware, there is no UK law that prevents you from driving on summer tyres during the winter, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea.

The Michelin brochure for the tyres fitted as original equipment on my Prius says that they are not suitable for driving at near freezing temperatures or in snow. I choose to believe that they are not telling fibs.

The owners manual supplied with the Prius says, under Winter Driving Tips, "have the vehicle fitted with four snow tyres". I choose to take the recommendation seriously.

Having spent a large sum of money to buy a motor car I choose to spend relatively little more to significantly improve the comfort and safety of my winter driving.

It would be interesting to know whether anyone who bought winter tyres in the past concluded that they had been conned.

[Doesn'tExist]

Most definitely not felt conned and that is even running them on 4x4 vehicles ;-) You can accelerate better, you stop much much better and you corner better. You basically have much better control over the vehicle, it really isn't a con.

The suggestion it is just displays ignorance unfortunately.

[Cyker]

Down here it's harder to justify since we only get any significant snow maybe one day a year, but as you go further north it becomes more essential.

Norway is a completely different matter; Where my brother was, you needed studded tyres, never mind winter tyres!

It really shreds their roads tho' :(

[Dave R.]

Going back to traction control, the Prius certainly doesn't let you spin the wheels on ice.... I carry a couple of spare floor mats to stick under the wheels if I get stuck (just the right size!) It's a little disconcerting the first time it happends, because ..... well.... nothing happens!

Also, I believe you have more chance of getting the car moving if you are in reverse (though, again, the TC will kick in)

[Jan&tone]

Actually had some snow here in S. Essex overnight, couple of inches and its still snowing (at 0620) Prius will stay tucked up in the garage today (it's clean) so wife's Aygo gets to play in the snow today on the country lanes to work

[monya]

What sort of prices do winter tyres run at? Presumably you need wheels as well?

[johalareewi]

What sort of prices do winter tyres run at? Presumably you need wheels as well?

For a gen3 prius with 15 inch wheels, winter tyres are about the same price as summer tyres and will fit on the same wheels. The main problem is finding low rolling resistance winter tyres if you want to keep the mpgs up.

As to if winter tyres are a con. The answer is no. They do work!

I have just come back from a trip to France where they have had a fair bit of snow, and tested my winter tyres out in a car park. You can actually stop, corner and accelerate with proper tyres on packed snow/ice. The car is a lot more stable with the winter tyres than it was last year with the stock Bridgestones.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I remember telling myself that if we get bad snow again this year I'd get some winter tyres. I'm assuming they cost about £200 or so which is lost earnings for a couple days. As such it would be cost effective for me to buy some if I know I'll be off the road due to snow for 2 days or more.

It has now been over two days since my Prius moved from my driveway and I'd have been better off getting the snow/winter tyres earlier. It's OK the council clearing the main roads, but if you can't get onto them in the first place, then you're stuck!

So guys n gals, which is the best good value winter tyre available in the UK? Prices etc please

[johalareewi]

So guys n gals, which is the best good value winter tyre available in the UK? Prices etc please

For 195/65 R15 91T I was quoted £300 for Michelin Alpin A4 fitted by ATS but my local garage did them for £289. Have a look on MyTyres.co.uk they have a good selection of winter tyres and you can get an idea of prices (they seem to have gone up in the last couple of days!!). I went for the Alpins because they are low rolling resistance tyres as well as winter (and they are Michelin). If you have a lot of snow you might want to look at Bridgestone Blizzaks or Michelin X-Ice tyres. The Alpins are more for the cold and wet slushy type of snow but do alright on packed snow+ice.

[FourFourTwo]

In case it is of any help, the different manufacturers winter tyres available in Norway were recently given a thorough testing by a top motoring magazine. The tyres were tested for braking, acceleration, driving experience, noise and so on, on surfaces such as snow, ice, and wet and dry asphalt.

I don't know if this is of any help to you guys in the UK or even if they are available there, but the two best performing unstudded tyres were:

Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice +

Continental ContiViking Contact 5

I have the very same Continentals on my Auris HSD and they seem to perform very well.

(By the way, the worst performing tyres were Dunlop Graspic DS-3)

[Sagitar]

I remember telling myself that if we get bad snow again this year I'd get some winter tyres. I'm assuming they cost about £200 or so which is lost earnings for a couple days. As such it would be cost effective for me to buy some if I know I'll be off the road due to snow for 2 days or more.

It has now been over two days since my Prius moved from my driveway and I'd have been better off getting the snow/winter tyres earlier. It's OK the council clearing the main roads, but if you can't get onto them in the first place, then you're stuck!

So guys n gals, which is the best good value winter tyre available in the UK? Prices etc please

Last year I paid £75 a corner fitted, for Continental Winter contact TS 830 195/65 R15 91T at Black Boots in Chesham, Bucks.

The tyres are excellent in my experience and have come out top or near top in several dependable comparative tests.

[Hicardo]

There are so many people in the UK that just don't get that winter tyres may save their lives. LISTEN to the guy from Norway..please. With the weather in the last 2 years they're A MUST. Its amazing that some of the folks posting here are more interested in their mpg than being safe!!! We really are a third world country in some respects. :ffs:

[Doesn'tExist]

I'm with you on that Hicardo and well said. What we've had was a lot but nothing really, people aren't used to it and don't know how to control a vehicle when I see all this excessive acceleration and braking in the snow. It is just stupid, just like those people going way too slow so they stall on a hill and then try to rev their way out of it just to slide down again. Or some idiots in 4x4 that think they can still corner fast and brake.

The stupidity on the road, which lets face it is not much worse compared to when it rains, is the cause of the gridlock not the weather.

[timberwolf]

They MAY save lives, but there is no guarantee, and the cost vs benefit is hard to justify given how variable our winters can be. Before last winter, where I lived in the South East, I am struggling to recall a winter where we've had more than one day at a time where the snow caused traffic problems.

[Doesn'tExist]

They are not just good for snow, excellent with rain and all sorts as well. Pretty good seasonal tyre type in my opinion, and at least you don't have to get in/out/in/out of the car compared to socks or chains. But granted if it gets really bad and you live near a particularly bad hill you may still need socks or chains as well.

[Jan&tone]

They MAY save lives, but there is no guarantee, and the cost vs benefit is hard to justify given how variable our winters can be. Before last winter, where I lived in the South East, I am struggling to recall a winter where we've had more than one day at a time where the snow caused traffic problems.

I'm inclined to agree here. Many years ago i was taken out in the snow on a disused airfield and taught how to drive in snow - and it was about the same as we had here in S.Essex yesterday.

I have never forgotten those lessons and was horrified - again - yesterday to see some of the driving around...

Too fast, too close (much too close) then the other extreme, driving at 5 mph and causing massive tailbacks....

Winter tyres - fine if you want to spend the money, fine if you live where you get heavy snow EVERY year, fine if you have to use the car in that snow, BUT dont let them give you a false sense of security, they are not the be all and end all of winter driving, the guy that slid into the side of you from a side road probably had not heard of winter tyres! He had relied on the manufacturer to give him the best all round tyre for the country he lived in.

drive 'normally' but do everythibg gently and leave 10 times more space between you and the car in front, brake 200 yards before you would normally do it. This should get you to your destination in one piece with only the scratches from the gritters efforts to show that you have even been out...

Oh, and for pete's sake clean ALL the windows, not just a square foot of the windscreen - please

[DrCez]

I just got back from return trip with my family (2 adults, 2 kids plus a boot full of luggage) from Aberdeen to Inverness, so thought I'd report my own experiences of driving in snow in my Prius.

There is a LOT of snow up here, and the first decision was whether to make the journey or not. We took a longer route to avoid high level roads and this probably saved us a lot of extra hassle on the journey.

The roads varied from fully clear to packed snow and everything inbetween. I don't have winter tyres but do have plenty of tread. I found grip was adequate although winter tyres would definitely have helped: there were one or two instances (typically approaching roundabouts downhill) where the feel of the brakes changed and I imagine the Prius was giving me a helping hand. Regarding grip and tyres, the majority of other vehicles are not on winter tyres, so it's not necessarily a big advantage having the extra grip when driving in traffic.

In terms of fuel consumption I was pleased to see that the necessarily gentle driving really helped despite low temperatures. Over one stretch of 20 miles or so the car indicated 67 mpg while the temperature varied from -5 to -3 C. Overall the trip (about 250 miles) indicated 58 mpg including time spent warming up the car and clearing snow.

When moving, a lot of snow blows straight over the car so the front and back windows stay clear. The lower rear pane gets dirty very quickly (the rear window heater helps a little).

ECO mode helped to avoid over-acceleration - I saw a couple of cars missing roundabout exits, presumably as the driver got on the power too quickly.

I have a reverse sensor fitted and this gets confused if it's covered in snow!

Other than grip/variable road surface conditions, my main problem was the front screenwash freezing, which happened when the temperature dropped below about -2. I think the system in the Prius is pretty good, with the washers shielded by the bonnet, so it may have been down to the screenwash (I topped up with ready mixed stuff instead of making up a more concentrated winter formula).

Overall I was very pleased with the performance of the car. It's no 4x4 but coped more than adequately with pretty difficult conditions.

Oh, and for pete's sake clean ALL the windows, not just a square foot of the windscreen - please

Excellent point, and can I add to that make sure you clear all the snow off the roof and bonnet too. A typcial scenario: set off, snow in contact with the car starts to thaw, brake suddenly and what was on the roof slides down to cover the windscreen! Even if that doesn't happen, the snow is likely to slide off approaching junctions where it will become a mini ice rink just where other drivers need the most grip!

[fuel miser]

Here's an interesting video clip regarding winter tyres from the Autocar website. They've obviously created this 'test' in a bit of a hurry due to the current weather, since it's a shame they couldn't have compared two identical cars. Nevertheless I think it proves a valid point.......

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/do-winter-tyres-work-video/

[FourFourTwo]

Interesting little vid.

One thing's for sure. - Rear wheel drive car + summer tyres + snow = "You're staying at home!"

[Red diesel]

Okay so the Prius does not let you change down gears for engine breaking like a normal car

Instead from what you are all saying - it has a B mode for engine breaking.

So for those of us that have never driven a Prius before - how does one deal with say very hilly

terrain like say (for discussion purposes) the Pyrenees or Alps or anywhere requiring a descent speed of say 10 to 15 miles an hour.

Do you have to constantly use the brakes - or is there something im missing, basically what im getting at is - is there

a way of keeping the car down to a low speed (say) 10 mph on a steep twisty descent without excessive use of the brakes.

On a normal car changing down to 2nd (or even 1st) will increase engine breaking and therefore reduce brake usage (or severity of brake usage)

Red diesel

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Just use the 'B' mode along with your brakes.

If you're worried about winter driving in a Prius, just check out the US Prius forum where there are many many members from very hilly, cold and snowy areas of the US and also members from Canada too. There's one post where a Canadian member took a photo of the outside temp guage showing -40c!

Perhaps the correct type of tyre helps also.

[Sagitar]

Okay so the Prius does not let you change down gears for engine breaking like a normal car

Instead from what you are all saying - it has a B mode for engine breaking.

So for those of us that have never driven a Prius before - how does one deal with say very hilly

terrain like say (for discussion purposes) the Pyrenees or Alps or anywhere requiring a descent speed of say 10 to 15 miles an hour.

Do you have to constantly use the brakes - or is there something im missing, basically what im getting at is - is there

a way of keeping the car down to a low speed (say) 10 mph on a steep twisty descent without excessive use of the brakes.

On a normal car changing down to 2nd (or even 1st) will increase engine breaking and therefore reduce brake usage (or severity of brake usage)

Red diesel

The Prius uses regenerative braking initially, i.e. the electric drive motor goes into generator mode and stores the resulting electrical energy in the traction Battery. This braking phase puts no load on the mechanical brakes so you do not get the fade that results from continual braking with conventional mechanical brakes. On a reasonable descent, there is therefore no point in changing down, you just use the brakes and store the energy for going up the other side.

If the descent is so severe that the traction Battery is fully charged, putting the selector in "B" causes the engine to be driven by the transmission so that air is pumped through the engine and energy is absorbed (and thrown away) in raising the pressure and temperature of the air that passes through the engine.

You can use the "B" position at any time to provide engine braking, but since it causes energy to be thrown away you would not normally want to use it before charging the traction Battery to full capacity by regenerative braking.

When I first drove the Prius I found it difficult to get used to the idea that it is usually better to brake than change down when going down a hill, but I have got used to it now and it has worked well on all the journeys I have made, though I must admit I have not taken the Prius to the Alps.