how reliable it the toyota prius in the harshness of winter?

Question

i need a car that is great on gas but can withstand the harsh winter we get in northern ontario i hope i can get some insight

Answer 1

I've owned my Prius since last winter. We did fine and it wasn't kept inside the garage. I have to add that I live in Colorado. So, our winters aren't as dramatic as your are.

You might contact a local Toyota dealership in your area or try searching the boards at http://priuschat.com/

There are sure to be people posting there who live in your part of the world with better answers to your question.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

I have never been in a Toyota Prius before, but since it is a hybrid, I'm guessing that it won't be that reliable in the winter. I'm not that that the prius is a bad car. But the hybrid uses both an electric and gasoline engine to have excellent fuel economy, which doesn't make it really all that powerful. After all it only has a total of 110 net horsepower, which probably won't give it a lot of power while driving in harsh winter conditions. I would also reccomend a diesel powered car like the ones Volkswagen offers.

Answer 3

Avoid hybrids, no matter who makes them. Yes, they burn less fuel, BUT the fuel savings will not offset the cost of ownership. As far as I know a hybrid vehicle has higher maintenance costs than a gasoline vehicle. Your other option is to buy a diesel powered vehicle. They get better gas mileage than their hybrid or gasoline counterpart. Since you are in Canada you will have cars available to you that are not sold here in the USA...like the diesel powered Smart. Volkswagen also has small diesel powered cars.