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First, the Prius has traction control and four wheel anti-lock brakes standard, with stability control available. The Prius also has electric steering and an electronic accelerator (throttle control).

What this means to you is the Prius has a system that brakes each wheel independently of the others. If you’re driving and hit a patch of ice (or water, sand, etc.) with the passenger front wheel, the brakes will be applied to only that wheel to slow it down just enough to get traction back and then the brakes release. The system works so fast you can drive over wet train tracks (imagine how narrow a train track is) and the system will grab and release as you pass over them.

This will happen as your foot is still on the accelerator pedal. So obviously, the system can react much faster than any human. Traction control works as you accelerate, and the Toyota system is an all-speed one, meaning it works from zero to top speed. Not all traction control systems do.

Added to that is the option of stability control (highly recommended on any vehicle, not just the Prius) which, on Toyotas, actually powers down the gas engine/electric drive and applies the brakes if you start to slide. The drive is powered down so it is not fighting the brakes as they are applied and a slower vehicle is easier to bring in line.

Imagine coming off the expressway and the exit ramp is icy. As you curve, the ice causes your Prius to slide slightly to slide off the ramp. Before that can happen, the stability control and the 4 channel ABS power down the drivetrain and apply the brakes to the wheel(s) that are slipping. The electronic steering is also going to make it harder to turn the steering wheel too far, so you don’t overcompensate.

With the three systems in place, it is possible to still put yourself in the ditch, but you have to work against the systems to do it.

Now, having said that, Toyota always works on the side of caution. That means the traction and stability systems will make it tougher to grind your way out of a snowbank. As your wheels try to just spin, the systems will apply the brakes and slow them down. So, don’t drive into a snowbank.

Now, as far as parts go, you can see my other posts or contact me for specifics, but no one has ever paid to replace a nickel metal hydride battery stack because of defects/failure. Yes, there have been accidents and the occasional yahew who tries to install a monster stereo and drills into the nickel stack. But short of that, no.

Electric motors have essentially one moving part and do not have the wear and tear of gas engines. So there is less wear on those components, and once again, no one has paid to replace them.

Now, one of the great things about the Prius as a full hybrid is the parts that are not needed and that you never have to deal with. In other words, you have no starter motor, no alternator, no throttle cable, no steering pump or steering belt, and the regenerative braking motor (the one that creates the electricity when you press the brake) does almost all the braking so your brake pads should never have to be replaced beacuse they are rarely used.

So, you have fewer things to deal with.

As far as the rest, you will spend about .08 cents per mile, which includes new tires, tire rotations, oil and air filters, gas at $3.00 per gallon, tune ups, coolant flush, and a transmission flush for every 100,000 miles. Once again, you can look up my other posts or contact me for the full breakdown.

Every Toyota dealeship (there are over 2300) in the country has at least one trained hybrid tech to work on your Prius, and you can get an oil change any where that you trust. So there should never be any issues with getting service work done.

And I have yet to hear of any problems getting parts. I have personally seen full replacement gas tank setups and full nickel metal hydride battery stacks for Prius that have been in accidents. And those were from 2-3 years ago and the supply of parts have only gotten better if needed.

You will have no issues in bad weather. Just remember, your mileage will go down in the winter because the gas engine will be running to produce heat for the cabin and the tires may be slipping slightly on wet/salted/slushy roads. Continuous slight slippage will probably add up to 4-5 mpg in the winter months and will go back up when the temps go back above freezing. (Every vehicle’s mileage will go down in the winter, though, not just the Prius.)