Can you turn off traction control?

[coinsight]

Originally Posted by Manualonly

Complain was centered around the earlier model. The new Prius 2010 will be going thru its first winter since production began.
Let's see if the traction issue had been resolved

Courtesy of jsharpe from PriusChat.

If you can't turn traction control off completely, you are still going to be stuck in a very slippery, uphill situation, or in deep snow.

So, does the new Prius have a switch to turn off traction control? If it doesn't, people are still going to be unhappy. There has been more than enough snow in Colorado this year for someone to test your theory that the new Prius might be better. Have there been any reports?

I should go rent one, and do a video of what happens to a Prius in the mountains.

[bish79]

FWIW we got our first (very light) snow today. On the way to work I figured I would test out the new Blizzacks (in a safe, controlled manner of course). WOW the WS60's are even better than the WS50's I had for my Civic. I had to work REALLY hard to even get the car a little bit sideways and immediately the VSA kicked in and straightened her right out. You'd have to be doing some pretty wild stuff to "lose control" with this setup.

It was funny listening to everyone else's perils of driving to work today, my typical response was "Snow? I didn't notice any??"

[Manualonly]

Originally Posted by coinsight

There has been more than enough snow in Colorado this year for someone to test your theory that the new Prius might be better.

Did I mentioned 2010 is better in TC department? The verdict is still open.

I should go rent one, and do a video of what happens to a Prius in the mountains.

Good idea.

[Brian1]

Had my first experience driving my I2 in the snow. I thought it handled very well. I see what people are saying about the traction control kicking in while starting out. A couple of times, I felt like I just couldn't get going as the traction control kicked in and seemed to be fighting against the car moving. Overall, pleased with how it handled the snow.

[Cobb]

I have that experience in all the rain we have had. I was turning off trac control to peel out, later I aired the tires down to 35psi vs 40.

Fustrating to hold the petal half way to the floor and nothing happens. My scion would go chirp, chirp, chirp and the trac light would blink each time. THis car seems to shut down completely.

Originally Posted by Brian1

A couple of times, I felt like I just couldn't get going as the traction control kicked in and seemed to be fighting against the car moving.

[nevada72]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Fustrating to hold the petal half way to the floor and nothing happens.

Saw my life flash before my eyes when I tried to goose it from a stop to switch into a lane that was moving on the interstate (vs mine which wasn't). Just saw a big ol SUV bearing down at me at mach 8. I have my foot to the floor and the Insight just sits there.

I'll be turning OFF the tc in the rain from now on. However, today on snow and ice it did just fine. I think if you really gas it, it gets mad and shuts you down. Easy on the gas seems to work.