In the snow on a small hill (my friend's house....without any room to build up momentum), with a normal car I would put the car in L or S and the car would make it. With only the one gear, my TCH couldn't make it.

 

I haven't noticed any less traction with the Camry Hybrid during the last couple of snow storms in Denver ... than compared to the 2002 Honda Accord I traded for it. What I did notice was a heck of a lot less MPGs ... cold and Hybrids don't go together. Then when you carry the additional weight of ice and snow stuck to the under side of the car and in the fender wells, that also helps reduce the MPGs.

 

Our winter temps are in the -30 range, and yes mileage really sucks, mostly because the engine cools so fast and we are running the heater on HI, that gets the ECU to run the ICE almost constantly.

Winter tires do wonders for snow/ice traction. Don't blame the car when just a change of tires can make a world of difference.

 

Been driving for 30 years.
I never used snow tires.
I never had a problem getting up a small hill.
The only variable here is the lack of the S or L gears.
I'll blame the car.
Don't get me wrong, I love the car, but I'm not going to blindly praise every aspect of the car.
It's a great car, but it has some drawbacks. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, but wouldn't if I lived in an area with heavier snow. The winters here typically have only a few bad days and on those days I can easily stay in or use my wife's SUV.
I think the purpose of these forums is to share information that might help others.
Let's leave it up to Toyota's marketing and advertising department to handle the hype...we'll discuss the truth and our respective experiences.

 

From my experience the last two winters in central IL, I think this is the best handling car in the snow, etc. that I've owned. I previously owned an 06 Jeep GC Limited and it did pretty well. The Camry, though, seems to glide through anything with ease. Between traction control and stability control the car, to me, always seems in control. While others are sliding or spinning their tires, I keep gliding right along. I've had mostly front wheel drive vehicles and they did well, but my TCH seems to really keep things under control.

 

No one is asking you to blindly praise the car, just suggesting it handles much better in snow with the proper rubber on it i.e WINTER TIRES.

If you live in an area that gets frequent snow in winter this is not too much to ask.

All seasons are mis-named and should really be named three season as for the most part they are not at all good in snow, the rubber gets too hard in cold temps and the tread is not aggressive enough.

 

I had to order in a set of winter tires for my TCH last fall. Between the time I ordered them and when they were installed (about a week) we had our first snowfall. I noticed a huge difference in the grip level between the stock Michelins and the Michelin Alpin winter tires. I expected some difference, but I was surprised by how much of a difference there was.

 

I have driven my TCH since June of 2006....here in Chicagoland the winters can be rotten with snow and ice.... I too have a driveway with a slight incline...if it isnt completely clear of snow or ice I cant make it up the driveway into the garage. My fuel mileage takes a serious hit in the winter also. I love driving it in the spring and fall because I get the best mileage over all. And who was the idiot engineer that placed the ECO button down there anyway !!!!!

 

So the $64,000 question is do you fit winter tires or run "all seasons" year round?

 

All season tires....havent used snow tires for 35 years