Slushy Snow Drive Testing Across the Toyota Lineup

The Toyota lineup gives us a unique group of vehicles that made their way to the snow and slush in Canada earlier in the year.

The idea of taking vehicles including the Toyota Prius, RAV4, Sienna, 86, and Supra to the same track to put them through the tests of their capabilities.

It was a Test of AWD Versus RWD

The idea behind putting different Toyota models against each other was to see how the AWD systems offered in more conventional road-going models to see how these cars stacked up against the sports cars of the Toyota 86 and Supra. This may sound like a silly thing to do, but sometimes silly can give us the desired results and show what these typical cars can do in the snow.

The Toyota Prius Vs. Toyota 86

The first two models from the Toyota lineup to go against each other were the Prius and 86. The Prius was equipped with AWD-e which gives it the traction needed at all four wheels and not just the rear wheels. Even though the Prius only has 121 horsepower and the Toyota 86 brings 205 ponies, the Prius has an edge right from the start.

With AWD-e, the Toyota Prius is made to handle the rigors of adding traction where needed and adjust to slippage to give this car the drive desired. The Toyota 86, while more powerful, can do little more than slow down when the traction control system detects slippage on this track. Having these two cars drag race in the snow gave the Toyota team a good look at how impressive the AWD-e system is on the Prius.

Next Up, the Toyota Sienna Vs. Toyota Supra

Massive next to the Supra, the Sienna is the minivan in the Toyota lineup and it has had the claim to fame of being the only model in the market with AWD for several years. The model that was taken to this snowy track is the new 2021 model with the hybrid powertrain. The power for the Sienna comes in at 245 ponies but the Supra offers 382 horses galloping under the hood, which makes you wonder if the van can keep up at all.

The power of the Toyota Supra is its undoing. The Sienna hybrid quickly pulls away and creates a huge gap to be much faster than the Supra in the snow. Even if the driver were to turn off the safety systems of the Supra, the rear tires spin uncontrollably which creates an extremely dangerous situation that you wouldn’t want to face on the road.

The Lesson to be Learned

The Toyota lineup testing in the wintry conditions of Canada gives us a couple of lessons to learn. If you own a sports car, it’s a good idea to allow that car to sit parked in your driveway or garage when AWD is needed to handle the challenges on the road. On the other hand, if you have a vehicle with AWD, you have the traction and drive you’re looking for.