I can chime in on the A/C from Denver. Last week we hit the highest temp for any date since the late 1800s with an official recorded temp of 105 and localized temps reported up to 107. My prius reported 105 degrees when I fired her up in the parking garage and headed home for the day. Within seconds I had cold air blowing on my face and by the 3rd stoplight the cabin was quite comfortable. The drive was very very slow on the way home as I passed car after car that had stalled on the side of the road. While the fuel economy suffered because of the stop & go, the A/C performed flawlessly.

As for the winter, it is great to get to Prius in freezing temps after a long day at work and have it blowing warm air within a minute or two after 9 hours below freezing. I may drive to Fargo this winter. If I do, I'll let you know how it does after a night of -20F.