handling difference 15'' wheel vs 17''?

Toyota doesn't mention it in any of the promotional material I've seen so it's most likely a very small change. Have you been able to find out any differences other than the part numbers?

 

To be honest, I have not looked more into this...too busy lately. Toyota corp was useless. Prius Teams...similarly unhelpful. No one can explain the difference.

 

I'll accept your research. I would need to run back-to-back test drives of my V to a lesser pkg to confirm the better steering, but my V certainly seems to ride and handle better than what I remember for the GenII and GenIII Prii I have rented.

LED headlights do indeed rock! Very bright and yet well aimed and auto-leveling to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.

 

When I look at these guys:

https://www.discounttoyotaparts.net/toyotapriusparts.html

I don't see any differentiation for front suspension parts, ie: a break-out of V vs non-V suspension.

(Again, to clarify: our "Touring" package in Canada has the 17" wheels)

 

If all things were equal you would be right, but they are not. The 17" wheels increase the weight and stopping distance, the wider tires have a larger contact patch which decreases distance. Depending on your tires the 17" ones should stop faster. Stock prius to stock prius this is true. I have tires that handle much better in the rain than stock, and thus decrease stopping distance in the most important time for me.

The wider tires offer a larger contact patch. The shorter sidewall also should provide less flex. These things combine to give you better handling. Rolling resistance with the same tire compound will go up with a larger contact patch, so it will decrease fuel economy.

 

One difference is the turning circle diameter: 15" wheels/tires are 34.2' and 17" wheels/tires are 36', both curb to curb.

 

Minor since the Prius is pretty compact!

 

Wider tires give a wider contact patch but why do you think that they would inherently have a significantly larger contact patch?

I would expect contact patch area to depend mainly on tire pressure. If we assume that in both cases the tyre pressure is 33psi and the weight the tire supports 1000psi than in both cases the contact area would be about 1000/33 = 30 sq in.

Toyota's recommended pressures average 4.6% lower for the 17" tire compared to the 15" so presumably the contact patch would be 4.6% larger.

I'm not sure if 4.6% is significant but as the actual tire pressure can be changed with either tire size, it seems it would be easy to eliminate any such effect anyway.

 

That's not conclusive proof that different suspensions are used. The Prius Team is on the record that all the trims have the same European-tuned suspensions.

 

That list is missing quite a few things in addition to the two versions of springs and shocks.

Try this one
Part Detail

Tokico also lists different shocks for the different models
http://www.tokico.biz/catalogue/img/04catalogue.pdf

 

So, it looks to be true...Prius V has a unique suspension.

 

My dealer gave me a Prius 2 for the afternoon while waiting for my V to arrive from another dealership. I only put a few miles on it. It felt about the same as my 07 Gen 2 except for being more powerful. I am consistently amazed just how hard I can drive my V, esp. when I have the 17"s on it. It's a great handling car! My daily drive includes a very curvy highway lots of 35 mph curves that I can take at 55 in the V with no drama.

 

Your right. But since in 95% of the cases 17" wheels over 15" will increase your stopping distance I stand behind my statement.

They will slightly reduce your mpg in 95% of the cases as well.

 

You are correct about the mileage hit.

Why don't you cough up some evidence about the stopping distance?

 

If all you're saying is that identical performance wheels/tires will brake quicker if the wheel/tire weighs less, then I agree. But the LRR tires found used on the Prius are not equal to the stickier and wider V tires. The stock low rolling resistance 195/65/15 tire is not going to stop shorter than the 215/45/17 tires found on the V.

 

Can someone with a subscription to one of the car magazines post published stats from road tests of a V and one of the lower trims? That should settle it.

Aren't the stock tires on the V also LRR?

 

Motor Trend is the only magazine that has done track testing on a Prius V that i know of.

Link: 2010 Honda Insight vs 2010 Toyota Prius - Specs - Comparison - Motor Trend

They did testing on the red Prius V.

I also have the COY testing by MT in which they track tested a silver Prius V. BTW, in that COY testing, the Prius got quite a bit of praise...and nearly won the COY over the Fusion. In fact, shockingly, that Prius V was a better handler than the Fusion Hybrid in braking and the "figure 8" testing that they do. I will find the magazine at home and will post result from that later.

 

Im confused as well, I have always heard that bigger wheels=more unsprung weight/ less performance, worse braking etc. How Does this correlate to better handling? Or are the springs/ shocks different in the V as well like the Gen 2 Touring. I drive a gen II ('04 Model when there was no touring package availible though i do have nav, bluetooth, and hids I think the 17" wheels look really cool, my dad has a 3rd gen V with them on.

 

Weight is the enemy of auto performance, and yes--all other things being equal, more unsprung weight is a particularly bad thing (the worst place to have more weight). But comparing the 15" vs. 17" Prius wheels/tires does not equate to other things being equal. For example, the lower profile tires on the 17" wheels result in far better handling (due to less sidewall flexing), and the wider tires on the 17" wheels do as well.

 

Motor Trend also tested a III. 2010 Toyota Prius III vs. 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI DSG Specs - Motor Trend - Mobile

Stopping distance from 60 mph:

V 120 ft
III 123 ft

The 17" wheel Prius wins by 3 feet.