I just try and go with the flow of traffic... which means everybody is speeding? I don't want to be the cause of a slow-down, behind me. (I still usually stay in the 2 right lanes.) I see a LOT of Prius drivers blowing by me. Some guys must think, "Hey, I'm saving all this gas, so I can drive as fast as I want!" Re: Tires It's odd, with my tire pressure set at 40 PSI all around (which is only 4 above the recommended pressure on the door jam) the sound and jar from every little bump, and crack, and lane marker is magnified about 50%. Just 4 PSI more does that? I guess my Toyo tires don't like to be messed with.
I used to run my gen 2 tires 5 pounds higher than spec. This was done to help reduce side wear caused buy cornering. Generally extreme over inflation will cause wear in the center of the tread. Yes but the ride suffers. The new gen 4 is a bit jacked up (stiffer), so when it you hit a decent size bump it wants to move the car. Particularly in a turn. I haven't inflated the tires yet, as the ride is hard enough. My Prius have been great on tires. Double what I get out of tires on my CRV.
The sidewall pressure is half the bursting pressure, running a less than 3000 lb car at 30-32 lbs is silly, its riding on the rails(sides of the tires), 38-42 will put the wear across the whole tire, be it a 17 " wheel or a 15" wheel, yea these gen4 prii excell in the corners, have good acceleration and still sip the burnable.
I have 17" rims and 215/45 tires (Yokohama BluEarth). Last I checked the pressure on Aug. 2nd, I set them 2,6/2,5 bar // 37.7/36.2 psi (front/rear). I keeps bends, compared to Gen3, beautifully and never a squeak from the tires. I did also some mountain driving soon after and it was actually fun. I find power mode too aggressive for my taste in regen braking when releasing the accelerator.
The fast steering rack is good for turns. The center console can get in the way of my elbow sometimes. But the stability control is hilariously intrusive and has actually caused me to understeer a few times. I put it in brake mode because it feels similar to an LSD and leave it in eco mode for finer control of the throttle.
I agree with ECO Mode - but "B" Mode is only for odd occasions. The battery doesn't recharge much (if at all?). The Manual suggests:
I know what B is supposed to be used for . It also simulates deceleration like it would on a limited slip differential. It allows for better manipulation and control on corners. I’ve been able to get the Prius get a pretty decent rear slip angle around corners, which is hilarious because its fwd.
My favorite Gen 3 technique in twisties has been to stay in D, but just set the cruise control at minimum (25 mph) and leave it there, using the go pedal to go faster. Gives an even stronger ritenuto when lifting off the pedal than B does, almost a magic one-pedal driving mode.
