Why get IV over V if you want 17" rims, LED and fogs?

I agree.
I gather the V's with no AT on trade via port because they are a great value -- but ONLY if you want 17" wheels, LEDs and fog lamps... because that's the only tangible difference between a IV and a V when they both have the NAV option.

Pricing at their MSRP points is $30,020 with mats for a V with nav, and $28550 for a IV with NAV.

BTW, I have been asked this question a few times by others and my take meets yours. Only the sunroof would color the decision! A sunroof IV would cost the same as a V with NAV...

 

I have a V with no nav - exactly what I wanted incl the color. Honestly, I don't think I'd be a Prius owner right now if it wasn't for the V. It looks quite sporty and handles really well.

A neighbor a block away saw mine the day I got it and ordered one from the same dealer. He picked his up Tuesday. Same color (copycat - they loved mine in red) but a III.

The wheels/tires make a huge difference both in appearance and handling. The fogs and LEDs are subtle enhancements not noticed by many. The difference in ride and handling is very apparent, especially with the steering gear mod in the V.

But I'd guess it's important to note that the Gen III Prius from Model II thru V is virtually the same under the skin - hybrid system, power, etc.

 

There's no special tuning on the V with respect to handling or suspension. The only difference is the tighter steering rack with a larger turning radius.

The V wheels weigh in at 24lbs- you'd have to really try to find wheels heavier than that. You're going to get better mpg with aftermarket wheels, and your car will be accelerate quicker and handle tighter. Any aerodynamic effects are going to be completely trumped by weight reduction- and the stock 17" wheels look more form than function anyhow.

Most people don't really want fog lights, they just want the ugly plastic blank to look nicer. I don't even notice. And if you really want, or rather need fog lights, then you are better off with aftermarket lights anyway. I don't think there's been a factory fog light worth a damn in the history of the automobile.

All in all, there's nothing in the V that I really want. If you like the look of the wheels and are willing to pay top dollar for a very heavy alloy then go ahead. Most people get aftermarket wheels for the look anyway, so they might as well get what they want and not pay too much for a heavy wheel and a lighting upgrade that is just for bragging rights.

 

Have you driven a V and non-V back to back? There is a very noticable difference. Not just bragging rights as you say. The 17" wheels are very attractive, specially designed for the Prius, and of great quality IMO. And as far as the weight - perhaps some aftermarket 17s are lighter, but what's the overall impact on mpg? Perhaps the difference between having a 180lb passenger vs a 195lb passenger...

And I'll take the LED headlamps and fogs any day traveling down a dark country road.

To each their own I'd guess.

 

The only reason I can think of is that you want the solar sunroof.

I got a V because I wanted the 17" wheels and LED headlights. The fogs were nice, but didn't sway my thinking. And I didn't want the solar sunroof exhaust fan option (had it on another car 6 years ago and didn't find it very effective, and can't remember the last time I opened a sunroof in one of my cars).

If you buy a IV, you'll save $1,470 vs. a V, but you're going to pay a lot to get 17" wheels + tires (and your old 15" set is basically worthless), and who knows how much (if it's even possible) to upgrade to LED or HID headlights. Even if you could do both for under the price differential (which I maintain is not possible), why through to the hassle?

I think the 17" wheels are beautiful (and by far the easiest to clean of any I've owned), and while they are a bit on the heavy side, their aerodynamic design will offset--partially if not entirely--any weight savings from aftermarket wheels regarding fuel consumption.

 

For us, there's no going back to halogen headlights. If I couldn't get LED headlights, I might not have gotten the car. I know you can install HID lights aftermarket, but I'd rather not get into that.

Also, I didn't want to get into buying new wheels for a new car, and 15's are just too small. They were good size in 1990, but that's about the smallest wheel you can find on a car in 2009.

 

That was a gen II with wheels which were already very light. The aftermarket wheels weighed 6-7 pounds heavier. You can easily find 17" wheels that weigh 6-7 pounds lighter than the wheels on the V.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...59-swapped-17-s-back-instant-drop-in-mpg.html

Adding on 30 lbs of unsprung weight is a big deal. So big of a deal that the engineers couldn't attach a 60 lb sunroof after that for fear of losing too many MPG. On the Gen II the aftermarket Volk eco wheels shaved 4 pounds off each wheel and got 3% better fuel economy. Gen II wheels were 14 and 15 pounds for 15" and 16" respectively, so losing weight wwas an expensive proposition.

I don't see how the hybrid powertrain has any bearing on the wheels- aren't all factory wheels are designed "special" for the model?

Any difference in handling is simply due to having 17" wheels on there. Drive a II-IV with 24 pound 17" wheels and there will be only the steering ratio difference. Get lighter wheels and you'll accelerate faster and have better handling in turns. If you run the same tires as stock, you will have better mileage.

I agree the stock wheels look nice, so if that's your fancy then buy them. The only real positive from the LED and fog lights is the reduced energy consumption. High beams are the same on all models for those dark country roads.

 

Why such a big deal about this?
Ok, you like hot fudge on your sundae, others like strawberry, and some caramel. Some with whipped cream or nuts. It's all good. Why slam other's choices?

 

I disagree--it's a safety issue for me.

The main beams are what you rely on 95%+ of the time, and halogens are not nearly as bright or natural looking a light source as the LEDs (or HIDs in previous gens). I've driven cars with HIDs for 10+ years, and when I drive a loaner or rental with halogens the difference is dramatic.

 

The thread asked why people would choose a IV and get aftermarket wheels or lights, so I answered with my opinions. I didn't mean to slam anyone's choices anymore than the people who sing the praises of the V are slamming the II-IV. There's no point to the thread if V owners are just going to pat themselves on the back and agree the rest of us are wrong.

I just think people should know all points of view before making an informed decision. I also wanted to clear up any misconceptions about how wheel size and weight affect the car's handling and MPG. Sorry if I offended you.

 

I believe the "bragging rights" comment you made set this tone and went beyond "your opinion", so you did slam people right off that like their V. I'm one of them. But what's to brag about? I simply like the style of the wheels, the LED's and not having an ugly gray panel where there should be fog lights. To me paying an extra $1500 is a bargain. Yeah, it would have been nice if the wheels were lighter, but so what. One thing for sure I don't want the lighter wheels so I can accelerate faster as was mentioned. That's what I gave up in order to come to the Prius anyway. I decided I would live with the less mpg's because frankly I don't care to get obsessed with tracking the mpg's and having "bragging rights" in that game either. I'm just going to enjoy driving a cool looking car that will get 48 mpg. Only another Prius II thru IV owner will really know what I'm giving up in FE as the rest of the world doesn't care and thinks 48 mpg is incredible for a car that looks this sporty.

While you may find some kid someday to buy your used upgraded prius, most dealers do not want a used trade with aftermarket lights and custom wheels. I traded a Tacoma a while back with a custom console (10" woofer) and stereo and the first thing they did was replace it with the stock unit.

 

I was faced with that very question in my decision. First I ruled out the IV w/SR because of personal preferences. I felt the technology was too new, and therefore too risky for me. Getting a new model Prius was enough risk for me. I decided the extra features of a V were well worth the extra $1700 to get them, on top of $31k (~6% more). I figure if I'm gonna spend > $30k on car, then I might as well get the one I like. But I'm not the type of person to make to mods on a brand new car. Also I wonder if upgrading a IV to be similar to V would void any warranties? Maybe, maybe not. To list the benefits of V:
-> 17" rims
-> LED headlights
-> fog lamps
-> headlight washer/wipers
-> tighter steering ratio
-> comes standard on V => save time & effort of upgrading a IV
-> no question about voiding any warranties

But no doubt, there many people who enjoy spending their time modifying their cars to give it a custom signature. And if they can do it for $1700 or less, and as good or better than the V, then that's great for them. It's just not for everybody, at least not for me (not on a brand new $30k car anyways).

 

What I would like to know, and I have not yet heard the answer from anyone here, if you were to remove the 4 15" wheels and tires from a stock Prius II through IV, and then weigh the 4 of them, as installed, and then weigh the 4 wheels and tires that come standard on a V, what is the new weight difference between the two?

People keep flinging around the 24 pound figure, but without some comparison to the 15", and the weight of the tires themselves (not just the rims), it is hard to really understand what that 24 pounds means.

Also, just weighing the rims alone is not sufficient, as the two tires have a different profile, and that would affect the weight. While my scale is not accurate enough for this, could someone with an accurate scale please remove one wheel (Tire and and Wheel) from both a 15" and 17", and post that here?

 

Personally, when you compare the price points between the different packages, I can't see why anyone would buy anything over a stripped package II, but hey, I bought a III because I liked the JBL sound system, so I'm not knocking anyone's choice.

 

I agree with you, a true comparison should be the wheel/tire combo rather than just wheel comparison.

I really think Toyota did a good job with the different levels and the different price points. Anyone could justify moving up or down the range depending on their needs and wants versus cost. Improvement could be made by not packaging solar roof and navi together.

 

For me, it was strictly price. I like what the V offers, but didn't want to pay the extra $1500 for it. Same reasoning behind not getting the sunroof. So I bought the IV with nav and am happy. I agree that those grey plastic covers where the fog lights should be are ugly. I won't be modifying my car unless I decide down the road that I need fog lights.

 

LOL, your logic didn't even work for you.

Just shows why people do get options. It's not always about the money.