base with suspension mods or touring with 15 inch tires?

Questions about the meaningful differences between the '04-'09 Gen II
models are posted from time to time so there are a lot of threads on
it. One of the best is http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/41925-touring-suspension-parts-research.html.

It is generally conceded that the Touring model has some small
improvement in handling, stopping, and cross-wind tracking. There is
also some small reduction in MPGs due the larger and wider tires,
something in the .1-.3 MPG range. These wider tires are somewhat
problematic because they are in a non-standard size. Most Toyota
dealers don't stock them. There is also a very small choice of
replacement tires.

The easiest and quickest way to get the better handling with a wide
range of tire choices would be to put 15" wheel/tires on a Touring
model.

It is relatively easy to raise the handling of a base model to equal and
exceed the Touring by moding with after-market parts; various braces
and sway bars, etc. These folks have the largest selection;
Sigma Automotive. Practically speaking, all you would be missing
from a Touring model would be the extended spoiler and the 7-spoke,
16" wheels.

Finally, you should do some research here to get a good idea of what's
gone before using the search function with entry terms like; Touring
suspension, sway bar, brace, etc.

Hope this helps.

 

There is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer here.

What is "better" is totally subjective. It all depends on:
* your prior experiences,
* what you want to accomplish,
* how much money you have to spend, and
* whether any changes/add-ons accomplish your intentions.

Price-wise, it's probably a wash whether you start with a base model
or the Touring as what difference there is is quite small. As you
can probably guess, the perceived "value" of the difference is wholly
subjective.

The hard core handling types say:
* first get new rims and tires
* then look at shocks, springs, and sway bars,
* at this point, you'll now how much the new stuff is stressing the
chassis and you can buy braces and such as appropriate.

The casual "I just want to tighten things up a little" types usually just
get a rear body brace and a front tower brace. If they find these bits
make a "difference,"-- a wholly subjective finding, of course -- they
are happy and do no more. (That would be me.) If they can't identify
a difference, they whine and moan, and stamp their feet and make life
miserable for everyone within earshot and/or here at PC.

Needless to say, the second path is far and away the cheapest.

Which path is right for you, only you can say.

PS: On the "I will not take the mileage hit" idea. Be advised, you will
experience conditions every day that will cause more of a mileage hit
than the difference between the base and Touring model wheel/tires.
They are everywhere: terrain, temperature, traffic volume, stop light
and signs, rain on the roadway, use of the heater or air conditioning,
"winter gas," tire pressure, driver inattention and inconsistency.

I don't think that I need to go on. Like it or not, you will in fact take
many "mileage hits" virtually every time you drive the car. That said,
every once in a while you will have a near perfect MPG day...
and that joyful realization will sustain you through the weeks and
months until it happens again... maybe, if you're lucky.

Such is life driving a Prius. Get used to it. Move on.

 

Nope, they're both after-market items. Together they'll go for ~$450.
Check out the Sigma site I gave earlier.

Good luck, and be sure to update this thread to let us know what you did
and how you like it -- a purely subjective determination, of course.

 

Since you're looking at used it's important to note that you won't pay a huge price penalty for getting a Touring model. Probably in the hundreds of extra dollars. And I agree with Rokeby that the mileage penalty from the larger wheels likely won't be noticeable among all the other factors. More significant might be the cost/selection of tires when it comes time to replace.
In this thread http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...touring-suspension-real-world-difference.html post #5 Boo says it has "one inch larger stabilizer/sway bars". Plenty of good info in that thread. Not trying to push you towards Touring at all tho, I actually think that if you want to mod it anyway you'd be better off starting as cheap as possible - because modding ain't cheap.

- D

 

cvincent,

I would NOT put 15-inch tires on a Touring Model. As pointed out by Rokeby, there are way more areas of MPG killers than 15" vs 16" tires. The OEM Touring tire is a 195/55R16 and, as mentioned above, does not have many choices for replacement. I plan on replacing our Touring tires with 205/55R16 tires which provides numerous possiblities from many manufacturers. Your driving style, type of terrain, air temperature, length of trip, etc., will effect your MPG much more than your tire diameter. You will adversly effect your Touring handling characteristics if you install smaller tires with no real gain in overall mileage improvement.

 

For all the neurotic research and worry you appear to be going through, you do realize that tire pressure differences due to changes in the air temperature will make more of a difference than all of that, right? You would be better served investing in a decent tire pressure gauge and a 12v pump that you can run of the car. Having my tire pressures dip from 37 to 32psi dropped my highway mpg from 43-ish (70mph cruise) to 38mpg. The effect is noticeable even if just one tire is low.

 

In California (and I thought the West coast) the Touring Model only came with ALL the other options. In other regions it was a $550 option. So you might find it costs $4 to 5 thousand more.