Well, it is a whole new chassis, so yes. I do not see Gen III owners as excited about handling modifications as the Gen II owners were, so Toyota did the right thing. Here is the under side of a 2010 http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/74666-undercarriage-photo.html#post1039198 Here is the under side of a 2009 (ouch!) http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/73848-prius-uncomfortable-hang-upside-down.html
do they sell those modified mid plates to stiffen the chassis ? I already scuffed the plastic underneith in the front from a parking cement block. those are just protective plastic covers right ?
The underbody cover panels are to reduce drag under the car by redirecting/guiding airflow. There are many chassis strengthening upgrades available for the 2010. The prius section at the sigma automotive site has a good selection of what's possible.
My wife has a Gen II, so I drove both regularly. In comparison, the Gen III's steering feels more tighten down with less steering play. The Gen III handles more securely and doesn't understeer as quickly when corning. This could partially be due to tires, but when I had the stock 15s on mine (which were overinflated), the handling - feel and performance - is definitely an improvement (not sure how the Gen III compares with the Gen II Touring model though). Having said that, I am sure if suspension and chassis upgrades were more readily available, you would hear more about Gen III owners modifying their suspension. Deltron mentioned the Sigma Automotive site, and they do carry a large selection of parts. However, their prices are not cheap, and I'm sure there is a wait since these parts will need to be ordered from Japan. Tanabe has been fairly proactive in designing parts for the Gen III (ask Deltron, he knows all about it.. ), and their prices are more affordable compared to Sigma.
Please reference this post: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...sco-center-power-brace-installed-finally.html
I know - to each their own....but.... this 'handling' type of mod. Is it REALLY worthy/needed. I can think of dozens of other cars that get really decent MPG and handle much better (stock) than our Prii. I'm quite happy with my '10 V. Handles really well "pushed to the limits", at least mine. When gauged by exit ramps and quick cornering. Just my .10
Roy, the 2004 to 09 Prius had issues with crosswinds that the brace minimized. I am not hearing that kind of issue/fix is needed with the 2010.
I feel like any mod to the '10 prius is basically an enthusiast's pursuit, and by no means a necessity. there are very real positive's that come from these mods, but again, the "is it really worthy/needed" question is answered directly by the owner's willingness to spend money/time/resources on them, and not much more than that.
As one who has tweaked the suspension, I do agree that it is personal preference. The base Gen III Prius handles nicely when compared to the Gen II. Being an owner who came from the Lexus IS series, I just wanted something a little sportier, thus my preference to tweak the suspension and chassis. Any mods will be at the discretion and disposable income of the owner.
I finally got delivery of my Cusco center brace for my 2009. Next step is installation. I am anxious to find out what the difference in handling is.
I had the braces professionally installed, and they used impact wrench. However, Venom did personally install his center brace. I think he just used a socket wrench. The key is lifting the Prius to get sufficient space under the car since it's so low.
