So after two weeks with the Prius v, I was able to experience driving in Santa Ana windy conditions here in SoCAL. Let me tell you those winds threw the car around pretty good. At first I thought maybe the wheels were loose, but then noticed the trees getting hammered by the winds.
Good to know that you are contributing to the environment and driving in winds is an awesome experience too.
Can anyone give a comparison of the Gen II Prius and the Prius V in the wind? I have a Gen II and it is well known the wind buffets this car considerably. Some have said the Gen III Prius does better in the wind than the Gen II.
Really, no one has any experiences they can share - to compare a car we all know to a new car we might be thinking about?
Ron I can tell you that a stiffening brace helps the Gen 2 Prius in the wind. I once saw a Prius v with dealer plates for about 15 seconds, but I formed no lasting opinion of it in windy conditions. Perhaps after Gen 2 owners get experience with the v, they will share. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...l1313&_nkw=Prius+g7&_sacat=See-All-Categories
My Prius v is much more stable in windy conditions compared to my Gen III. During windy conditions the Gen III had a unique feel with abrupt “jerk like†buffeting that at first gets your attention but it was something we just got accustomed to. The Prius v feels heavier and doesn’t have the same jerkiness feel to it. In fact it is less affected than my Chevy Suburban was. Wind also plays a role in fuel mileage in both the Prius v and Gen III. In my recent experience the Prius v demonstrated that its MPG is more adversely affected in headwinds than my Gen III. For instance on a recent 700 mile round trip that we take on a regular basis we were expecting about 39-40 MPG (on the highway) but to our surprise the headwinds reduced our MPG to 33! We had a tailwind on the way back and got 44 MPG. However our cruise control speed was set 4 MPH lower than on the way up so some of the improved MPG was obviously associated with the lower speed.
On a recent trip from LA to Vegas, I was dealing with 30-40 MPH winds the whole way. The v did just fine, although a couple of 60MPH gusts did... assist... me in changing lanes. That said, strong gusts can affect any car, but I was surprised how little a sustained crosswind bothered the car.
