Why is the front spoiler so low to the ground

Yeah, ground clearance is really low. You have to be careful of speed bumps, dips like entrances to a parking lot, and stuff in the roadway.

 

Speaking of low ground clearance... I'll need to drive down a very rough track, with huge potholes and tyre trenches in it (usually used by farm vehicles). Say if the middle of your car does end up hitting a bump sticking up... how study is that plastic cover that covers the entire bottom of the car? I'd rather it hit that than rip off my exhaust or something... Anyone with any experience of this?

 

It's all part of reducing wind resistance.

 

No, it's not really that low. It's higher than my last car (2010 Ford Fiesta), particularly the approach angle to a driveway.

Since the 1910s, cars have been getting progressively lower - and we don't want to go back to this.

 

lots of repair work for toyota dealers

 

You’re definitely not the only one. I’ve steadily lost ground clearance over the years.

Had an Outback with 7 inches.

Legacy with 6 inches.

Now my Prius with 5 inches.

It stinks. My front bumper lip is scratched up and I’m actually trying to be careful. Just part of it I guess. All I can say is go slow and enter driveways at an angle.

 

No, you are not alone. I've heard two very loud bangs under my Prius. And the multiple minor scrapes when going through a dip, or up a driveway.

 

I have a 2016. We have a lot of higher-than-standard curbs and heaved driveway entrances here in Nova Scotia. As a result, the bottom of the front clip and the front-most pan under the engine have some pretty serious scrapes and kinks in them. I'm pretty disappointed, but wary of fixing them as the parking lot entrances and whatnot that have done the damage probably won't be fixed any time soon.

 

That is the dilemma. take the time and money to repair the damage - knowing that there is almost no way to avoid re-damaging the car. It's an endless cycle.

 

Dealers need find some way of getting service profits from hybrids.

 

When it finally breaks, I don't think I will repair it. I will probably just change vehicles. I'm ready for something that is higher, and has easier access for a taller person. The new 2019 RAV4 Hybrid looks interesting. I was also looking at the Mazda CX-5 like Mendel has. Nice vehicle. The Prius is great, but I gotta start thinking of what's better for the old body. And I'm tired of all the scrapes with the Prius.

No ground-clearance issues here:

 

Yup! .....just think "Nascar" .....

 

but NASCAR vehicles live in a world without speedbumps and curbs...

 

Just think.... "RAV4 Hybrid."

 

I hate driving at night because by the time you see something is the road it is usually too late. With it getting dark earlier and the coming time change it will get worse.

 

That, and all the nuts on the road. At least in my area. But sometimes I fail to see the potholes or dips even in the day time. My Prius has taken a beating.

 

"Front spoilers, found beneath the bumper, are mainly used to decrease the amount of air going underneath the vehicle to reduce the drag coefficient and lift."" - Wikipedia Spoiler (car) - Wikipedia

 

TOYOTAs are getting uglier by the month - that's horrific.