Prius scary to drive in heavy rain!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(newkbomb @ Dec 22 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]365637[/snapback]</div>

I have not had trouble with hydroplaning, but the first time I tried braking after driving through a large puddle, I came too close for comfort to the car in front of me. There is no sign the brakes are wet until the switch over from regen to mechanical braking...at which point, you might as well have no brakes at all until the water's cleared away. The old trick of touching the brakes before you need them to dry them out doesn't work in a Prius unless you put the car in neutral first. Are you sure your problem was hydroplaning?

Vince

 

http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/tpms/treadwear.jpg
not that I ever recall hydroplaning my own Integrities with 3/16"
of evenly-worn tread left, but whatever. They were reasonable crap
in slush up a gentle incline. I expect that soon I'll get to compare
the HEs when I get back north..
.
_H*

 

As a motocross rider back in the 70's and a performance car enthusiast and currently a mountain bike racer I've heard about every argument known regarding performance of tires in a variety of conditions. From my perspective you can't give in to every anecdotal report of performance -- you have to look at the hard aggregate data if they are available. I realize that corporate America or corporate Japan are not saints...but I have a little difficulty with the notion that they would continue to sell a high profile vehicle with tires that, as some on this forum suggest, are simply not safe. It seems that in our litigious society somebody would have nailed Toyota by now if that were the case.

 

to all of you that have ever had the TRAC kick in on wet pavement you know how little throttle input is required to get tire spin, so think how little braking is required to get tire slip. Can't get the TRAC to kick in with the HE's and braking is more positive now. As a plus the car actually tracks much better going down the road.

 

Want to fix your hydroplaning problem? Forget about the tires, just ship all your rain to us Ozzies so that there can be an end to our terrible drought and bushfires.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(v.jones @ Dec 22 2006, 11:04 PM) [snapback]365906[/snapback]</div>

Interesting point on the brakes. Many of the latest German cars have brakes that automatically apply periodically in the rain. Sounds like a similar feature would be helpful on the Prius.

On the wet weather traction, tires will make a much larger difference than the car itself. Same goes for snow. Too often people blame the car for traction problems when it's really the tires.

 

My experience has been the exact opposite. I have a new 2007 Touring Prius with OEM Bridgestones (only 1100 miles on them when I set out) . The tires handled wonderfully in HEAVY rain driving from Austin to Baton Rouge. I will never again purchase a vehicle without HID headlamps. They are wonderful for night visibility even in the rain.

Now, the tires suck on dry pavement. That one kind of boggles my mind. I will start another thread about what tires (high performance, Continental run flats?) to get when mine begin to wear. I upset one Beetle driver on I-10. I was going 75 ahead of him. His pride got the better of him. He passed me going 85. He shot a look at me like why aren't you a regular Prius driver driving 45 mph on the Interstate like the rest of them. :lol:

Other than being vulnerable to strong crosswinds (SUV's are worse), I don't have any complaints about my Prius' wet handling abilities. Those Louisiana roads send every bump and pothole through the suspension, but I knew that going in.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(newkbomb @ Dec 22 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]365637[/snapback]</div>

Nobody's mentioned it, but I noticed that you're a new poster in an 04? Did you buy the car used, and if so, how many miles are on your stock Integrities?

They may just be bald.

 

i have or had OEM's on both my Priuses and living in the Pacific Northwest, i have extensive driving experience on wet roads and have not noticed any or minimal hydroplaning.

i do try to hit a puddle head on if i can see it as it will reduce or eliminate any loss of control. what i do frequently feel is the swaying of the track line of my Prius if the puddle is deep enough from increased rolling resistance.

so maybe 42/40 does help...i also think driving the speed limit helps a lot too

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(newkbomb @ Dec 22 2006, 10:37 AM) [snapback]365637[/snapback]</div>

During Thanksgiving Holiday week we drove 1,000 mile roundtrip down Interstate 95 in the pouring rain on Tuesday night and the next morning, the Prius 2007 Touring Model handled perfectly using the 16" tires and tuned suspension. The trucks did not blow us off the road nor did the headwinds effect the steering. No problems. It is not our old Avalon but was good.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Orf @ Dec 24 2006, 09:32 PM) [snapback]366235[/snapback]</div>

Orf, I agree with you! I'd actually like some rain to drive in so that I can see how good or bad the standard tyres are

We seem to have different standard types Down Under to the Others; are yours also Michelin Energy 195/60's?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AussiePrius @ Dec 26 2006, 11:53 PM) [snapback]367029[/snapback]</div>

Yep, AussiePrius, that they are.

 

I find that the stock tires, well in a word, suck. The roll and are made of rubber but that is it. I did not find that the tires themselves hydroplaned, but they did track the rain grooves something fierc. the biggest problem in the rain is the wind. The narrow high profile Prius is subject to drastic movement from crosswinds.

 

I thought the stock tires were some of the most unsafe tires I'd ever tried to drive on. After the second rainstorm, about a month after buying the 06 Prius, we switched out the tires for a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S - they're great, and no more hydroplaining!

 

I replaced my Integrities with Hydroedges and got an alignment. MUCH better in the rain and snow.

Nate

 

I have a 2007 Touring and i am facsinated at the way it handles in the rain. I have a Land Rover as well which use to be my daily car and this replaced the land rover, even though i still have it, and the prius has done absolutely awesome in some of the worst rainstorms in NE history. So, im very satisfied with the car... it probably is the turanza's

 

Like a previous post...

In November, I traded my 2004 Prius for a 2007 Touring Edition with the stock Bridgestone Turanza tires. Our Holiday trip included sections of 30-40 miles at a time in "frog stangler" rains on I-35 between Dallas and Austin - max speed advisable was about 30-35 MPH due to reduced visibility and wet pavement. There was no evidence of hydroplaning on the wet pavement during, before or after such rain at any speed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Orf @ Dec 24 2006, 02:32 AM) [snapback]366235[/snapback]</div>

On the way. SHould be arriving in about a week.