Two Touring Prii? (pictures)

I was stopping by the nearly-new shop this morning, dropping off a few mismatched/chipped Waterford crystal goblets which were [ahem] wedding gifts...

And right there in front of my car, there was a '07 Touring, white, like my '06 non-Touring.

I recently added the Touring wheels to my car, along with Bridgestone "extreme summer performance" (according to Tire Rack) 205/55-16's. One of the two or three best non racing-compound tires available, basically. The car is also lowered with the TRD Japan suspension and I have the BT plate installed as well, but no other chassis bracing.

It's weird; sometimes my car now seems almost too aggressive-looking for my taste, with the bigger tires and wheels, but other times it's barely noticeable. Good news is, mileage is not off *nearly* as much as I feared, at least so far.

My second round trip to Calistoga and back on these tires was within 1.5mpg of what I'd been burning before, with the stock tires (previously an abysmally low 41.3 mpg...don't ask, I think I usually and intentionally drive very gently but am wrong, apparently). A bit surprising...or shocking...depending on your point of view. We'll see if it holds up, but it's a pleasant surprise (at least to this prodigal Prius driver).

FYI, my car is the one with no HOV stickers, and no front license plate.

Cheers!!
--PG

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(siliconhybrid @ Nov 5 2007, 04:17 PM) [snapback]535071[/snapback]</div>

I stay away from *anything* that makes my butt look bigger.
;-)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dancekat59 @ Nov 5 2007, 04:57 PM) [snapback]535091[/snapback]</div>

A number of people have mentioned it; I, however, choose to live my life on the ragged edge!!
;-)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(2007 Classic Silver Touring #6 @ Nov 5 2007, 09:56 PM) [snapback]535233[/snapback]</div>

I know what you mean about scraping the nose of the car! My first thought is, never enter a driveway straight on in the Prius, always at an angle. Maybe that might help(??)

Whenever I'm faced with a steep driveway entrance, I come at it from an angle, then just when the front tires are just about to go up the ramp, I turn the wheels in the opposite direction --fast, to opposite lock if I have to-- and begin up the driveway. This seems to put the wheel that's going to "lift" the nose up the ramp a bit further forward than how the wheels would be turned normally, and I've yet to grind the front (but know it *will* happen). Then, once the front end clears, I turn the wheels to resume the normal direction of travel, and proceed. It can all happen pretty rapidly after doing it a few times, and my passengers don't seem to notice/are used to my antics.

-----------------------------

What's weird is, I have the most trouble scraping the bottomside of the car on the *freeway,* especially on highway 280 here in the Bay Area. When I'm at normal speed and the level of the pavement changes suddenly, the bottoms of the little plastic flaps in front of the front tires can actually scrape on the pavement!! [gulp]

After a few of these incidents, I'm beginning to know what to expect. I can see it coming and have about a second or so to grit my teeth and prepare myself for the inevitable hard contact followed by a Christmas tree of warning lights on the dash. This does concern me; even the 'Devil may car' part of Pinto Girl does have cause for doubt.

It's happened with the stock tires, the 195/65-15's I had on there for a bit, and now the new wheels and tires, too. It's very curious and a bit disconcerting...if those flaps are hitting the ground, there's maybe an inch or so between the road and the rest of the underside of the car...including that motor/transmission mount looking thingie in the center of the chassis...

This, actually, is becoming a bit more than a concern. I've driven lowered cars before and they usually scraped at low speeds, never while cruising...scraping on the FREEWAY is something new to me. Clearly jounce damping or the springs are off; if the latter are variable rate, the first part of the travel may be too soft.

But, with heavier tires, there is more unsprung weight...more inertia, more mass...it *is* worst of all with the current tire/wheel setup.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Nov 5 2007, 10:25 PM) [snapback]535250[/snapback]</div>

Actually, it's a little known fact that the some models of Prius employ a steerable metal "tail" which adds directional stability at Turnpike speeds.

But, there's more, and it's cool: The verbage you see on the "tail" actually works in conjunction with the turn signals!!!

When you're changing lanes, the people who are on the side of the lane you're leaving see the words "exit only" and the people on the side of the lane you're moving toward see "enter only."

I must have just made a left turn; the car in front of me must have turned right into the street we're parked on.

[laughing]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL Buckeye @ Nov 5 2007, 09:23 PM) [snapback]535216[/snapback]</div>

Oh, nothing special like that. Actually, I ended up with the remnants of the crystal and some other odds and ends which, in eleven years, I never really did use and knew I wouldn't (even though I thought we had to register for it all anyway).

What's going on is that, now I'm thinking about turning my home here in the Bay Area into a rental property, and purchasing a bit of land in the Napa (or possibly) Sonoma Valley.


I was up there again this weekend past with a real estate agent, and am currently considering something in the 1-1.5 acre range. Property only --no dwelling already upon it, if possible-- with the appropriate conditions for growing grapes...and zoning which might give me some options in future years.

I did see two acres and a barn near downtown Calistoga, which had the soil and zoning, but also comes with a legacy business (Calistoga Roasters, the coffee company) sitting on it in an even older barn, and is too close to a noisy road. But...what a trip...me? Living out THERE? I still can't quite get used to the idea (but am working on it). Fun, even just to imagine.

The dream is, that I'll build a *very* small cottage and plant vines; I'd like to head-train them like was done decades ago, too. Maybe in years to come, I'd build a larger house and possible find a long-term renter for the cottage...?

Also, wine grapes are neat 'cause they need to be stressed to make quality fruit (I'm just learning about this now, and have a lot of work to do--I'm no expert!!)...in fact, some combinations of soil and grape in these areas do NOT require irrigation at all!!!

It's this which I'm seeking. The right location/sun exposure, zoning, and soil, and will probably wait years or longer to find it, if I ever do. But, I figure, I might as well start looking now; land prices are severely depressed in wine country.

You know, I'm not comfortable pulling lots of water out of the ground like the big growers sometimes do, but if I don't have to...then I'd be okay with planting a monoculture of grapes. I'd also like to explore some other sustainable growing practices (on a boutique level, at least) and plant and propagate native plants, too, as I've done here at this house.

And...UC Davis isn't that far away, and they've got some great programs in horticulture. Have always wanted to go back to school for graduate work...


So, probably more than you wanted to know, but that's what's up with me!

--Natalie