Recently I have been shopping for a new Prius and did a lot of internet research on the touring versus non-touring. After reading many posts here I did my own back to back test drives and wanted to report back for those who are wondering. First off I will say that I know a lot about cars, I have been an enthusiast all my life and have owned many cars, I used to race SCCA solo and have been involved in motorsports for many years. What I am about to post here is intended not for the car enthusiast or the weekend racer, but for an average person considering the two. I have always loved the prius for what it is, but was never happy with the way it handled, it's steering feel, nor it's ride. It took me about 15 seconds in the Touring to realize this car is very different. I was afraid that it would be a very mild upgrade as the car is after all, a Prius. To my surprise the engineers did not aim too low. The Touring version finally has a proper suspension. There is little squat and dive on hard braking, steering response is a world better, and the horrendous understeer is gone. This car now feels connected to the road and to you. It is not a sports car, but it is a car with a proper suspension that will aid you greatly in any emergency maneuver especially at highway speeds. As for the "rough ride"... I heard it so many times... and now I find that statement to be borderline ridiculous. The Touring's suspension is completely acceptable on the roughest roads. The ride may be 10% worse, the handling is 50% better. If you drive your car in the city from point A to point B and do not break 35, the non-touring will give you a bit more of a cushy ride. But in any emergency, the difference in response of the two can be the difference between an accident and one avoided. Any hard braking in the standard model causes a severe dive, shifting all the weight of this already front-heavy car to the front... leaving the poor quality Goodyear Integrity tires to deal with all of it. I would bet from 60 MPH there is a significant difference in stopping distance between the two models. Also any sort of quick turn on the wheel to avoid something is like compressing a sponge in the standard model, and the touring will actually move the car. Please do not listen to keyboard jockeys or the salespeople at dealerships that have never driven the car. For some reason they assume that because you are buying a Prius, you are somehow too dumb to know the difference between good and bad steering feel. Between good and bad handling. In this area at least because they stock so few Touring models, they are reluctant to sell them. With the extra visibility added by the HID's and the small price difference, I 100% recommend the Touring model to anyone, even the average easy going driver. As far as I am concerned, this is how ALL Prii should have come.
If you want to improve the Touring edition's handling even more, put on a set of TOM'S front (upper & lower) and rear suspension braces.
Another point to be made is when people are asking questions about prices of cars, or gas mileage questions they might need to be a little more specific about which model they are refering to. Touring or base. There are differences.
There are differences. But with the small production quantities of Touring editions, I can understand how a sales rep could forget to ask which version the customer is interested in. Especially if there are no Touring editions in stock. The sales rep is focused on making a sale today, not 1+ months from now.
Just wanted to chime in and agree ... the Touring felt less "floaty" to me w/o feeling rough at all ... I could tell an immediate difference ... not saying the difference was HUGE, just that I could tell right away. I like the idea of slightly larger wheels and like the plastic caps on the Touring better as well.
I think you meant understeed and not oversteer. I need to get me the Touring or TRD suspension, anyone know how hard it is to get the Touring for cheap (even if used)? I'm thinking $300-400 for struts/springs... I'm used to driving my WRX with modded suspension, the standard Prius isn't too bad (used to drive a 96 Camry which was much worse in stock form), but I'd like to be able to sling it around some corners but without spending a ton of money!
Wow! You touring people are even more smug then us normal Prius owners. Congrats on attaining what I thought was an unattainable level of self satisfaction!
Yes, I meant understeer.... I am sorry after a year in a Prius with a suspension made by Sponge Bob my brain cells died of boredom. They commited suicide by hanging themselves from their dendrites.... one by one.
Congrats on getting a Prius Touring Pkg 6. In hopes of having some positive buying experience of our own, could you please explain the process you went through to get your car? Could you mention who your dealer is? We have been trying since August in New Jersey to get a Touring Pkg 6.
When I signed up on this site I still had not pulled the trigger. By "I", I should really say girlfriend and I (it is really her car). After some thought and looking at the options cost and what is available aftermarket, we decided to get the package 2 Touring. So my avatar is wrong, sorry.
I SIMPLY KEPT CHECKING TOYOTA.COM AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS A LOCAL DEALER HAD A PACKAGE 6 TOURING IN STOCK AND DIDNT KNOW IT. sorry for the caps, i fogot they were on
What a great analysis! I have been looking for just such a comparison. I am a regular plain-jane driver and I too took back to back test drives of the regular and touring models last weekend. I felt a difference immediately. The Touring handled better around the curved on-ramp, and once on the freeway, it felt more solid and connected. I wondered if I was just imagining it. Unfortunately here in California we can only get the Touring with Package #6 which makes the price gap significant. Still, I think it may be worth it to have a better-handling car.
OK, now that i have read this thread, i'm OFFICIALLY FUMED!!!!!! i was one of the poor saps who bought into the dealer saying, IT"S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT...........but now i realize that it is very much different. i have a 2008 prius, package #6 that i love very much, but in the back of my mind, i'm hoping that it would have been a TOURING. GOSH #%$^%& that lying dealer and i'm so stupid to have believed him!!!! Now, i have a series of questions for you: #1) what do i have to do to convert my normal to a touring????? (dont mention the rear wing, i already know about that) #2) if i transition over to the STOCK 16" touring rims, will i loose gas mileage? #3) (NON-PERTINENT QUESTION) i have seen some prius owners use TOYOTA SCION rims.........are these much heavier than the 15/16" rims? would i loose mileage? thanks for your help. i wish everyone out there with the touring suspension package to enjoy your cars. i wish i had one. :flame:
1. If you wanted the stability from the Touring, you would have to get a new suspension set up on the car, which i think would cost a pretty penny. 2. From what I have read, people who have Touring models, with the 16 inch Touring wheels do not see a decrease in MPG compared to people with non-Touring models. 3. From reading different post on this website, people who put on the Scion TC wheels on their Prius loose on average 5-10 MPG, do to the weight of the wheel and the fact of the tire not being as "low rolling resistant."
i am also an avid auto enthusiast and i agree with you 100% when i saw the options listed for the touring compared to the "non" touring, i knew i had to get the touring!!! for the people with a non touring, there are threads here on how to convert your susp into the touring package edition, better yet opt for the TRD sportivo kit
Yes, here's the thread that's specifically about the parts needed to change the standard suspension into the Touring suspension: http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-main-forum/41925-touring-suspension-parts-research.html To summarize it, the thought (no one from Toyota has confirmed) is that the parts needed cost around $400, and consist of: Front - the Touring stabilizer bar Rear - the Touring stabilizer bar, shocks and springs Plus of course you'll need to get the wider 195mm tires (you can probably skip getting 16" wheels).
