Non-Touring vs Touring - Mountain twisty road?

Touring is only $752 more invoice $ than Non, mainly the HID/Fog of Package 4 Non plus the improved suspension. Maybe a little is the bigger wheels and spoiler. Those are the only differences. Don't know where your 5K figure came from, but package 2 to package 2 should be $752 or so at invoice. ($895 MSRP)

Sorry, but I do not know the answer to the handling, as I've only had 1 gentle test drive in flat, straight Kansas. For $752, I'd probably go Touring if I were you, but not for me. From what I've read, its certainly not worth 5K.

Dealer may be able to make better deal on Non as Touring are harder to find. My dealer says Touring is special order for them.

 

Well Pearl is a standard model. I've flogged her over mountain roads with no problem. It's the stock tires that will be the limiting factor.
With the Touring you get:
1. 16" wheels with better quality tires.
2. Slightly larger rear spoiler.
3. Slightly stiffer shocks.
4. Slightly stiffer anti-sway bars.
5. Different package contents compared to standard model.

In your case it's probably less expensive to "build your own", if you want to improve the handling, though most people wouldn't notice the difference between the two models in handling. I'd just get a standard model with that big a price difference.

 

I would imagine your dealer could work something out for you ... otherwise hop a short one-way flight and pick it up somewhere ... at least that's my philosophy. Get the car YOU want no matter what. Probably not worth the trouble to some people, but to me ... I want what I want and with a large purchase like an auto I try to make sure and do it the way I prefer.

 

you can get touring #6 on prestige toyota in NJ

 

Lcruiser,

I just checked out one of our Dealer sites here in Tulsa. Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisana and Mississippi are all served by Gulf States Toyota. According to the Build Your Own Toyota link on one of the local Dealer websites (Jim Norton Toyota), you can get Packages 2, 3, 5, or 6 with the Touring Model. Touring Models are fairly plentiful in this area.

Hope this helps.....

 

Just to let you know, I paid $26,500 for a new standard Prius, package 6 in 2006. If that is the real price, I wouldn't even think about it. Just do it. I'm pretty happy with the Prius handling for what it is. The Touring could only be better.

 

I have driven three separate Prius Base models before and have driven them over mountain twisty roads. They do tend to understeer and feel a little lose, which means you have to go slow on the corners, and the body leans quite a bit. In a few hours I am picking up my new Touring Prius and over the weekend I'll take it up CA route 130, a very windy mountain road, and will report here how it handles compared to the Base model. Everything indicates that the Touring should handle better, we'll see.

When I was looking for my Prius I emailed over thirty dealerships between San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Fairfield and Sacramento. Some dealerships never replied (their loss), but from those that did reply, the one that gave me the best deal was Concord Toyota. I emailed his offer to a few dealerships and none could beat him. I ended up paying $25,116 (which is $400-some below invoice) for the Touring package 6. If you want to check them out send me a PM and I'll give you the internet manager's email. I get no money from this, I'm just a satisfied customer.

 

David, we don't have a base & touring model here in Canada, they're all equivalent to touring. That's the case for 2008 and I'm pretty sure that was the case for 07 as well. Did you get your car in Canada or the US?

 

I just finished driving my first 100+ miles on my Touring and I can say, wow, there is a big difference between the Base and Touring models. On the highway the Base tends to feel floaty and vulnerable to cross winds, while the Touring feels more stable. I drove all theway up and down the mountain to Half Moon Bay and of the twisty part of the road the Touring exibited less body lean and it felt more connected to the road. I feel like the Base has very light spring rates and low dampening, which makes the car have that floaty feel to it. The thinner sway bar might be the culpit for the behavior under cross winds. So far I am loving my Touring model and it seems like it was worth every penny. Tomorrow I hope I get the chance to tackle CA route 130, which is a very twisty road that goes up to 4000-some feet. I drove a rental Base Prius on that road a week ago, now I'll get to take the Touring there. High hopes... :thumb:

 

What do you want out of your car?

Do you want that "floating" (mushy to me) feeling when you drive over bumps? To get that feeling (it is less harsh), get the base model.

Do you like to feel "connected" to the road? Do you want the car to respond in the turns? To get this connection, your ride will be stiffer (more harsh) over bumps on the road. This is the Touring model.

Cadillac or any touring car would be an example of "floating"
BMW, Audi, VW and Mercedes would be examples of "connected"

If you have expierence with any of the above type of cars, it would explain itself.

Personally, Touring all the way. My first test drive of the Touring showed me what I already knew...I didn't like the body roll and instability of the base model. It is a personal preference.

 

(What is it with all the html? Simplify, simplify.) Test drive both of them if possible. Some people love the difference, other can hardly notice. I put 42 PSI in the tires on my standard and get most of the to-me-discernible benefit.

 

If you look at my post closely, you will see that Pearl is a 2007 package "B". In 2007 all Prius sold in Canada (from Toyota Canada) were the "standard model" with 15" wheels and "non-Touring" suspension. The 2008 is a different car in Canada, being more equivalent to the US "Touring" model.

So if I had waited one year I could have had the "Touring" package with the rear camera added to what I got and paid about $2000 -less-. Welcome to my world!
Oh, and could have still got the $2000 ecoAuto rebate.

At any rate, I have no problem with Pearl on twisty mountain roads. I have cornered hard enough to cause the tires to squeal. Then the Goodyear Integrities - now I have Nokian WRs on her, and she corners even better, harder than I'm willing to allow.

 

I think if you don't drive a Touring you'll be happy with the base. I've owned some pretty darn good handling cars (including a '03 911 Turbo) and the base prius has met my expectations. In the mountains up north in Arizona I have no problem holding 85-90mph around the turns. Yeah it leans a bit, but it's not white knuckle driving by any means. Yes it's affected a bit by crosswinds but anyone but a newly licensed teenager should be able to handle driving it in wind.

With all that being said there's no doubt that the touring will handle high speed better. I'm just saying don't get scared off by the base. From the sounds of a lot of threads here you'd get the impression you can't drive it over 50mph on the highway without signing your own death warrant.

 

You are absolutely right, the Base Prius is no white knuckle ride. Before buying my Touring I had rented three different Base Prius and I wouldn't have fallen in love with it if it had been such a scary ride. We drove the Base Prius from LA to San Francisco for two weeks and enjoyed the ride. I am just pointing out that the Touring does have a more solid, firm, and stable ride than the Base, and it feels like a better car. I believe all Prius should come with the Touring suspension.

 

Renato ... Did you have to order that Blue? One dealer told us that the touring only came in the Classic Silver, Grey or Black.

 

the touring edition comes with alloy rims and 16" tires, that alone is well worth the $895 difference

 

I just read your input from April---so how did it ride in the mountains? How about mpg for mountain climbs and did the hills slow you down do to the small engine?