I wanted to know if there are suppliers of high-filtration engine air filters for the Prius. I know about the K&N filter, but it's designed primarily for performance - increased airflow, not increased filtration. Does anyone make high-filtration air filters for the Prius, foam, enhanced paper, or otherwise? I care more about filtration than airflow - I'm willing to give up a little power or fuel efficiency to protect the engine better. I realize that it may not be available or be an unpopular item, as Prius owners tend to care more about fuel efficiency, and a lower airflow filter would reduce it. -->Adam
Is there any reason to think that the Toyota filter does not do an adequate job? There are Prius taxis running fine beyond 300,000 miles.
I am aware of the Prius normal reliability - if I use dino oil and standard filters, I am likely to get 200k miles or more. I don't know how NYC cabs are maintained, but their driving habits are radically different from mine, so their results are not comparable. Nonetheless, I would like better protection for my engine, and standard air filters are a significant source of engine wear in most cars. Plus, since foam filters are reusable, they cost less in the long term. -->Adam
Results After some research (mostly bobistheoilguy.com), I found out that paper filters usually filter better than foam (but restrict air more), so I'll probably use Toyota, Wix, or another high-quality paper filter.
