Prius Base vs. Touring edition: the dirty little secret

I looked up pictures online to see the difference on the spoiler but it is very subtile, but now I think I could pick one out.

I just purchased a Prius that was supposed to be a 'touring' model but I dont see 'touring' anywhere on the original window sticker. When my wife gets home with it I will check the spoiler and the struts.

Thanks for the info here.

 

Let's call this what it is: FRAUD, plain and simple. You agreed to purchase product A, they knowingly provided product B. They should be prosecuted. They have the VIN's and can easily verify what product they have in inventory.

How often to they list an actual touring as a non-touring model? They don't, which is another strong indication of intentional fraud. Across state lines (internet) wouldn't this constitute wire fraud?

 

The easiest to see visual cue for the Touring Edition is its 16" 7-spoke wheel.

Here's a photo of it with its full wheel cover ON:

[IMGLINK]http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/7/I/m/ag_07prius_touringwheel.jpg[/IMGLINK]

And here's a photo of it with its wheel cover OFF:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/11732d1223422050-plastic-hub-cap-wheel-cover-no-cover.jpg[/IMGLINK]

 

I agree... Likely they will claim advertising error which once you sit down to buy, they will "discover" the error but hope they have you hooked. Most dealers I'm sure are very honest, but a few...

 

Hi Boo! great advice. I have the '10 and an '07 Touring and drive them both alternately since May 27, 2009 when I got my Gen III.

Let me say this: I will miss my '07 touring when I sell it! To me, it drives like a sports car and the Gen III like a luxury car (boat is a little strong..." I have considered putting on the top strut brace on the Gen III to tighten up the handling a bit but I think the above "boat" comment may be due to improper wheel alignment. My Gen III gets better MPG by the trip computer, but not with actual fill-up data! Could be because of short trips and heavy A/C now.

I love the Touring '07 and, may even keep it if I can't find a buyer at a fair price. Trade-in offer was a joke, and no interest from the overpriced local newspaper ad, and the only calls from Craig's list wanted to know if it had a "clean title" (whatever that is... forgive my car dealing ignorance!)

OP, good luck finding a Touring in your area, they are a rare breed, and the owners are slow to let them go!

Lee

 

Hello I know this thread is probably long dead but I have to post. I just took my vehicle to the dealer after 2 years and found out that my vehicles Vin number is a 2009 STD Prius but on the advertisement and receipt I still have had it listed as a touring. I looked and my car has 15” rims and the rear suspension had a pink and blue stripe. Do I have a good case to get reimbursed from the dealer for false advertising or anything else? Thank you

 

Were you happy with the way the car handled until you found out it wasn't actually the Touring model? At this point in time, and even 2 years ago, I would guess that the price difference between a used Base and a used Touring model would be negligible. The value of each car would be more dependent on its mileage and condition than anything else.

Maybe I don't think the difference is significant because I am lucky enough to own a true Touring model for both 2007 and 2017 (he says smugly).

 

Yeah choose your battles.

 

I don’t really think it comes down to whether I enjoyed the vehicle or not. It comes down to the principle of getting what you think you are paying for. I’m gonna talk to the sales manager about it to see what they got to say.

 

Since somebody else already raised this thread from the dead, I'll throw in my own question... My 2007 Prius comes up Standard in one VIN search site, but Touring in another search. It does have 15" rims and shorter rear spoiler, that seems loosely mounted and slightly off color match(barely noticeable) but the sway bars are thicker than Standard model, but slightly thinner than what someone posted for the Touring model. Pink stripe on sway bar, and struts are pink/white(doesn't appear faded red/pink). Are there any OTHER ways to check if it is Touring or Standard? What are the exact dimensions of the struts and sway bars? I did a search on here and came up with inconsistent answers.

 

It sounds as though you may have either a Touring or Standard model that has been modified in a way that makes it like the other (a true "hybrid", if you will). Have you checked the specs on the toyota.com/owners website? I have attached a screen shot of the specs on our car (which I believe to be a true unmodified Touring model) from that site. You will notice at the top of the page it is described as a "2007 Prius STD", but then under "Port or Factory Installed Equipment" it says "NR Package #6 Touring" and "TV Touring Edition", both designated as from the Factory. Confusing, but I think it does prove that it is the Touring model. What do you see on this page for your car?

 

I will post a photo of my 2007 Touring original window sticker this evening. Maybe that will help if it can be compared to a non-touring sticker.

 

The 2nd Gen Prius Tspirit in the UK is literally the touring equivalent in the US.

My Tspirit has Navigation built in to the MFD, and the MFD screen is surrounded by 7 buttons. The standard 2nd Gen Prii have 4 buttons.
The Navigation base unit takes a DVD with all navigation maps on it - the Navigation DVD unit is situated under the front passenger seat in my UK Tspirit.
I’d wager it’s in the same location on a Touring, but that would be the driver’s seat in the US.

The right hand front seat on a Touring should have the JBL Stereo Amplifier installed underneath it. This audio amplifier powers 9 speakers, including a sub-woofer installed in the dashboard in front.

The JBL Stereo unit in the dashboard just below the MFD is a 6 CD changer capable of reading MP3s off a CD if they’re burned on to the latter.
Standard models do not have a 6 CD changer built in.



You can just about see the 4 x buttons on the left side of the MFD. On the right side there are three.

The steering of the Tspirit also differs from the standard - the steering is populated with built in push button controls on both sides, including a button for voice command activation.

I believe any Touring model will have this.
No voice command activation button? (On the right hand side of the steering) It’s not a Touring model.
There are buttons on the steering for Navigation on the right hand side as well.

I can appreciate there are more different models of the 2nd Gen Prius in the US than in the UK (we had only 3 models designated “T3”, “T4”, and “Tspirit”.
Our T3 is the bargain basement model. The T4 has some extras, but not as many as the Tspirit, which practically has everything.


iPhone 6s +

 

In the US, the Gen 2 options are only available in "Packages". These packages were available on both the Touring and Standard models, so the presence or absence of the 7 button MFD gives no indication as to whether or not it is the Touring model. I believe your Tspirit would be equivalent to the Touring model in the US with the highest Package number, which was #6 for 2007 and later, I believe.

 

The 2007-2009 Gen 2 Touring Edition model is very frequently misrepresented, often unknowingly without intent to deceive or defraud. It is quite difficult to tell merely by looking since there is no distinctive badge for the model.
The differences are: 16” wheels, a different spoiler, different front and rear suspension struts from the base model.
Toyota only offered the Touring Edition model in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 model years. The trim packages were optional amd the same as for the base model. Just because a car has the #6 trim package does not automatically indicate it is a Touring model.
Since these cars are now at least fifteen years old it is conceivable that a previous owner could have swapped the wheels at some point in time..
Here is the easiest way to tell. Simply look at the tire info sticker on the driver side door frame. It shows the tire pressures and the sizes. The last two digits in the tire size are the wheel diameter. Example: 195/55R 16 that shows the wheel size as 16 if it is genuinely a Touring Edition as per the photo of the sticker from my 2007 Touring Edition. Additionally, the 16” wheel has seven spokes; the 15” has six.
There is no special code in the vehicle ID number. To be certain call Toyota’s customer service line and give them the VIN. They can look it up. The original window sticker will also show it but these are rarely available so long after the car was first sold. Again, many people genuinely believe their Gen2 Prius is a “Touring Edition” because they have been given false information when they purchased it. The misrepresentation is not always intentional. I see it often in listings here and on other media. CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!