Why is the front spoiler so low to the ground

Yes, how true! ......but, Toyota figures speed-bumps and curbs are "Our" problem.....

 

Maybe install a TITANIUM Skid Pan:

 

I'm a very careful driver, and the bottom of my front end scrapes so often that I have given up worrying about it. I carry a bungie cord in case it only falls partly off when it dies. Guess I'll just replace it at that point. If a semi is roaring at me from behind when I turn right, I don't care about damaging the front end. I haul nice person off the road. It is easy to replace car parts but not your life.

If you have to drive US Interstate highways every day, good luck not bottoming out on the many potholes and other obstructions. We just drove a rental van over 2000 miles and 17 days in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic, and did not see one pothole. Don't ask me why US highways are a total piece of junk, but their condition is worse than in many other countries for sure.

 

Sorry, but if you drove in the Czech Republic and saw no potholes, you were a danger to other drives - you must have been driving with your eyes closed ;-) Our main motorway is famous for being full of potholes. My friend actually asked me once if it was paved "upside down".

I always envy the U.S. drivers their good quality roads whenever I visit. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side...

 

Yesterday I took my front clip and spoiler off, straightened out the kinks, and added or reinforced missing/damaged fasteners (there were several). I didn't feel like replacing the spoiler as I imagine it will happen again due to heaved driveways and poorly plowed streets. I'll have to be more careful around curbs and wheelstops.

I used a heat gun to warm up the spoiler to flatten out a crease, and it became malleable when it was just a bit warm to the touch. I'm thinking they must get warm enough to become soft when parked in a lot on a hot summer day, so if you leave it for a few hours resting on a curb or wheelstop on day like that, it may become deformed and stay like that when it cools off again.

 

Hahaha! I admit I was sleeping through that part of the trip! Traveling with two babies and sleeping on sofas tends to make you sleep once you hit the car. And I vaguely remember some serious road construction going on there with major delays, so that could be why potholes didn't register in my memory. But we did drive some very well kept roads in Germany, Switzerland and Austria!

 

If it bothers you, install a custom set of air lift struts so that you can change your ride height when needed. It is a bit expensive to do.

JeffD

 

1955 innovation:


that's 64 years ago!!!!!!!!!!

 

Alan,

My neighbor had a new Citroën when I was a teenager. I admit to using well tested solutions to problems.

JeffD

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Funny - they were as rare as hen's teeth here - but my neighbour (at the back) had a Traction Avant when I was a kid, then got a DS about 1960. He eventually had a later one too. I was fascinated by them - when I mentioned to my Dad that I would like to get one - he told me not to be so crazy - I think that was when I bought a Corolla, age 18 - yes, the logical choice, but without character.

 

My neighbor's Citroen was not usable in the rain for about a year and a half. He had a broken windshield wiper arm and no replacement was available in the US. One of the young engineers that worked for me in the 70's (1970s, not 1870s) in Illinois had three Citroens. One he kept running with parts from the other two.

JeffD

 

Our wiper motor failed on our Ford SUV when we were on a driving vacation to Utah. We drove home through some light snow and rain with the passenger charged with pulling a rope tied to each of the wiper blades back and forth through a slit in the side windows. Such an adventure when we look back on it...

 

Agree. That is one ugly Toyota. Why?

Regarding the low ground clearance - I often run up and over those concrete bumps in the front of parking spots, esp. when they not correctly placed. Yesterday I backed away from a broken one with the rebar sticking up and it pulled a plastic panel completely off the bottom of my car. Ouch!

 

Saw a Gen 4 go over a short coffee cup with lid, it made a horrible sound. I’m starting to rethink about getting one now

 

I blame F1 engineers.

 

I wonder how the gen4 prius would do on dirt roads in the pacific northwest? I am moving to the Oregon coast next year, and really want to bring the prius with me. I took my gen 3 out on gravel river trails, logging roads, and other adventurous byways. It bottomed out a few times but generally made it OK. I don't know about this one.

I wish Toyota could build a vehicle with fantastic fuel economy and substantial ground clearance

 

Our son ran his previous car up to an (unbroken) concrete wheel stop. Only problem: the installers must have hit a rock when driving the rebar home, so just left it protruding, about 4", didn't bother to cut it off. Made a nice mess. It's probably still there...

Here's the bit it tore out, I've just patched it back in:

Last series we watched on Netflix, one of the main characters was driving a Merc G-Class, kinda caught my eye. Maybe Toyota could take some design cues:

 

So far I have not scratched the front spoiler but going over curbs is always little frightening thing to do. So much roadworks, oversized curbs on the way to the day care, snow during wintertime, etc.

As previously mentioned RAV4 could be good alternative if you need ground clearance. Here is a video I took at Helsinki Auto Show 2018. Compared to the Prius front seats was so comfy. And then also visibility was better. Tempting option

 

After patching up our front end a couple of times now, I try to always stop before the front "bumper" goes over the curb (or wheel stop). Don't always succeed, but I try.

 

I have been lucky, my Gen 2 was still a virgin at 100,000 miles, no scrapes on the chin.
So far the same for my Gen 4 with one year under my belt. The old car was chipped some and the new one has the clear bra half way back to the middle of the hood.