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Living with the Prius IV rather than a V?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by wvgasguy, Jun 9, 2009.

  1. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    OK, here's my concern. I had my heart set on a Prius V w/ Nav. Never owned a Prius but probably wanted a loaded one for all the wrong reasons. Now though after waiting and reading up on the turning ratio and the 17" wheels it seems like a better combination for driving enjoyment. The LED's and fog lights were just a bonus with the package.

    My problem is my dealer, after much haggling and effort, is only able to get me a Prius IV w/ Nav (Blizzard white and Bisque leather). I guess my options are to wait (and wait and wait) or take this.

    I try to remember this is an "economy" car for me and that handling is not critical. If it handles anywhere near as well as the Camry Hybrid (which many complained about) I would be happy as it was a softer ride than I wanted but acceptable.

    Have any of you wanting a V gotten a IV? Are you dissapointed (or satisfied) with the handling?

    He has a Prius III on the lot and I hope to get there tonight to try it out. Perhaps if I had not read up on the V, I would not be disappointed. I know a test rive will help but even in a test drive the excitement often overcomes logic and I may downplay the concerns I have.

    I have a set of Scion Tc 17" wheels I can use as far as looks goes, but I remember driving my son's Tacoma with the 3+ steering turns lock to lock and it took some getting used to.

    Just looking for confirmation from some V wanna be's that settled for a IV.
     
  2. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    I decided on a V because I wanted the 17" wheels/tires (look much better IMHO, and will improve handling), LED headlights (after driving HID equipped cars for 10 years, I didn't want to go back to dimmer halogens), and fog lights.

    After I made my decision the fact that the V has a more responsive steering ratio (at least for the first few months) came to light and reinforced the decision in my mind (not that I really needed reinforcing). Plus I didn't want a sun roof, so wasn't tempted to go with a IV.

    And you may have an issue adding 17" wheels to a IV due to rubbing (it's been discussed at length, so try a search if you'd like more details).

    I've purchased lots of cars, and my view when buying a car is to get what you want, even if that means waiting a bit. The waiting time will be much shorter than your ownership time, and you don't want to spend years driving a car that you might feel like you "settled" for just to get it a bit earlier.

    If you haven't already, I'd suggest calling a few other dealers in your area.
     
  3. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I wanted most of the features of the V "with" the solar roof, but once I knew the combo wasn't possible, I sucked it up and said the IV was just fine. Wouldn't mind the LED headlights or adaptive cruise, but I'm fine w/o them.
     
  4. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    I don't think the wheels will be an issue but I will investigate that further. I keep reminding myself that this is the third car in my "fleet" and it's the economy car for daily driving for the wife, mostly 20 miles of Interstate and 5 miles of rural driving each way. It doesn't have to really appeal that much but it would be nice if I really liked it overall rather than just appreciating the FE.

    I'm still considering a CTS or even a 370Z to have fun in so the Prius would not have to be the main driver for normal trips where the wife and I both go. When I need to haul I have the Highlander Hybrid (and until I decide on the other I have an Expedition)

    Basically I am left wondering if the steering will bother me. I'll just have to test drive to find out, but through this post I was wondering if it was really bothersome or if you quickly adjusted to it.
     
  5. msirach

    msirach Member

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    The steering is fine. I just traveled through WV on I64 and the power mode will help you on those 6-7% climbs. The steering and handling of the IV is very good. My only issue with the car is the bisque interior. There is probably more square feet of misty grey headliner/cargo area as there as there are of bisque seats/door panels.

     
  6. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    if you want the advanced features, stick with your choice and wait it out. the sunroof is cool and works very well for me especially being in a moderate climate where extreme heat or cold is not common. the sunroof allows great ventilation that would normally require A/C since the SO hates it when the windows are open.
     
  7. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    The steering and handling are my main concerns
     
  8. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    steering lock to lock is supposed to be 2½ turns on V, on the IV and under its 3½. ... now will our turn ratio be adjusted in an upcoming fix??

    well, we'll see, but hard to believe that they couldn t make it right the first time, so i doubt any changes will be forthcoming
     
  9. accordingly

    accordingly Member

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    Turn ratio will not be changed in the upcoming fix. The IV and lower are stuck with the slow steering. Update will increase power assist, and reduce damping in the Electronic Power Steering mapping only- it's just a software tweak and likely to be inconsequential.
    I think it's the high steering ratio coupled with the super charged power steering motor that does it. I realize it's not designed to steer like a Porsche, but did they have to try so hard to make it bad? Why didn't they go all out and make the brakes ridiculously squishy too? Maybe have the windows take a full minute to roll up or down.
     
  10. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    well, i really dont have much issues with the steering. i am not sure i understand the issues some might have over what is essentially an extra ½ turn each way. the times that full steer is required is that all the much and always done at very low speeds and the actual turning radius does not seem to be all that much different.

    anyway that is another topic. i still say, if you want V, stay with it. the features are awesome and i would have regretted it. in fact, i still think about it, but i decided it was simply not in the cards for me.
     
  11. Husker4theSpurs

    Husker4theSpurs Active Member

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    Ditto ... and like said above ... call around ... I didn't even decide I wanted one until a few weeks ago and called around and found one coming in just like I wanted that wasn't spoken for. I did have to drive 3.5 hours, but it was worth it!
     
  12. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    As for brakes, your pedal isn't directly operating the pads under normal use, but rather a stroke sensor which tells the braking ECU how much braking the driver is "demanding".

    In fail-safe mode though, the pedal will directly operate the brakes, but if it's anything like the Gen II, it's diagonally unbalanced (pulls to one side) and very easy to lock them up (experienced this once when the inverter pump went at 101k miles).
     
  13. dtjoint

    dtjoint Custom art furniture

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    We originally had a V on order but without being able to drive one was concerned about increased noise and harshness from the smaller profile tires. When a IV with sun roof showed up we drove it and liked the ride, drive and handling so purchased that one. Now that I have driven a V I'm glad we did as I do think the IV is quieter than the V. I was not able to check tire pressure so don't know if the V was set to the door sticker pressure or higher. There is quite a bit of noise difference on the IV with the tires set to the recommended pressure (door sticker) rather than what the dealer had done when we picked up the car (high by over 20% with the rears higher than the fronts).

    I know many on this forum like the idea of pumping up the pressure to get better mileage but that results in more noise, harsher ride and, most importantly, a smaller contact patch area so there is less holding the car on track. I have not seen the chart for the stock tires that came on this Prius, but I have seen the charts for several Mich. tires. On those, for every 5% you are over or under the optimum inflation for the actual weight on that tire the contact patch goes down by 20%. So, for me, pumping up pressure to reduce rolling resistance is too big a safety hit to be worth a few more miles per gallon. Others will come to a different conclusion.

    Hope this helps with respect to the IV vs V ride quality question originally posed.

    Jerry
     
  14. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

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    Buy what you want, don't settle.
     
  15. accordingly

    accordingly Member

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    Toyota isn't offering what a lot of people want (a sunroof and climate package on a 'loaded' car for one), but luckily for Toyota very few will heed your advice.
     
  16. pixelmixer

    pixelmixer New Member

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    As a poster described earlier, I purchased the Prius V because of looks and handling. When deciding which car to choose, I test dove the Camry hybrid and Prius V. They were actually almost identical in price equipped the way I wanted, but the Prius handling was more in tune to what I prefer. The Camry is a nice car, but it handled like driving a marshmallow. I have previously owned German cars, and I like a stiffer more responsive car. The Prius is not intended to be a performance sedan, but it felt more responsive than the Camry.
    FWIW
     
  17. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    I currently own a IV, previously owned a V. I do miss the V handling, tighter turning ration, LED headlights, fog lights. Some things can be fixed and some things can't. But, this time around I wanted a moonroof. The remote AC is great in the summer also. It is basically a remote start for the summer. Getting 17s is on my list of upgrades and hopefully that will improve in the handling department. But, get what you want that is available and don't settle just to get a car. Test drive both and then decide. There are plenty of Pri on the market nowadays.
     
  18. Thai

    Thai Prius Neophyte

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    I rode in my brother's IV...damn, it gets good mileage!!! That is the biggest difference. Road noise is about the same. Ride is about the same, maybe a tad softer in the IV. All insignificant, except the mileage hit for the V. (Both of us use Toyota's recommended tire pressure.)
     
  19. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    What MPG do you and your brother get?

    According to the UK specs published by Toyota, the 17" wheel cars get 2.4% lower MPG than the 15" wheel cars, which is ~1 MPG, so it's a rounding error (the US specs don't distinguish between models).

    Given this, the difference in MPG between you and your brother must be caused by something else (differing driving styles, driving patterns, road conditions/elevations, etc.).

    For example, a while back I moved from a very hilly area to a neighborhood in a flat area, and my mileage improved by a few MPG.
     
  20. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Does V has different strut/shock absorber and springs? I wonder if the price to replace them would be different.