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So why Prius doesn't handle?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by cyclopathic, Sep 5, 2014.

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  1. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    taking the dated torsion beam rear suspension, shocks, springs and high center of gravity out..

    Article below talks about differences btw HPS and ESP. Mind you it is on BMW, and unlike Prius designers Bayerische Motoren Werke AG engineers have handling standards to adhere to.
    Wired Cockpit

     
    #1 cyclopathic, Sep 5, 2014
  2. Doug E B

    Doug E B Junior Member

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    I feel a Prius with the 17" rims and tires thus a smaller sidewall handles just fine,
    When I purchased my Prius I had the dealer take the stock 15" rims and tires off and install 17" with Michelin tires. Car seems glued to the road.
     
    #2 Doug E B, Sep 5, 2014
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  3. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    My issue isn't the lack of grip (though 15" Energy Savers don't grip) or uninspiring suspension (have TRD swaybar, ExcelGs and braces), but the steering. It doesn't feel too bad until you get into mountain switchbacks. Than it sucks when you have to turn steering wheel past 30deg, and on left 25mph turns A-pillar is right in the middle of your vision.

    Electric Power steering tuning is part of it (look article above on ESP challenges) but perhaps the steering geometry is the bigger issue.
     
    #3 cyclopathic, Sep 6, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2014
  4. HaroldW

    HaroldW Active Member

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    Trouble is Doug most of us purchase our Prius for fuel economy and by going the 17" route economy suffers. But then again I suppose a Prius with 17" setup is still a pretty good bet for some even with the wide tire hit. H
     
    #4 HaroldW, Sep 6, 2014
  5. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    A Prius is NOT a "race car" and -I- think it handles just fine. I DO drive mountain roads with switchbacks. At "reasonable" speeds. For mileage.
    If you wanted a "real handler" you should have bought a gas guzzling BMW or such.
    I used to have one of the best handling cars ever made, a 1993 Mazda RX-7. It rode rough, was noisy, uncomfortable, and would pass anything but a gas station. Fun if you're young and don't mind paying "moving violation" tickets.
    I outgrew that. ;)
     
    #5 David Beale, Sep 6, 2014
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    those mountain switchbacks are a piece o'cake in my porsche, not sure what the prius problem is?
     
    #6 bisco, Sep 6, 2014
  7. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I have driven in the NC mountains with my stock Prius and 15" tires with no problem with the continuous switchbacks. I know these are not the Rockies but it has similar switchbacks as far as steering.
     
    #7 jdcollins5, Sep 6, 2014
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  8. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

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    Oh yeah! (y)

    [​IMG]
     
    #8 KennyGS, Sep 6, 2014
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  9. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    I've been to Deals Gap and through Blue Ridge pkwy on occasions.. it is nothing special if you compare to what's out there in on west coast. I'd say 3.5 on Richter scale
     
    #9 cyclopathic, Sep 6, 2014
  10. zhenya

    zhenya Active Member

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    I agree with you on the steering, but you have to realize that the Prius was designed with maximum efficiency as it's primary goal. Everything else takes a backseat to that. There are plenty of other hybrids on the road that handle more like normal cars, but none of them have anywhere near the real-world efficiency of the Prius, not to mention the reliability.
     
    #10 zhenya, Sep 6, 2014
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  11. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    I suppose you wouldn't be driving your girl's car across the country?

    Eugine: it isn't that it was more expensive to tune steering, or they had something to gain from intentionally making it bad. There are many samples of cheap good handling econoboxes.. current zoom-zoom Mazdas and old Civics for example

    EDIT: I take it back they did have something to gain by making it bad; they sell CT200 with better set up
     
    #11 cyclopathic, Sep 8, 2014
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nope. as i said, they haven't been more than a hundred and 50 miles from home base in 10 years. it's a commuter car. that's what the hycam's for.(y)
     
    #12 bisco, Sep 8, 2014
  13. zhenya

    zhenya Active Member

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    I'm not sure of that. The Prius uses heavily boosted electric steering because it is extremely efficient. It is paired with very low rolling resistance tires, again, for efficiency, and those tires make a significant contribution to the steering feel.

    Again, there are plenty of other cars that have been built with a mix between handling and efficiency, but when the primary goal is maximum efficiency, handling is largely cut out of the equation. Normally I'd take issue with that (the Prius is the first car in ~15 years I haven't fully overhauled the suspension on), but it was very clear what I was buying from the beginning. If I'd wanted something different, I'd have bought one of the many alternatives available on the market - none as efficient as the Prius.
     
    #13 zhenya, Sep 8, 2014
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  14. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    No doubt the tires are part of the problem.. other one is the frame flex. Fitting braces (STB and underbrace) fixes that; makes steering more precise, at least within 30deg steering wheel turn. Unfortunately there isn't cure for numb power steering at larger turn. Perhaps it was tuned to compensate for frame flex?

    I'd argue that if there weren't for Tier 2 bin 5 there would be a bunch of diesel powered cars which would deliver similar or better than Prius MPG in extra-urban cycle. Few years back I drove Fiat Punto in Italy and managed 68MPG over 1500mi trip. That included some miles on autobahn with traffic doing ~150-160km/h.
     
    #14 cyclopathic, Sep 8, 2014
  15. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    so were do you find switchbacks?? :confused:
     
    #15 cyclopathic, Sep 8, 2014
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no where, it's a straight shot from here to florida, discounting the dc beltway.:p
     
    #16 bisco, Sep 8, 2014
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe, but breathing is more important to me.
     
    #17 bisco, Sep 8, 2014
  18. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    so you don't when you see school buses and 18-wheelers? :puzzled:
     
    #18 cyclopathic, Sep 8, 2014
  19. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    #19 cyclopathic, Sep 8, 2014
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i hit the extra filtration button and hold my breath!;) i would hate to have to do that every time i was behind a prius wannabe.
     
    #20 bisco, Sep 8, 2014
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