Wondering whether to buy or not to buy a Hybrid Camry / Prius

Countless Prius drivers, including F8L, have offered data, in addition to opinion. How else to challenge the conventional wisdom in all of those links? Interestingly, not all of those stories up there are dead set against higher inflation levels. For example, the Edmonds article:

When a tire is overinflated, the contact patch is reduced and the center of the tire tread wears faster than the outer edges. One tire expert from the Edmunds.com testing team said that this slightly compromises braking distances but actually improves handling because it provides more "bite" as the tire flexes during sharp cornering. This expert said he chooses 4 psi over the specified level.

And I have NEVER seen a car with radial tires having significantly more wear on the center. It is always on the inside or outside.

 

Read consumer reports, the Prius is one of the most reliable cars you can buy. Just bought a certified used 2007 Prius touring edition with all the bells and whistles with 78,000 miles for around 15k. To say I love this car is an understatement.
around 30$ fill up the tank and go over 400 miles... Long road trips are affordable again.

 

I absolutely love my prius. It makes for a great long distance car, has all the utility of a hatchback (moved back and forth from college -300m each way- multiple times), and the reliability is ridiculous. Great family car as well.

 

In several of the articles, including one that I specifically pointed out, they talk about determining "correct pressure". The overwhelming conclusion is to look at your door jamb or manual.

"thousands" of other hypermilers, really?
and "racers" - I have specifically said that I was talking about people driving their cars on the street in a normal fashion - not racing.
thousands think we didn't land on the moon, does that make them right?
millions believe ghosts are real, does that make them real?
millions beleive you can get the flu from the flu vaccine, does that make them right?

then don't listen...
I wasnt' saying anything anyway, i was only typing. Why, do you talk outloud as you type?

 

I also said that increased pressure can lead to less sidewall flex and thus improved steering feel -- for some. And the expert talked about increasing pressure by 4PSI not by the 9 and 11 PSI that was being discussed here. That is a big jump from 4 to 9. And again, even that recomendation comes from a pro on a track, not that average person on public roads in all kinds of conditions. Another BIG difference.

 

It's a good thing I am a racer and a person just driving on the city streets....


Seriously, go play around with tire pressure for a few thousand miles or more with different models of tires then come back here and present your data and opinions. Since not all tires respond the same way you may produce something helpful. That is what many of us have done on priuschat, ecomodder, cleanmpg, ClubTDi, etc.. So yes, I do believe that thousands of hypermilers will agree with me.

Not that it makes a big difference here but I did spend nearly two decades drag and autox racing so while not an expert I do have a lot of experience playing with tire pressure.

 

Yeah, I only have 125,000 + miles on my Prius and a million miles+ overall.

Only driven for a major Auto website.
Autocross events.
some serious time at Laguna Seca and Sears point on two wheels and 4

and none of that is germain to the discussion

 

It's not because you obviously have not performed the same tests we have. It's quite simple. You are quoting and we are producing results. Get over it already.

 

Potential wear/tear items will likely be the engine water pump, inverter pump and LF axle seal. All of those repairs are fairly affordable though, at < $500/each.

On my friend's 06 Prius I did not find a significant difference in handling between 35/33 and 40/38. The car did seem slightly less "cushy" at 40/38 but that was the only difference I really noticed.

On my 2011, the car feels significantly more secure and braking performance is subjectively, far superior at the recommended 35/33 than at 40/38. 38/36 feels OK but 35/33 still feels optimal. Fuel economy is slightly better at 38/36 than 35/33 but the difference between 38/36 and 40/38 is unmeasurable.

Tire wear isn't really that big of a deal to me. It really isn't much of a difference. Stability and stopping distances are far more important.

There are probably other factors as well, such as stopping distances. However, one of the most accurate ways to determine the correct tire pressure for an application is to consult the industry published load tables.

 

when issuing recomendations out to the masses, I would much rather rely on a professional's opinion, and someone who can conduct the testing and experiments in an objective and repeatable manner, taking out as many of the extra outside variables as possible.

I may play around with my own vehicles, but I am never going to recommend to someone who I am not fully aware of their specific situation to do anything that may be even remotedly dangerous. Certainly nothing that has the effect of reducing grip.