Why get IV over V if you want 17" rims, LED and fogs?

I don't think anyone is arguing against that logic. basically we're saying the IV is a nice package, as long as you don't go aftermarket and add LED, fog lights and 17" wheels and tires. Then it just seems cost effective to get a V.

 

24 pounds is the weight of the 17" wheel alone with no tire. This is referred to as the 'wheel weight' . On the 15" version, the wheel weight is 16.3 pounds. These are the numbers as specified by Toyota, haven't seen anyone weigh theirs yet, either with tires or without.

There are lots of different tires Toyota ships with the Gen III Prius. You can look in the sticky thread about tires to see what types have been installed, then look up the tire weights online. But larger wider tires are generally going to weight a bit more.

For example, the Brigestone Ectopia 195/65-15 tires (for 15" models) weigh 19lbs each. The Brigestone Turanza 215/45-17 tires (for the 17") weigh 22 lbs each. Those are for new tires as specified by the manufacturer.

So with those example tires, the V's tires and wheels will be 184 lbs, while the II-IV will be 141.2 lbs, for a total difference of 42.8 pounds of unsprung weight.

 

Thank you. So this about the same as keeping a large bag of kitty little (or sand, or road salt) in your trunk for traction. It is also about the amount of weight that I should lose. Thank you for quantifying this for me, as many references to it have mentioned to the weight factor, but none have yet broken it down.

For all the ounces that were saved here and there on this car during the entire redesign, that extra 40 pounds seems to be rather significant.

 

The reason it is so significant is that it's not as simple as strapping 40 pounds of something to the roof. Unsprung weight makes a much greater impact than sprung weight... the physics gets pretty involved and particular to the vehicle and design.

Search google for "every pound of unsprung weight" and you'll see armchair physicists quoting ranges from 2X to 20X, all with napkin calculations 'proving' it. I think its closer to the 3-5 range as I tried to calculate it once, but it's hard to do right if you didn't design the entire car and have to make big assumptions about things. It's not as simple as calculating the rotating inertia difference. Around the racetrack, I hear the rule of thumb as a 1:4 ratio.

 

I agree too. The differences between the IV and V are far more than cosmetic. The V has tighter steering (over 1 full turn less lock-to-lock) and a sportier suspension. We have to be careful. Toyota has carefully avoided any "performance" comparisons. In the standard car listings, Toyota always mentions sport-tuned suspensions and steering differences. I suspect that the Toyota marketing team felt that discussing performance in terms of handling as a model differentiator would confuse their message. So, iinstead they differentiate with cosmetics. I owned a Gen II for three years and I drove both a IV and V (I own the V). No matter what Toyota doesn't say, the V is a different animal. I love the improved handling.

Here is another point, but I can't prove it. To me the V felt "faster", like the standard program (not Econ or Power) has a bit more kick. It may be the suspension and steering changes that gave me this impression, but I had a very different driving experience in the V.

 

Just my $0.02.....I'm going to be one of thsoe.... I'm getting the IV, with Solar. Then adding my tints, aftermarket Foglights, aftermarket rims, installing LEDs in all the lights, maybe go HID or LED headlights not sure yet, and putting the turn signal-sideview mirrors. But that's just me, I want my car to look the way I want it to look. The reasons I'm not getting a V:

1) Im not paying $1700 for 17"s that I can find for $500
2) The extra Lane Assist, collission prevention radar stuff, and all that, I don't need. If I'm going to crash, Im going to crash. Im sure the car wont avoid it entirely, maybe just help me stay in a straight line when Im driving drunk or falling asleep behind the wheel. (I would never do that, just making a point) lol
3) I want the Sunroof. No sunroof in V, retarded decision in my feeble mind.
4) Im not competing to try and get the highest mpg in a Prius ever. If I can get over 35-40 mpg consistently, Im ecstatic. My 300zx gets about 16 mpg right now, so I live at the gas station lol. I was actually planning on getting an Altima or something similar that averages 28-30 mpg and Id be happy. Then, somehow thought "Hybrid...hmmm???" and then fell in love with the Prius
5) I like to customize my cars to my taste, and work on them myself (which I'll end up screwing up sooner or later lol)
6) I dont care about trade-in or resale value. I want to enjoy my car while I have it, not worry about what's gonna happen when I get rid of it.
7) Only reason Im not getting the III, is because the dealer installed leather doesnt come with leather wrapped steering wheel, and that's gonna look ghetto =\
8) Im not worried about "sportier suspension" or tighter steering. It's a Prius, not a Shelby Gt500.
9) I dont get why they put 24lbs wheels (plus tire weight) on a hybrid. I personally dont care about a few mpg loss, but wouldnt the point be to put lighter wheels even from factory to get better mpg ?
10) I dont know, just wanted to have a 10th reason :rockon:

Okay that was fun. Once again, just my 2 cents. Not bashing anyone or anything. that's just why I would get a IV and hook it up, and not a V stock. I think the V looks beautiful with the LED headlights and the wheels, and if it came with solar, id opt for that one...maybe. Then again, I want black rims with the lip painted to match the car. Or maybe I'll just go with 20" Chrome, and try and get it into DUB magazine hahah.

 

A few points of clarification:

The Prius V only costs $1,470 more than the Prius IV.

There's no way you're going to be able to buy 17" wheels & tires (mounted, balanced & installed) for $500. Decent tires alone will cost ~$600, and wheels about the same, so by the time you add mounting, balancing & install, you're probably around the IV vs. V price difference--and you won't have the (much safer) LED headlights, or the (less valuable) fogs.

I can understand if somebody really wants a sunroof, why the V is a no go.

 

Fully understand the SR choice. As we said, that's a legitimate reason.

#1 already addressed. let us know what you get for $500.

#2 ???? That's the AT package which few have or can get (I didn't nor want it)

#6 You must be young. Us old people always consider the overall cost of ownership in a major financial decision

 

This thread is very timely for me. I am in the Boston area and waiting on a Blizzard Pearl IV w/NAV, no sunroof. The more I research the more it seems the V w/NAV no AT would be a better choice. I will speak to my dealer and see which is more likely to be available. The car is for my wife, she has only driven the 15' wheel so I would be a bit concerned with the difference in ride on the 17" although she is coming from a car w/17"s.

Thanks for the help from all here.

JTMav

 

I was worried about the ride before I got my V, but have not found it to be a problem, even with PSI 5 to 8 lbs higher than the recommended 33/32. The suspension seems to have enough damping to ameliorate the lesser cushioning from the low profile tires, but if you pump the tires up any higher than that, the potholes can be a bit harsh. Having the tighter steering ratio is great.

 

hahah. i love this forum Well I don't know what you consider "young" but I am 27. But, I understand everyone's reasons for choosing a V over a IV. I like to do the aftermarket stuff, and I dont think there would a be a big difference in handling for my taste. I mean, I'm not going to race this car so tighter steering doesnt really sound too important. Then again, I havent driven a V so I cant say anything can I? lol. As for the wheels. The rims I want are about $480, and the tire place I go to here, it costs me about $85 per tire for my 300zx. 245/40/19 rear and 225/35/19 front, so I assume, that 17" tires would be cheaper with this guy. So yeah, rims + Wheels + mounting balancing and all that, may run me around $800-ish max IMO. Might be wrong. Then again, I'm also going to paint the lips of my wheels BP to match the car. But that's just me. Like I always say, To each, his own :cheer2:

 

Yep, you're still "young". Enjoy it though. Reality will hit you in about 30 years.