'06 Tires / Handling better?

Maybe it's not a difference betweeen 05 and 06. I have an 05 manufactured in Aug of 05 and the handling is OK, good tracking, steering is fairly precise. I'm an old sports car guy and I'm pretty particular in those areas. I noticed during a recent 2 or 3 week spell of ice and snow that the Integritys did pretty well also. I was prepared for the worst after reading some posts but they were actually about average for all season radials under those slippery conditions. Of course the ABS and VSC both work well and really help when it's slippery.

Could it be Goodyear made some changes to the Integritys during 2005?

 

Here are my Earlier Comments on the 05 vs th 06 Tires/Ride

I mentioned in an earlier topic that I'm coming off a 4-month 2005 Package 2 Prius TRAC rental while I was waiting for my 2006 Package 8 to arrive (on 1/7/06). I picked up the TRAC car in September with 12 miles on the Odo and turned it in with 6,900 miles; what a Great demo drive.

My major observations of 2005 and 2006 differences have mostly been accurately reported by others, so I'm not going to go there. However since I'm one of the few that came directly from a new 05 into a new 06, I want to stress the difference in ride and quietness. There was a mention in the Press Release of suspension and "harshness" improvements in the 06. If I gave the 05 a 5/10 on ride and quiet, the 06 is a definite 8/10. I'm probably still going to put the Goodyear Comfortread's on, but it will be because I want added handling and quiet on my 06, instead of out of necessity based on my 05 experience.

OK, I do have a few other observations.The JBL is Great. The Dark Gray leather and rugs have a very luxurious look and feel; same for the Dark Gray Port leather. I've had factory backup cameras in my last 2 cars and the Prius camera is the best. I'm glad I went for the Package 8 bucks. Does anybody want my trim rings.

 

I'll take your trim rings! With my experiences with the family cars so far, I'm sure that mine will get damaged as with the steel rims/wheel covers have already have. I guess its all the curbside parking we have to do here.

glen

 

Regarding handling. I was browsing http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/jdm/prius/prius0405.php and all they way at the bottom there is an item called - '06 OE Struts & Shocks with the hover text mentioneing upgraded front struts and rear shocks... Maybe the 06 is handling better?

This would be interesting as I'm awaiting delivery og an 06'Prius

/Robert

 

I put the BT plate on my 06 last week. When I compare the one I took off to the one on Barbara's 05 , I don't see any difference. Can't say if the BT really improved things since I only drove my 06 4 miles before I put the BT plate on. However, my previous car was an Audi A6 - I am surprised how little I gave up in terms of handling (and I still have the OEM tires on).

- Tom

 

Former A4 and allroad owner here too. Prius (2004 Package#9) owner since Nov 03. Love it!! Wouldn't buy another Audi due to reliability. They're fun to drive though.

 

I have no immediate plans to change them. If I am unhappy with them after the next snowfall (assuming we get one), I am leaning towards the Falken Zeix ZE-512 or perhaps Comfort Treads. Until I know more about the parts in the tire monitoring system, I wouldn't want anyone but the dealer to change the tires. Since they can't seem to change the oil correctly on Barb's 05, I'm not too crazy about the dealer at this point either.

- Tom

 

Actually Tim that was more of a question, I don't really have any idea if Goodyear made any changes or not. I have been trying to think of reasons why so many people hate the Integritys and some of us don't seem to mind them. Maybe I'm just numb when it comes to tires.

When I do replace them I expect to put on a set of Bridgestone Potenzas or Toyo Proxis. But I would like to get some use out of the OEM tires first and so far they have been OK, not great but OK.

 

Yeah, Audi makes a great car to drive but sucks to maintain. And the A6 was super fussy about wheel balance (at least the 2001's).

I have a twisty back way road I drive to work on. It has a sharp downhill to a stream and steep back up on the other side - sharp (near 90 degrees) curves on both up and down. The Audi with summer tires was clearly better. The Prius is nearly a match for the Audi with winter tires (I had Nokian Hakka Q's - 16" rim). The A4 would have been better - smaller, lighter and a bit more nimble.

But the real surprise is the power that the Prius has in the curvy uphill. It feels like more real available power than the A6 had and my A6 was the 2.7T turbo! If I hit the gas coming out of the last curve while still on the steep uphill, the Prius rockets forward. And I am still taking it easy until break in is done. The Audi would eat the Prius's lunch in most any other circumstance though. I've been driving this road for about 10 years nearly every day with 4 different cars, so I am real sensitive to any change.

- Tom

 

I'm still waiting for my '06 Prius, but my other car is a 2000 Audi A8. I love my Audi and plan to keep it as my "parade car" after I get the Prius. Might as well, its resale value is the pits!

 

Hmmmmm I am wondering if I am wasting my money on the BT Tech Chassis stiffening plate on the 06.

I guess I could return it unused... It wasn't cheap, so I'm wondering if all the great words were 05 & before. I hadn't heard of the upgrade on the suspension.

 

When I said I didn't see any difference with Barbara's '05, I meant no difference between the construction of the OEM '06 stiffening plate and the one on Barb's car. I don't have any experience driving her car on the expressway or in high winds and I did not drive the '06 enough (only 4 miles) before I put the BT plate on. Last night I was driving in winds gusting to 50 mph and I had no trouble easily controlling the car. It felt rock solid even though the car was shaking from the wind gusts when I stopped at a light.

Lots of people have praised the improvement in handling with the BT plate. I just haven't experienced the pre-BT situation with my '06. I was only trying to answer the question as to whether Toyota had improved the plate on the '06's. My answer is that they had not.

I'd keep the BT plate and use it. I will buy another one and put it on Barbara's car.

- Tom

 

No, it's not a waste. I got one for my 2006 and it was worth every penny.

My driving time in the 2004-05 model is limited to just minutes, so I can't make any sort of direct comparison as to the handling. What I can do is give you a subjective report on my experience so far.

I find that the Prius hadles quite well for what it is. On the highway, at speeds over 70 mph, it still tends to get buffeted side to side by other larger vehicles or strong crosswinds. Nothing that cause me any concern, but the car still wiggles around a bit. Even at 90 mph it handles just fine even in winds. It was worse before the BT stiffener.

So far the biggest problem with the Prius hadling is the excessive body lean. There is no problem with traction around bends, but the body does lean more than I'd like or expect. That shoudl be fixed with the TRD suspension kit.

I think that with all the Tom's body/suspension braces I plan on installing, the TRD kit, and wider tires, this '06 should handle quite well indeed.

 

I had 13,000 miles on my 05 prius,switched to comfortred at 2,000 miles. I went from lexington,ky to port huron mi. with winds at 35 and gusts to 45.had no problems driftin as trucks went by or with wind gusts.had to be the comfortrd.
I have about 500 miles on my 06 prius and had them put my comfortred tires on the new car. the 06 handles much better and much less noise.