New Prius Handling components to be available soon!!

I would like to improve the handling of my Prius. My first car was a Fiat 124 and then a SAAB Turbo. I have driven the original mini Cooper and Sunbeam Tiger and many others. Some of these were good some great but all aspired to good handling. I don't need a big engine but I really like good handling. I really wish that Toyota would offer the Europe suspension package in the US. I like my Prius but if it handled like the original mini Cooper I would be in fat city.

 

The change from stock Goodyear 65 series tires to the Bridgestone G009 195-60HR-15 tires is just incredible. The car handles 100 pct better, seriously. I did not expect this much difference, its unreal. I have four Goodyear OEM factory Prius tires from an 04 for sale - with 16,000 miles on them, all in GREAT shape is anyone is interested. The wider tires and better design really transformed the car. SO much more fun to drive!

As far as the plate goes- will it void any warranty? Also, was the car's very precise design going to be affected by this change- i.e. is flex good in some areas? Just thinking aloud, but still interested,

Dave
Seattle

 

hdrygas I totally agree with you- I like the handling more than brute power any day- I have owned 3 SAAB turbos in my day- 900 series (of course) and this car is the closest in "feel"- total, in spirit- to the SAAB experience of old- the hatchback, the sturdy feel, the avante garde driving experience etc., and it is faster than my first 900T and more slippery- I think the 2nd gen Prius is a sleeper, performance wise- no one expects you to get out of their way, and zip you are gone- I would like the EU package too- DISC brakes all the way around, bigger sway bars, and please, a 16 gallon fuel tank!! Dave up north...

 

Great product! You can count me in!
I'll try nearly anything to get rid of the "white knuckle" experience!

Don

 

I sent you an email but please add my name to the list. I would like to get one as well, I do 45 miles of highway driving a day and would love to get more stability on the road.

 

I would be interested as well. I've also driven an Austin Mini and owned a 2002 MINI Cooper S for a couple of years before I bought my current Civic...the Civic is OK on handling, but nothing I've driven compares to the "on the rails" feeling of either a Classic or new MINI. I'm picking up my Prius in a week, and will contact you when I get it to see if you have any plates left. I regularly drive up and down the NJ turnpike for work travels, and if the white knuckle stories are true I'd be all for an improvement in handling. Thanks for thinking this up.

Dave.

 

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what kind of mileage hit did you take when you switched over to the bridgestone's? also...does anyone know what the speedo difference would be with 195/60/15's at 60MPH?

 

I have no idea what these terms "tight" etc mean with reference to driving. I was driving a 92 toyota landcruiser which drove just fine.

To me the Prius drives "just fine" . In fact, in the prius I can "zip around" way better than that clunky landcruiser. I drive more like a bat out of hell than before.

My question is - would this help in a front or back-end crumple type crash? Perhaps make it safer?

Also I am having a problem with the clearance - would taller tires (is there such a thing) help raise the car up some?

 

I doubt it would help front/back crumple zone. It is to prevent side-side flexing. You really don't want to stiffen crumple zones much, they are there to prevent objects from hitting you in impacts by absorbing the impact by deformation. It is the crumple zone that makes it safe.
But even if this was to help front-back flexing, it would be to prevent small elastic deformation, not large, permenant plastic deformation.

As for taller tires, doing so would mean an increase in overall radius, which would affect your speedometer and NAV and MPG calculations.

You could lift your car, but that might deteriorate the drag and subsequently the efficiency of your car, possibly to a significantly noticable amount.