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Not impressed with the ride smoothing technology

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by Soylent, Dec 25, 2012.

  1. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Just picked up a 2013 v and put a couple hundred highway miles on it. It is a little smoother than my Gen II, but I think that is due to larger wheels and more weight.
    Why did they bother making this technology when they put in the most basic suspension? A small improvement to the suspension would have done much better

    Edit: This is the feature I'm referring to:
    http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/prius v expands toyota hybrid family.htm, and scroll down to "Pitch and Bounce Control; Better Ride, Better Handling" (thanks cwerdna for link)
     
    #1 Soylent, Dec 25, 2012
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Replace the OE tire with something geared more towards comfort when the time comes. A lot of the current OE Prii tires are pretty rough.
     
    #2 F8L, Dec 25, 2012
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what exactly is it supposed to do? i mean, how does it work?
     
    #3 bisco, Dec 25, 2012
  4. GerryL

    GerryL Master Model Railroader

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    Wow, I came off a Jeep Grand Cherokee, so the ride in my "v" feels ultra-smooth to me!
     
    #4 GerryL, Dec 26, 2012
  5. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    #5 cwerdna, Dec 26, 2012
  6. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Yes, this exactly.

    And exactly *not* this.

    To clarify, I am driving in South Florida on a few different interstates in different stages of construction. In comparison to my 2006 Prius, the road "pitch and bounce" is only slightly improved. But I would expect that from a larger, heavier vehicle anyway.

    Does anyone know whether putting in aftermarket shocks or braces will screw up the "pitch and bounce control" system? Or would it improve it even more?
     
    #6 Soylent, Dec 26, 2012
  7. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    There are no aftermarket struts that are different than OEM.

    Braces will likely only make the problem worse. I suggest playing with tire pressure or get new tires.
     
    #7 F8L, Dec 26, 2012
  8. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Better tires would definitely help over rough or scraped pavement, but I'm not sure tires would make much of a difference when it comes to sudden dips or unevenness in the road. Isn't that what the dip/pitch correction is designed for?
     
    #8 Soylent, Dec 26, 2012
  9. GrGramps

    GrGramps Active Member

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    ​
    ​
    In the first sentence above, you used the word, "system". If indeed it is a system, changing part of it is probably a shot in the dark. It's your car, so the choice is yours. Of course, if you're an engineer, you may have a better chance than some to improve on what toyota has designed.​
    ​
    Many people choose to "mod" their cars with varying results. Let us know how it works.​
     
    #9 GrGramps, Dec 26, 2012
  10. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Toyota doesn't really go into details on how exactly this works, but their summary is:

    To me that's pretty vague... no idea if this "system" is a computer that's pre-programmed with the factory variables, like wheel size and components. Or, maybe it uses accelerometers or gyros and adjusts based on those readings?
     
    #10 Soylent, Dec 26, 2012
  11. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Gotcha. I thought you were focusing mostly on ride comfort. Sudden uneven surfaces won't be helped by tires but it could make the transition more comfortable.
     
    #11 F8L, Dec 26, 2012
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