Prius vs Touring Prius

Harsher but sportier ride. Replacement tires cost a bit more, $136 vs $106 each for Michelin Pilot vs Michelin MXV4+ Energy, both of which might be improvements over the OEM tires, although the Michelin Pilots have higher rolling resistance.

Bridgestone Turanza, not a good tire, is $101 versus $73 each.

A co-worker has the Touring, I have the regular, and we seem to get about the same gas mileage.

You can check out the differences at

It looks like the Touring gets 16" wheels with a lower profile, a "tuned suspension," and high intensity discharge headlamps and foglights standard.

Seems to me mostly a way for Toyota to charge more.

However I'm fairly certain that the Touring model would do better on a skidpad. I can't find any numbers on the web, and I don't read car magazines nowadays. They might not be interested in a car that takes 10 seconds to go 0-60, anyway.

The thing the Prius should really have is visors with telescopic ends to fully shield the side window on driver and passenger side. The RAV4 has them...

Don't you actually have to be able to move before you can skid?

I'd be careful about the 16" wheels if you live in a state where tire chains are sometimes required (by the authorities, not necessarily because they are necessary for traction) in the mountains. Sometimes when automakers put on larger wheels, the wheel well clearance is too small for chains.

Our Sequoia has 2 visors for each side - one only flips up and down while the other swings to the side. The one that swings to the side has the pull-out extensions. It is a nice convenience to not have to flip the visor from front to side. I think the concept was first introduced when the Taurus was introduced.

but it's only about $800 more. not bad for fog lamps and bigger wheels normally..

doesn't it have tinted glass?

bob

I think all vehicles should have this; how much extra can this cost? One of the most annoying things in driving is traveling on a mildly meandering road into the sun and having to keep on fwapping it back and forth... Tomes

One of the few items on my 91 Taurus which never broke. Even the cupholders broke so that is saying something (although Ford upgraded cars to an improved cupholder for free.)

I agree, the 2-visor setup is very convenient. I would gladly trade the massaging back seat and rear radio controls in my car for the 2-visor setup.