What do you think of the stock handling?

[firsthonda]

Originally Posted by Kocho

Which Yojohamas did you get in this size?

Yokohama Avid Touring S.

[WFalicoff]

As I have posted before the "rear end wiggle" that occurred with a high speed lane change maneuver early on with our I2 got me motivated to find a fix. We first switched to wider better tires (WRG2 185/60R15) then added a Progress Tech rear sway bar. These 2 alone eliminated the rear sway. I still felt the car suspension could be improved. So we added the Cusco front lower arm bar type 2 and then later the Cusco front strut tower bar. The setup with the wider tires and the rear sway bar gave the most neutral handling. However, with the front components added the car is much more stable at higher speeds (no wandering) and the suspension feels much more solid going over rough roads, railroad tracks, etc. The little understeer added by the front components (mostly added by the strut tower bar) is well worth it for the overall solidity of the ride and the tracking. The understeer, with the full setup, goes away once you really push the car in a turn--it transforms into a fairly neutral feel.

There are others on the forum that have put in the same components that I believe have a similar opinion.

In the skid tests I have seen of the 2010 Prius it only marginally outperforms the 2010 I2. If I remember correctly I believe the I2 was 0.79g and the Prius 0.81 (please someone correct me if I misquoted the numbers). This difference is easily overcome as has already said in this thread by increasing the width of the tire and the quality of the tire. Handling also improves if the tire wall height compared to the rim diameter is reduced. So a 185/60R15 tire will achieve better the skid test results than a a 175/65R15 tire, especially a poor handling one. That being said some reviews of the 2010 I2 complained about its unpredictable handling with the stability control turned off. I have read in one review it supposedly exhibited "oversteer" when pressed on turns and in another it had "moderate understeer". These are reviews from presumably experienced drivers. So the car clearly in its 2010/2011 setup is a somewhat unpredictable when pushed. (The 2012 has a modified suspension with wider tires so it may not have this issue.) The unpredictability is as far as i can tell eliminated by just adding the wider tires and a rear sway bar. Further, improvements in quality of ride and tracking can be made by adding the 2 front components I mentioned above, albeit with the addition of some minor amount of understeer compared to the first setup.

[Kocho]

Originally Posted by firsthonda

Yokohama Avid Touring S.

Thanks! I was looking at the Michelin MXV4 (but they are 2x the price almost)... I still have bad memories from my Yokohama Avid dB from years back so I'm hesitant with that brand - very soon they became very noisy (I guess high dB ). Michelins so far have not disappointed me and after opting for cheaper alternatives with similar performance, I've usually found certain problems with them that are not apparent from the specs (such as "memory" which leads to vibrations despite proper balancing, or as I mentioned, noisy ride with only minimal thread wear)...

[WFalicoff]

Originally Posted by Kocho

Thanks! I was looking at the Michelin MXV4 (but they are 2x the price almost)... I still have bad memories from my Yokohama Avid dB from years back so I'm hesitant with that brand - very soon they became very noisy (I guess high dB ). Michelins so far have not disappointed me and after opting for cheaper alternatives with similar performance, I've usually found certain problems with them that are not apparent from the specs (such as "memory" which leads to vibrations despite proper balancing, or as I mentioned, noisy ride with only minimal thread wear)...

You might want to consider the Nokian WRG2 185/60R15 tires, especially if you live in a location with snow. I saw no mpg hit with these wider tires and the level of performance on wet, dry, snow or ice is phenomenal. It is one of two all season tires that I know of that qualifies as a snow tire (snow symbol on side of tire). They received very high marks from Consumer Reports and according to their tests, qualified as a low rolling resistance tires. Of course the Michelins are exceptional tires. But the advantage of the Nokian's is they qualify as a snow tire (traction device). They are made in Finland so when it comes to driving in snow they know what they are doing! As I have posted before the other advantage of these tires is that they weigh exactly the same as the OEM Dunlops as well as nearly the same Revs per mile.

[Uriel]

Having been playing with the flappy paddles and sport mode recently, and flinging it around a bit, I have few complaints.

It compares well with my old Skoda Fabia and Octavia (basically VW Polo and Jetta equivalents), so long as you keep out of Econ and do use the paddles in Normal or S. With Econ and D on the lack of response when you press the loud pedal is a bit scary if you've taken a corner quickly.

I know people have been whinging about the tyres. In the UK the ES and EX models get wider 185/55 R16 Dunlop SP2030s. No complaints about wet or dry handling. I've not had any significant ice or snow to contend with yet though. When mine expire I'd be tempted to get the same again.

I can see how narrower tyres would be a cause for criticism. I can see how it would be criticised without the paddles too. I'd probably end up driving in L every time I hit a windy rural road on the base SE model.

[firsthonda]

I don't have any experience with other Yokohama Tires but the Touring S are very quiet and comfortable. Road noise with my Insight was cut 80%; no joke.

[Cobb]

I have the yoks and at first they made a lot of noise when they were loading up. They are fun if you like to drift or just drive on light snow or ice.


Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

[firsthonda]

Originally Posted by Cobb

I have the yoks and at first they made a lot of noise when they were loading up. They are fun if you like to drift or just drive on light snow or ice.


Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

Don't you have the Avid Envigors, in the OEM size.

They don't ride as smooth and quiet as the Touring S but are supposed to be LRR.

Performance Tires for Cars | Yokohama Tire Corp.

[Cobb]

Yupper. I figured the mpg may drop a few, so I decided sticking with the oem size would keep me on the level playing field as everyone wants bigger and wider.

I went to a tire dealer and they tried to sell me the touring in a +1 sizing, but I read mixed reviews online vs the avoids.

Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app