Front end too low to the ground?

[SCJoe]

Originally Posted by Tideland Prius

Umm... the Prius is lower than a standard car? Even the Camry (Gen 5) parked next to me has more clearance on 15" tyres.

Our 1998 Camry is lower than our 2010 Prius, by about half an inch.

[jburns]

Originally Posted by eddiehaskell

I imagine older folks like my parents would really put a beating on the underside of the Prius. They're used to driving cars with a good bit of ground clearance that can take sudden incline changes at 30 mph, lol.

Yeah our model Ts have a lot more clearance.

I don't know how old your parents are but I am 61 and just traded an 2006 Mazda RX8 for my Prius. The front end dam was lower on the 8 than it is on the Prius. I like my Prius but I am going to miss spending a couple of weekends a month entering drifting events. A high number age does not mean you are old unless you want to be you young .

[LaMesaGuy]

It use to happen when I was driving the 2007 Prius with the 15" wheels. Since I now own a 2010 Prius V with the 17" wheels, it does not happen now.

[cossie1600]

Originally Posted by Tideland Prius

Umm... the Prius is lower than a standard car? Even the Camry (Gen 5) parked next to me has more clearance on 15" tyres.

I guess, but I recall my Q45 being lower. It could also be the sagging springs and 15 years old shocks. At the end of the day, you just get used to it. If you think the car is too low, don't buy it?

Knock on wood, I still haven't scraped my RX-8 or my Prius. I still have parts of the Q45 bumper on my driveway

[HI MPG]

My wife has an '05 Prius. We can't even make it up the driveway to her parents' house without, what it seems, the exhaust pipe scraping. This also happens with her mom's 2000 Camry. When I owned an Accord and Lexus IS, both cars made it up the same driveway with no issues of belly scraping...
I'm not even going to try with my '10 Prius. I've already the scraped the bottom of the front end on two other driveways, one of which I never even thought twice about with my previous cars. Toyotas just seem to make low cars in general... either that or parts just hang lower...

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by cossie1600

I guess, but I recall my Q45 being lower. It could also be the sagging springs and 15 years old shocks. At the end of the day, you just get used to it. If you think the car is too low, don't buy it?

Knock on wood, I still haven't scraped my RX-8 or my Prius. I still have parts of the Q45 bumper on my driveway

<shrug> I don't think it's too low. The only concern is that the rear suspension doesn't hold 2 people up very well and they're not large people either!

Originally Posted by SCJoe

Our 1998 Camry is lower than our 2010 Prius, by about half an inch.

Must be that exhaust pipe sticking down. Most of the car isn't that low (whatever that figure is... 5"?)

[SCJoe]

Originally Posted by Tideland Prius

Must be that exhaust pipe sticking down. Most of the car isn't that low (whatever that figure is... 5"?)

No, I was measuring in the front, at the bottom of the "ram", for curb clearance. Could very well be saggy suspension, since the Camry is 11 years old.

For info, the official ground clearance numbers are: 1998 Camry -- 5.1", 2010 Prius -- 5.5".

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by SCJoe

No, I was measuring in the front, at the bottom of the "ram", for curb clearance. Could very well be saggy suspension, since the Camry is 11 years old.

For info, the official ground clearance numbers are: 1998 Camry -- 5.1", 2010 Prius -- 5.5".

Hmm.. cause our 02 Camry was fairly regular underneath except for the weirdess bend in the exhaust pipe that had the pipe extend down from the underbody about 1-2". No idea why.

[pdxrose]

The low stature, and my occasional "need" for a large back storage area and AWD are probably why I always will have a CRV too. Having another option, I don't even try to take the P certain places . When the current CRV comes off the 3 year lease next year, I am not going to buy it, but I am going to pick up a two year old lower end model without the leather seats (and sunroof which I don't use). In the past I have not bought used cars but since I have never owned a more reliable lower maint car (tires never seem to need air), and the knowledge I have picked up on this site about aftermarket leather (having checked around for the P), seems like a good way to go. If the CRV mileage had been higher (should be better for 4 cyl), never would have even test drove the P (is more fun to drive).

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Could someone actually measure a Prius V from lowest part of front dam to the ground? This is probably at the back of it. Include front tire pressure, please. Still waiting for mine, and I may need additional training. Also, is there an issue with the rear when backing into a parking space?

On my 2001 Audi A4, that measurement is 6.75". The front cowl has to be removed for working on some of the engine, and is held in place by clips. Its upper part is painted, and goes up under the radiator opening and the headlights. Below that is a black plastic part similarly attached. Both wrap around to the front wheel wells.

When I got the car, I took the whole thing off (both parts) backing from parking bumpers until I figured out where the front end was. This wore out the clips, and my mechanic bolted the painted part on. Once after that, the top part stayed but the bottom plastic part came off. So I am reasonably well trained now to stay back from parking bumpers, or to back in to the space (no problems there).

Thanks for your help!