Pete, if you're making your tire choices based on what others will think of you... you've got problems. The first one being this: in car culture, there will ALWAYS be somebody who think's you're uncool.
Think about it this way. Don't want the Focus guys to make fun of you, so you buy "serious performance tires." Now you have performance snobs making fun of you for putting big-money tires on a 200 hp Toyobaru, and the Hellaflush crowd still thinks your setup is lame. If you alter your car's performance to justify the tires, you'll have the guys in Vettes and 911's calling you a ricer; if you achieve the Hellaflush look, you'll have people like, well... ME... making fun of you for ruining the handling and ride of a fantastic driver's car.
Do you see where I'm going with this? Hell, 99% of the public doesn't know this car runs on JDM Prius SPORT tires, and the ones that do know that probably couldn't tell you what those tires actually are. I can guarantee if you change rubber on the first day you buy it, you're still going to get posers hurling "Prius car!" accusations at you. I believe a wise-man once said it best: "Haters gonna hate." Just figure out for yourself what YOU want from the car, and adjust accordingly.
Me? I'm THRILLED that it has Prius tires! My last couple of rides came from the factory on high-end performance tires (run-flats, no less), that cost more than a used car's worth to replace. It'll be nice getting back to something that I can find anywhere, and replace without having to sell a kidney. Also, lower performance means a *wee* bit more tail-happiness, and that's what I want from this car.
Just my two yens worth.
