Afraid the 2010's 17 in wheels 45 tires might ruin the ride

[cycledrum]

Gotta say it folks, for all to see and hopefully Toyota to hear ...

I was a little dismayed at seeing the 17" wheels offered on the high-end 2010 Prius 'Platinum' package, especially finding out they will have -

215/45 - 17" tires

That 45 series is an awfully low profile tire that I'm afraid might make the ride too harsh for a Prius. Also, the rotating mass of the 17" wheel and wider tire will lower fuel economy.

I think a 16 inch wheel with -

205/55 - 16" tires ...

would be a smarter choice on the high-end 2010 Prius, and I'll bet the look would fit the car better as well.

Honda thought 205/55 -16's were right on the Civic EX and obviously professional drivers love how a Civic EX drives.

Sure, the Civic Si has 215/45 - 17" tires/wheels, but the Si also puts out 197 HP. To me, these tires seem out of character for the high-end 2010 Prius.

Let's hear it folks. Do you think the 215/45 -17 tires will help or sort of ruin the ride of the 2010?

[patsparks]

I like them, I like them a lot.
I don't particularly like the mileage hit from the extra width but I like the wheels and the tighter handling they will bring.

I doubt we will see them here.

[Mike Dimmick]

UK Prius stock wheels are 195/55 R16.

The smaller sidewalls on the 45% profile tyres will not flex as much. That means more of the work of handling bumps will have to be done by the suspension itself - the ride and grip are really the product of the suspension combined with the tyre. I would hope that the suspension would be altered to match the larger diameter tyres. (The Touring model in North America currently has different, softer suspension compared to the Base model.)

However, when cornering, the stiffer sidewalls of the lower-profile tyres should support the car better and reduce body roll.

It does seem odd to only offer 15" or 17" options, with no 16" option, though.

[cycledrum]

I have over 400 miles driving a rented 2009 Matrix XRS rolling on -

215/45 - 18" tires set to 34 psi all around, just 2 psi over stock.

I took it on a long backroad, and the ride feel was horrible - bumpy, too stiff. Too stiff on the freeway too.

I realize the suspension matters too, but a tire shop mentioned low profile tires transmit bumps more into the suspension.

17's 'look' cool, but that won't matter if the 'touring' 2010 Prius becomes too stiff and bumpy.



Not much sidewall up there.

[hill]

On the bright side, there'll always be an aftermarket waiting out there for the new wheel/tire set if you don't like 'em.

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by hill

On the bright side, there'll always be an aftermarket waiting out there for the new wheel/tire set if you don't like 'em.

Would there be much resale value on the stock 17 wheels/tires?

[Genoz World]

i hear your point, but i too, with patsparks like the looks of the 17' wheels....check that, i love the looks of it. some truck tires have a bit more of a sidewall height, but i have no idea about this specific size.

my 06 cadillac sts had "magnetic ride control" so maybe toyota can incorporate a self tuning suspension in their premium line. just food for thought? or maybe an option of sport/street/touring? so the driver has control of their suspension harshness based on real world road conditions

[ggood]

and to add 1 more bit of anecdotal marketing research for the Toyota team:

I traded to a HyCam due to highway stability issues. I'm hoping the improvements made to the suspension will be enough to overcome the Gen 2 issues, but I'll continue to have concerns till I see some objective driving tests. I like the looks, but would take the MPG hit and get 17" tires only if I thought it would help the car stick to a straight line on the highway and in cross winds. Anyone care to comment on that issue?

The bulk of my driving is likely to be on rutted, pothole filled Houston streets. This was another area the Gen 2 was not great at; adequate, but still economy car jarring compared to the HyCam. Other people have commented that the low profile tires on these 17" tires may not be what finally gets put on the final production car. My vote is for a softer ride. Perhaps someone at the next special invite could ask about (i) the final tire choices, (ii) whether there will be different suspension components or other design changes on the high end cars, (iii) whether the bias will be towards sport or comfort, and (iv) whether there will be any reason people can't switch between 15" and 17" for all models (someone asked this on another thread and was never answered).

If I want fun, I'll buy a Mini. I don't want to be punished with lower MPG and harsher ride if I choose to get LED headlights or adaptive cruise control (of course, for $4,500, that may also be an unlikely choice, but I'll save that for another thread ).

[Boo]

Mike,

Unlike the current Touring Edition's "tuned suspension" (larger diameter front and rear sway bars, softer rear springs, different rear shocks), I believe that the suspension of the 2010 with 17" wheels will not be altered.

When I go to the NYC show, I'll ask the Toyota reps and also look under the cars.

* * * * * * * *

Personally, I have no problems trading a softer ride for better handling. A lot of us already do that with the common increase of tire pressures to 42 front/40 rear or more.

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by cycledrum

Would there be much resale value on the stock 17 wheels/tires?

There will be here on PC. I'm sure there'll be some trading (17 for 15 and vice versa)

Originally Posted by patsparks

I like them, I like them a lot.
I don't particularly like the mileage hit from the extra width but I like the wheels and the tighter handling they will bring.

I doubt we will see them here.

Why not? Don't you guys get the 16" alloys?

Originally Posted by ggood

and to add 1 more bit of anecdotal marketing research for the Toyota team:

I traded to a HyCam due to highway stability issues. I'm hoping the improvements made to the suspension will be enough to overcome the Gen 2 issues, but I'll continue to have concerns till I see some objective driving tests. I like the looks, but would take the MPG hit and get 17" tires only if I thought it would help the car stick to a straight line on the highway and in cross winds. Anyone care to comment on that issue?

The bulk of my driving is likely to be on rutted, pothole filled Houston streets. This was another area the Gen 2 was not great at; adequate, but still economy car jarring compared to the HyCam. Other people have commented that the low profile tires on these 17" tires may not be what finally gets put on the final production car. My vote is for a softer ride. Perhaps someone at the next special invite could ask about (i) the final tire choices, (ii) whether there will be different suspension components or other design changes on the high end cars, (iii) whether the bias will be towards sport or comfort, and (iv) whether there will be any reason people can't switch between 15" and 17" for all models (someone asked this on another thread and was never answered).

If I want fun, I'll buy a Mini. I don't want to be punished with lower MPG and harsher ride if I choose to get LED headlights or adaptive cruise control (of course, for $4,500, that may also be an unlikely choice, but I'll save that for another thread ).

Wow, I'm surprised. The TCH has a lot softer ride than the Prius and a better highway car. I'd gladly take the TCH over the Prius for a highway jaunt. You'll probably want the 15" rims on the new Prius (195/65R15).


There will be two sizes offered and they are the two that you've seen. 195/65R15 and 215/45R17.