17" Wheels For A Series IV

We are getting a 2010 Prius. We don't need anything beyond a 1V with Navgation (no solar sunroof), but would really like the 17" wheels.

Has anyone bought one from the dealer equipped this way or purchased and converted to 17" wheels aftermarket? If so, what were the prices?

Then again would this even make sense or be practical. In other words, should I just buy the V (to get the wheels) and pay for a bunch of features I will not use?

I'm not sure that I understand this post. Why wouldn't you just buy the V model with Nav only? It's about the same price as a IV with Nav.+ the cost of adding 17" wheels...At least with the V you get Toyota wheels. Try www.tirerack.com for the 17" wheels and tires. I've debated getting the IV with the solar sunroof and adding the 17" wheels aftermarket. For me the debate between a IV and a V is whether you want a sunroof vs. LED lights and 17" wheels. Sounds like you don't care about the sunroof (which is the only thing I can think of that the IV has an advantage over the V).. Did I miss something?

I'd have to agree. Aftermarket wheels are nice, but considering having to buy new tire, have them mounted and balance, and work with your TPMS sensors without having to buy adapters, etc... Really can add up.

Plus you will get next to nothing for the stock 15" wheels and tires of you decide to sell them.

Thanks for the feedback. All good points.

This car is for my wife and she really wants the larger wheels. So we are going with the V. Now we just have to decide on the best way to do the chrome wheels . . . through the dealer or aftermarket. There's always something!

Please reconsider the chrome wheels- chrome adds weight to the wheels and may further reduce MPG. (full disclosure here: I do not like chrome wheels-to "Blingy" for me.)

Go for it! For the cost difference of just the wheels and tires added to a IV the V is going to give you the better steering, the LED lights and fog lights.

Chrome won't hurt you that much more than what the 17" wider tires are going to do to you.

Thanks! So then what is the best guesstimate of just how much MPG we are going to lose going to 17" chromes from 15" alloys. I know there are many other factors, but everything else being equal. Thanks in advance for input!

current thinking is 2-3 mpg

There's lots of speculation, but the only official numbers I've seen are on a UK Prius spec sheet (provided by another member--I've included it below).

For combined fuel consumption, the 17" wheel car gets 2.5% lower mileage (70.6 vs. 72.4).

2.5% of the combined EPA MPG of 50 is 1 MPG, which is a rounding error.

Keep your 15" for winter use, and get some lightweight Eco Ray Wheel alloys designed for hybrids!

RAYS CO., LTD.

Another note to Toyota ....

Please .... consider adding a 16" wheel with 205/55-16 tires as an option for the Prius IV and III

That tire/wheel combo looks fabulous and would fit right between the 15" and 17"

There are just not enough wheel options with what is otherwise a stellar car. I think we are going to be seeing a lot of requests for other wheels. And I think many people would like to have factory Toyota wheels and avoid getting 'next to nothing' for selling off or storing their 15" wheels.

Besides, who wants to store a set of brand new wheels anyway?

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17" wheels are typically found in the 'sport car' realm .... the Mazdaspeed, Mazda3, CivicSi, etc... I think they are nice but a bit much for my taste on the Gen3. Besides, the entry price is over $29k, and must have leather. Not good for me.

I really think 16's would look fab and complement the Gen3 well. Not for hypermilers though, 15's for them.

I agree with the 16" rims being perfect. I like the 17" oem wheel a lot and may purchase my friend's to put on my III, but the tires on the 17" are very low profile. The roads here are horrible, (one of the worst in the nation) and I am afraid to imagine what happens when I hit a 6"-8" deep pothole.

Like this ....

I'm not saying the exact wheel pic'd below, but size. Perfect for those easing into the hybrid world with a bit extra sport style (and for those who don't want to enter the $29k range of a Prius V) ...



Note - Honda's webiste says the EX comes with 50 series tires ... one's I've seen at Fremont Honda all have 55 series. Minor point.

I agree 100% but I would add the V to the list as well, I would much rather have 16s with 205/55 tires than either the 17s or 15s. I may even buy some from Tire Rack when I wear out the 215/45-17s that will come on my car. The 215/45s just don't have enough sidewall for protection of the rims.

If you hit an 8" deep pothole I don't think the 15" will fare that much better. I'd be surprised if your airbag didn't go off when the bumper drags the ground

hwell: We have a lot of rim damage around here due to the potholes. One of the benefits of having an SUV with 32" tires was never having to worry about them. Anyway, hoping not to deploy the airbag and drag my bumper...

I'm not seeing any of the new low rolling resistance tires available in the 215/45/17 size. Has anyone else had any luck?

I've been looking for the Goodyear Fuel Max, Nokian i3, Bridgestone Energy Saver, and Michelin Ecopia.

If you don't have any real choices for a low rolling resistance(LR) 17" tire then you will likely further increase the MPG loss if those 15s were equipped with a LR tire.

I know when I swap my 15s for my 17s I lose approx. 4-5mpg. This is with a decent but not truely LR 15" tire (Integrity and Nokian i3) vs. a 17" Kumho Ecsta ASX. Weight difference is approx. 6lbs per wheel/tire because 17" tires are MUCH heavier than a 15". My rims are very light for a cheap 17" rim.

Nobody's done this yet so until somebody takes the plunge we can't be sure. Here's some data I've come up with for future planning.
Review this thread also.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-17-after-market-wheels-my-2010-prius-ii.html

To match what SET has been doing for years with many Toyota models your tires need to match these specs at a minimum.
Tire Diameter= 24.7" to 25"
Revolutions per mile= 827 to 845
Offset=32mm to 50mm
Bolt pattern=5x100
Tire rub in the fender well and the wheel(rim) grinding on the brake caliper are the biggest problems with aftermarket wheels and tires. Lower aspect tires and their corresponding wheels tend to have much wider tire section widths, up to 8" for 18" tires that might fit Prius. A lower offset number will add clearance on the inside but for the Prius you might then be rubbing on the outside top of the well.
Steering angles don't seem to be a problem since your using tires in the range of what were fitted as OEM's.

ENKEI WHEEL DEFINITIONS
ENKEI WHEEL INSTALLATION

How do you think these might look on a Sandy Beach?
Enkei RPF1 and NT03+m Gold in 17" & 18"

They might look real good, I like the top one better. What size tire would you put on the 18? If you went to something like a 225/35 would the width fit without rubbing?

I wouldn't even consider 18" wheels where I live but if you can use them , and if they fit it might be interesting.