Get 17" rims and tires tomorrow

The Energy Saver A/S is not available in a usable 17" size for the Prius. The Primacy MXM4 is. The prices you listed are for a 15" tire and the second is for a 17" tire. 17s are much more expensive.

The Energy Saver A/S is a VERY fuel efficient tire, the MXM4 is just ok. In terms of comfort, safety and performance the MXM4 is much better.

My point is, you really didn't have a choice between the two. Kudos to the dealer for choosing the best tire for the size you needed. Most dealers choose the cheapest tire which usually ends up being junk.

 

The dealer was wrong. Those of us with the Energy Saver A/S on our cars are getting great wear on them.

You'll take a 6mpg+ hit with the 17" MXM4 vs. the 15" Energy Saver A/S. It's not so bad in the grand scheme of things unless you drive a lot of miles per year.

Glad you're happy with the change.

 

wow... 5mpg hit? Which wheels did you get, factory 17" wheels like one the trim 5?

 

It wouldn't have mattered. The hit would be nearly the same or more.

 

Lighter weight wheels don't help?

 

Not measurably in real world circumstances unless you do a ton of stop and go driving. Even if you don't, the steady state mpg drop is very noticeable even with very light wheels. You can also monitor HP required to maintain certain speeds with 15" wheels then 17" wheels. Even with wheels that weigh the same, the HP required to drive them is higher because of increased rolling resistance of the 17" tire and the fact the 17" tires weigh more.

Don't get me wrong. Lighter is a good thing but don't expect to put a set of 15lb 17" wheels on the car and not suffer a reduction in FE. Been there, done that. lol

 

Even the factory 17" wheels/tires on the Five get about 5mpg less than the other Prius HV's with the stock 15" wheels/tires.

 

I swapped out my factory 15" wheels and tires for a set of Prius 5, 17" wheels and Continental DSW tires from the Tire Rack within the first week. Being new to the Prius, I'll never realize the few miles I'm missing. In my opinion, the 17" wheels add a dramatic, positive impact. A nice set of wheels is a must have for me on all my vehicles. My EV mode ratio is currently 61%. Even less concerned with any MPG loss.

 

ny_rob is talking about a package 5 liftback, NOT a prius V.

 

I replaced my stock rim and tire with 17" Enkei J10 rims along with 225/45R17 Bridgestone Ecopia tires. My mpg actually increased by 2mpg. Roughly getting during summer 73mpg city/64mpg hwy or 54mpg city/46mpg winter. Along with that I get actual traction where I can take sharp turns easily compared to the Yokohama Avid S. There was one time where I almost got into an accident because my car wouldn't stop going downhill with the Yokohama tires during the winter season. One thing I recommend for all 3rd Gen Prius drivers is to not purchase the Yokohama Avid S tires because they are junk. Here is a photo of my Prius with the rims and tires.

 

I find this VERY difficult to believe. It flies in the face of anecdotes by everyone else in the Prius community who loses 3+mpg when going from an OEM 15" tire to an aftermarket 17" tire when all other variables are kept constant. I.e not hypermiling with the 15s but learning how to drive better on the 17sor actually hypermiling.

I'm not calling you a liar. I just think there are errors in your observations.

 

Well one factor that could have changed my mpg could have been the tire. I switched from Yokohama to Bridgestone. I had potenzas on the 17" and the mpg dropped by 10. As for my rim weight it weighs 20lbs each. Just remembered that I took out the spare tire reducing overall weight by 40lbs which could compensate for upgrading to bigger rims. Lol you're right. Guess I made an error but driving this past weekend I was able to achieve 65+ mpg on 17" rims.