2012 PRIUS C3 17" Black Drag Wheels

Looks good

 

With that small of a sample size (2 trips) I doubt anything meaningful can be said.

However, it will be interesting to see how the c handles larger wheels. If the OEM tires are not truly LRR then the larger 17" tire that is LRR may result in less of a drop in mpg than we usually observe in the GenII 4-6mpg) and GenIII (2-4mpg). I highly doubt that the c will not lose approx. 4mpg when upsizing from a 175/65/15 to a 215/45/17. Time and careful observation will tell. I find this even more interesting because the 175/65/15 tire averages 866 revs/mile and the 215/45/17 averages 844 revs/mile. The 17" should artificially drop mpg even more but in this case it seems it didn't. Please let us know how the next 4 or 5 tankfuls work out.

Please know that I am not critiquing your choice. I think your car looks great and for those who travel less than 15,000 miles a year, the mpg lose is fairly insignificant.

 

No, thank you for being on of the first on the forum or maybe even in the U.S. to slap a set of 17s on and write about it. :rockon:

Are you thinking about lowering it once a kit is available?

 

I didn't literally mean just at entry and exit but was just trying to distinguish between steady state and then getting on it coming out . At any rate, my main thought was that the C would seem an unlikely car to pick up for cranking through turns anywhere near the limit of what that type of tire would allow is all.

ron

 

Cool. Looks good!


ron

 

I disagree. The GenII Prius was as mushy as they come but with simple suspension mods you could reach the limits of a 215/45/17 tire. Well, a LRR or high performance tire anyway. Because the suspension setup is not optimum for corner carving, a good tire becomes even more important than you would need on a performance-oriented car like a Miata. I've had many tires on my GenII and the 17" tires always allowed me to take corners MUCH faster than any of the 15" tires. This was the case with and without suspension mods.

The fact that the c handles MUCH better than the GenII in stock form leads me to believe that it could still benefit from a wider tire if you are wanting to push it hard. Obviously straight line traction is of very little concern here.

 

Going nearly double the recommended speed around these curves would likely end up in crash using the 15" tires on this car. Don't ask me how I know.

 

Ron,

I work at the top of a mountain at a radiotelescope. There's a 13 mile winding road that leads to the site. After work, I get to drive the entire trip downhill... at night... without any other cars on the road. :dance: Gravity is a great (free) turbo boost! You can be sure there will be ample opportunities to explore maximum tire grip on the way down. My goal is to improve the handling of the car w/o destroying the great mpg it can deliver by adding mods that (hopefully) don't detract, but enhance what's already there. I love the idea of having a fun, light, good handling, tossable car that can deliver 50-60+ mpg. I currently drive a Honda FIT and while it handles great, I'm growing increasingly dissatisfied with the 35-40 mpg average it delivers since owning the c.

My previous 07 prius touring was a capable car, but it felt like a pig on that winding road. The c feels much lighter and flickable, though the skinny stock rims and tires are easily over driven in those conditions.

I fully understand what you mean about killing gas mileage as I installed sticky 205/50-16 tires on the touring and the mpg went down by 10%. Lesson learned.

 

My thoughts were more about why you would want to do that in a low powered Prius c. I mean, if you really want to spend time banging corners why not just get someting else that handles better and has enough power to make it more fun? But hey, if that's what gets you going, more power to you!


ron

 

Sweet! So it's kinda like a bobsled run then


ron

 

Because I have been there and done that. Being able to do it in a Prius and still pull down 45mpg+ makes it worth it.

I understand you are not a Prius owner and simply do not get what many of us Prius modders are trying to do. Maybe if you get one you will better understand our motives. That is not meant as a slam but from someone who spent nearly 2 decades drag racing and more than a handful of autoX events, there is more to life than just buying a pre-built machine and piloting it. Modding can be fun.

 

yes, and also, with gas here reaching almost $5/gal (for regular ), it just makes sense (to me) to do this to have my fun and not going broke doing it.

next, after wheels and tires, will be to search out (or wait for) a rear sway bar.... come on TRD!

 

Ron, re-reading my post I now realize it sounds a bit arrogant. It was not meant that way. My apologies.

Kkim, keep posting your results. It's people like you who really make this site so helpful to everyone.

 

Will do. Always happy to help, when/if I can.

I can appreciate members like Ron... helps to keep the rabid enthusiasts honest.

 

Cusco already has rear sway bars for the prius C :cheer2:



Suspension Upgrades for 2012 Prius C, Strut Tower Bar, Chassis Stiffener; Juicedhybrid.com