OEM 17 Inch Wheels - Tire Size

It's normal (and even federally regulated) for the speedometer to be off a little and you'll see this across the board. 215/50-17 looks too fat. You should drop down to 205/50-17, which is narrower and a little less fat and should in theory help with fuel economy. Even then, 205/50 still looks fat to me but that's my own opinion.

 

The Prius v is the Wagon and uses a different bolt pattern from the Prius hatchback "Five".

I hope you have the correct wheels.

 

Those are the factory 17" on the Prius V (the Roman numeral for Five), not Prius v ("vee") as in the wagon.

 

Correct. It's not confusing once you realize they're Roman numbers and are pronounced as such. I, II, III and IV are still pronounced one, two, three and four in English. Not so with c (see) or v (vee).

 

FWIW, my "v" with 17" wheels came with 215/50R17 tires.

But more importantly, you shouldn't be looking at what other Priui came with on 17" wheels, but what is the diameter of the STOCK wheel/tires that came on your Prius. Get whatever tire that most closely approximates the rolling circumference of your original tires. I would expect that to be a 50, but you won't know till you measure.

 

F8L is the expert on tires, but he's done a Snowden on us (and looks a bit like him too, what a coincidence?)

When I say too fat I'm talking about the height. F8L isn't a fan of the stock 215/45-17 size as he thinks it looks wheat thin, so he hasn't really done any real world testing comparing the two sizes to measure the impact on fuel economy.

The best protection against wheel curbing is to pick a tire with raised rim protector. Many 215/45-17 tires have the raised rim protector but it depends on the manufacturer and is also model- and size-specific. Don't know about 205/50 or even 215/50.

Check out Low Rolling Resistance replacement tires: Current List | PriusChat for recommendations.

 

The 205/50/17 will be best for fuel economy and will most accurately reflect the speedometer. You can get the Bridgestone Ecopia 422, which is highest rated for fuel economy, if that's your primary concern. However, it's not factory spec and, as others have said, looks a little fat (too much rubber around the 17" rim) compared to 215/45.

 

A member claimed that it's no longer in production so the next most fuel efficient tire in the 205/50-17 size would be the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus per F8L.

 

Narrower tires decrease the rolling resistance and aero drag.

People have done it before and posted pics but they look too fat. 205/50 doesn't look nearly as fat and is the better choice. You can do a search before deciding.

 

You need to actually measure the diameter of your stock tires on rims, on the ground. Then try to duplicate that measurement with the 17". Speedometer accuracy and fuel efficiency are directly connected in the form of final drive ratio. If you prefer you can measure the radius from the axle to the ground, but a mathematical calculation of the actual circumference of two tires will get you pretty close. They need to be the same, although the radius from axle to ground is what actually determines the final drive ratio.

 

The width of the tire also contributes to traction and handling... Something to consider if that's your thing (though I suspect you would not have purchased a Prius if it were your primary thing).

The choice between 205/50 vs 215/45 (oem) ultimately comes down to personal preference. Both have pluses and minuses and you can't really go "wrong" with either.

 

Eric, how did the 205/50/17 turn out? was the speedometer accurate? mpg? thanks!

 

I went to a 215/50/17 the additional sidewall and load rating are nice... im still avg 55mpg w energy savers in this sizei also get better handling due to the 215 contact patch also these tires look better on my non lowered car