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16 inch wheels and tires vs stock 15s

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Tony714, Dec 16, 2020.

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  1. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    Hey Prius Peeps. Will be purchasing a honey of an ‘08 with 140k on it to replace my aging 2005 with 230k.

    Question 1: How much mpg difference will there be with the ‘08 having 16-inch wheels and tires vs the stock 15s? I know 15s are waaaaaay cheaper to replace.

    Question 2: Anyone want to buy an ‘05 with 230k? Is there a For Sale forum I’m not finding?
     
    #1 Tony714, Dec 16, 2020
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    About 0.5 L/100km difference. In MPG (US) that would be the difference between 45 MPG (US) and 50 MPG (US) or another example 40 MPG and 42 MPG (US). The reason why the difference is not uniform is that MPG is not a linear scale. The impact depends on the starting value and the larger the MPG figure the more dramatic 0.5 L/100km looks.
    Yes, look for it on the home page.

    PRIUSCHAT MARKETPLACE > Private Sales
     
    #2 dolj, Dec 16, 2020
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  3. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I don't think there would be a 5 mpg loss going from 15 inch to 16 inch wheels. That's about what you lose going from 15 to 17 inch wheels, and that's with the relatively heavy OEM 17 inch wheels on the trim level 5.

    I'm going to put 16 inch wheels and tires on our Gen 3 when the current set of tires wear down.

    I got some Subaru 16 in rims that weigh in at under 17 lbs. They might weigh about the same as the 15 inch OEM rims.

    Here's a pic I took when I test fit the wheels on the Prius when I first bought them. 20200207_174949.jpeg 20200215_174251-1.jpeg

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #3 xliderider, Dec 16, 2020
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    You seem to have missed the point I was making. 5 MPG is only one example, the other was 2 MPG due to the non-linear nature of the MPG scale. And yes it is possible as I was quoting from experience.

    Those Subaru wheels look nice btw.
     
    #4 dolj, Dec 17, 2020
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  5. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    Thanks guys. I knew the short answer was yes, but was looking for a ballpark figure as to how much loss would occur.

    I might swap the wheels and tires just so I maximize MPGs. And I cant justify paying like $120 per tire when the 15s are like $40.

    If anyone wants an ‘05 with 230k and some sweet aftermarket 16s, it’ll appear in the for sale section soon. Car is in SoCal, in Orange County.
     
    #5 Tony714, Dec 17, 2020
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