Are 15 inches rims that bad compared to 17 inches in terms of handling?

I don't think you get LKA in Italy

 

I did not noticed any difference between the two in town driving or on a straight highway
We also got the sun roof to let more light into the car, we still have our BMW ragtop to drive around in
The sun roof is very noise when opened

 

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To answer the original question, no... 15in rims are not "that bad" when compared to 17in rims, in terms of handling.

Will you be able to drive as fast, when on a twisty mountain road? No.

Will you have a smoother ride on rough roads? Yes.

If you're looking for real performance, I'm sure you can find 17in wheels which weigh less than the factory 17in and 15in wheels... which will reduce your rolling weight, and increase your MPGs, but that has nothing to do with handling.

 

Is it true that you can't add the 17" wheels later to a Prius that didn't have it from the factory because the package V is built differently and the 17"s won't fit on other packages?

I wish there was a middle 16" option with less expensive tires and wheels that the 17s, but looked better than the 15s.

 

I have ordered mine exclusive with solar pack because of the hat weather here in Greece. Till now I have only have driven the exclusive without the solar pack but I don’t think that they would have too much difference.

 

You should be fine to upgrade wheels and tires to 16 or 17s. In the us many have put Toyota sized 215/45R17 tires on lighter weight wheels than toyota. I put on 205/50R17s and you could use 205/55R16s on the car. Others have even put 18 inch tires.

Toyota has different options in different markets. In the US the package with 17" tires also includes a better steering motor, different turn ratio, different programming for power steering, as well as the led headlights and fog lamps. In Europe I think you have the different motor and programming. You should be fine with this and upgraded wheels. If the diameter of your tires change the spedometer will have an error, but I chose tires that were very close. Otherwise live with it, or pay for the dealer to change the computer to the new size.

 

Re: Will you be able to drive as fast, when on a twisty mountain road? No.

No disrespect intended but ….LOL

 

Like other's have stated, it all depends on what you want out of this car. If you want to sling around corners and feel like you are "in touch with the road" then the 17's are a MUCH better option. You will lose MPG with the 17s due to added tire friction and possibly weight. The ride will also tend to be more bumpy and some may consider it harsh.

I regulary swap back and forth between 17s and 15s so I'm pretty well versed on how the wheel/tire size affects ride and handling. I'm one who loves to corner carve in a Prius.

 

if the op is referring to "stock 15" wheels and tires, then yeah the trade off is that the stock narrow tires offer lower rolling resistance, which means less contact with the road. 17"s tend to be wider, offering the performance in handling that many of us experience.


a more appropriate question for many here is:

(most cost friendly)
what's the max width performance tire size for a stock 15" wheel?

(more costly)
where can i find new wheels/tires at a pricepoint lower than what toyota offers?


the 2nd question has all kinds of answers....do not know about the first, but im curious.

 

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YEAH! what he said :fish:

 

Funny. I love the Prius with its good and bad points but I'll be embarrassed if my friends saw me handling it on a twisty road. My Prius is in the shop (hit and run). I got a Sonata loaner car from the insurance company. These $25/day rental cars are so much faster.

 

I didn't mean to be too critical but- making blanket statement that you'll “not be able to drive as fast on a twisty mountain road” is just not a simple "no". And yes I know that Florida is flat (what are these things called mountains?).

Unsprung weight, corner balance of the car, weight of the driver, tire type, tire pressure, driver capability, temperature, road/surface conditions, HP and a lot of other stuff play a role here.

After all those 17 inch wheels look pretty good. And in the real world I suspect
99.5 % of the Prius drivers would never notice a difference. So IMHO…put those 17 inch wheels on…smile

 

RE: I got a Sonata loaner car from the insurance company. These $25/day rental cars are so much faster

Comment: It has to be the 16 inch wheels right? I mean nothing else could affect it...smile

 

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