Best tire (for MPG) for Prius Plus 17" wheels?

There's no evidence that the Prius Plus wheels are more fuel efficient than the OEM or Persona 17s and anyone saying that 17" wheels get the same mpg as stock 15s is lying. You may, however, still be able to attain 50 mpg actual with efficient driving, but given the same driving techniques, you'll still get a hit of 2-3 (or more) mpg depending on the wheels.

 

Blanket statements are not helpful, and nobody is lying. The diameter of the wheel has no impact on mileage. The weight does, width, etc. But its the circumference of the tire on the wheel that directly impacts mileage, and a 17" wheel with low profile tire can have the same tread circumference as a 15" wheel with higher profile tire. But blanket statements about wheels and mileage are ALWAYS inaccurate.

 

You ought to be careful because you're making blanket statements yourself. Weight is a much less factor compared to width in terms of mpg hit. In fact, some who have switched to lighter 17x7" wheels failed to see any mpg increase much to their disappointment.

 

To answer the OP's question, F8L is of the opinion that the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus is the next most fuel efficient tire but it's available in the 205/50-17 size, not 215/45-17. I don't know if it has the raised rim protector in that size, which is my requirement as it helps prevent curb rash from being a little careless.

 

I have the Conti DWS on my 17x7 wheels and get 52-55MPG on my 66 mile round trip commute (2+ years driving the same route on these tires). I now have 30K miles on them and they are still in great shape. I would definitely get them again.

 

What would be the impact of the 205/50 size tire (vs 215/45) on fuel efficiency and odometer reading, in addition to comfort, all else being equal?

 

Wow, interesting to see how much the dealer is charging for wheels. I got a set of oem Persona wheels for less than half that on ebay. I'd look elsewhere.

I went with with the Michilin MXM4's. I have only been on them for a couple weeks but it seems like the mpg hit is pretty minimal. Maybe a loss 3-4 mpgs in the city, but cruising on the freeway I can easily get 50+ plus. The handling is so much better than the 15"s and you really feel planted in them. The rim protector aspect also helped with the decision.

 

205 is narrower and should in theory help with fuel economy. Some people like how it fills the wheel gap but it looks too fat to me IMO. I'd rather drop it to close the wheel gap.

Yes, dealers always overcharge for OEM 17s. They're cheaper online.

 

The wife's prius has the Plus wheels w/ Conti DWS's. She's averaging about 51mpg in the summer (and about 49ish during the winter) but I admit to properly inflating her tires. When she complains about the ride I let a few lbs of psi out.

We could probably squeeze a few more MPGs if we went w/ lrr tires but we need the DWS's ability to handle the occasional snow in the PNW.

 

Agree with the fatness. I'm also dropping with TRDs, so perhaps the car will look lower than otherwise because of very little wheel gap?