Swapped the 17"s Back on and instant drop in MPG.

wow. I have to say I'm very impressed with the knowledge of people on this site. Wow. I'm still a newbie on here, and still havent even gotten my Prius =( I'm not as worried about a few mpg loss by upgrading my wheels. I drive a 300zx normally, which gets like 14 mpg lol, so getting anywhere around 30 average, I'm happy as a fat girl at a fraternity party. I am however, going to take these calculations into consideration when I get my 17's. I found some nice Motegi's that weigh in at 18.4 lbs, which isnt too much more than the stock. This mpg calculations are all new to me, but somewhat confuses me in what I understood prior to being on this site. I wouldnt expect much change in mpg, especially a big drop like someone said I think 8-10 mpg drop. In my 300zx Twin Turbo forum, there are many posts about rim size and tires and blah blah. To what my feeble mind recalls, when you go with a bigger rim, but lower profile tires (assuming the weight difference isn't extremely heavier), then your mpg and performance should increase. As, the less tire between the rim and pavement, the better the response. Plus, the overall diameter is bigger, so the big of extra power/torque that may be required to move the bigger wheel, is compensated from the extra distance obtained from the larger diameter. I hope this makes sense, as I'm obviously not an engineer or expert at any of this, this is just my previous understanding. Either way, personally, I'm not too concerned with a few mpg drop. Obviously it would be pointless to put 20" Chrome 34 lb wheels on a Prius, and end up getting 30 mpg average. For that, get a Camry or an Altima. lol. But, if I can get 17's or maybe 18's (gotta do more research to make sure they fit), and still get in the 40's, I'd be as happy as a hooker on wall street. =) Just as a joke, I told my mom I was going to install a turbocharger in my Prius, and she almost punched me in the head. haha.

2010 Prius Turbo .. 240 hp, 18" chrome, full exhaust, cold air intake... 22 mpg. hahaha.

 

Well.... i run on 215/35/19 wheels on Falken 452s with Tanabe coilovers... i am getting about 550 miles per full tank of gas. Is that good... or at least acceptable?