Opinions on wheel selection?

Hopefully it doesn't compress these too much. They were taken with my phone, which I can't make out what is on the screen outdoors. Hope they came out clear.

 

Put a set of 15s and LRR tires and your mpg will shoot up.

 

Yeah, it's unfortunate that mpg drops with upsized wheels but depending on your choices your may only spend $30/more more for this decision. This doesn't include the cost of replacement tires.

 

Thanks. The guy at TireRack said they sell quite a bit of the Montegis. They do sell them in the 17" size too. Not too pricey - cheaper for me since I got a co-workers soon to be ex-husbands discount on them since he works(ed) at TireRack's local warehouse.

 

I think they look really nice. I think they will look great on the dark gray car, also. If the price is right, and you like them, then I say go for it! I'm assuming you were able to inspect them, since you said they are used. As long as there's no issues (cracks, gouges, etc) with the wheels, you really can't go wrong with a bargain at that point. As others said, try to find a good LRR tire to put on them. F8L has a great list compiled in his signature.

The other nice thing for you, if you do get new wheels, is that you can keep the OEM 15" and put snow tires on them if you want. It's closer to that season, and I do recommend it out here. You might even find a place that will buy your old tires for you (not for much $$, but it'll help offset the purchase a little).

 

Don't worry about the size in xxx/xx/xx format look for revs per mile numbers or tire diameter. I'd target 845 revs per mile assuming weight per tire isn't prohibitive.

The text below is from the standpoint of a Gen II USA owner but I think it is accurate for Gen III as well.

Personally I don't worry about LRR as I don't drive a large number of miles per year. I just look for better traction/handling at a lower dollars per tire.

I like the Alimax HP in the south if you might rarely see snow.

I like the Avid ENVigor in the south if you'll never see snow.

I read the Optimo H727 is the king if you'll likely see snow but don't change from winter tires to other tires. Just plain all year round use. It's the best rated "Standard Touring All-Season" on tirerack.

If you want to consider more expensive tires you could also consider

Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring 205/60R15. Just don't confuse it for the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred (one says Touring the other doesn't) the non "touring" version isn't as good in the snow (among other differences). The touring version is the best rated "Grand Touring All-Season".

And then we have the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 205/60R15. It's rated as the best "High Performance All-Season"

Then doing the revs per mile comparison instead of just using 185/65/15 for everything we get

The correct 15" Altimax HP for a Gen II Prius would be 195/60R15 at 850 RPM although the 185/65/15 is OK at 843 RPM. The 195 has a wider section width so RR might be slightly worse but traction should be better. Both tires weigh the same.

The correct 15" Avid ENVigor for a Gen II Prius would be 185/65R15 at 850 RPM. A wider option is 205/60/15 at 840 RPM. The wider tire weighs 3 pounds more per tire and would have worse RR.

The correct 15" Optimo H727 for a Gen II Prius would be a choice between 195/65R15 at 831 RPM* or 195/60R15 at 858 RPM**. Either is safe, but the speedometer will read differently. Both tires weigh the same.

The correct 15" ConforTred Touring for a Gen II Prius would be 205/60R15 at 846 RPM. It's only 1 pound more than the 185/65/15 at 855 RPM. For that 1 pound difference you gain more max load, higher speed rating, and an extra 32nd of tread.

The correct 15" Pilot Exalto A/S for a Gen II Prius would be 205/60R15 at 850 RPM. There is no 185/65/15 in this tire.


If you go 16" we get to the higher weight for each rim plus

The correct 16" Altimax HP for a Gen II Prius would be 195/55/16 at 851 and weighing 1 pound more per tire than the 15" option.

The correct 16" Avid ENVigor for a Gen II Prius would be 205/55/16 at 835 RPM and weighing 1 pound per tire more than the 15" option.

The correct 16" Optimo H727 for a Gen II Prius would be 205/55/16 at 834 RPM and weighing 1 pound per tire more than the 15" option.

The correct 16" ConforTred Touring for a Gen II Prius would be 205/55/16 at 840 RPM and the same weight as the preferred 15" option.

The correct 16" Pilot Exalto A/S for a Gen II Prius would be 205/55/16 at 839 RPM and weighing 1 pound per tire more than the 15" option.

If you go 17" we get to the higher weight for each rim plus

The correct 17" Altimax HP for a Gen II Prius would be 215/45/17 at 839 RPM and weighing 2 pounds per tire more than the 15" option.

The correct 17" Avid ENVigor for a Gen II Prius would be 204/45/17 at 855 RPM and weighing 2 pounds per tire more than the 15" option.

The correct 17" Optimo H727 for a Gen II Prius would be none as the highest RPM for a 17" tire in this line is 776.

The correct 17" ConforTred Touring for a Gen II Prius would be 205/50/17 at 832 RPM and weighing 2 pounds per tire more than the 15" option. This is right at the RPM bottom limit I'd consider.

The correct 17" Pilot Exalto A/S for a Gen II Prius would be none as the highest RPM for a 17" tire in this line is 824.

So going up to 17" takes away some tire options that are there at 15" but maybe it opens up new options.


For example Michelin Primacy MXM4 is avalabile to prius owners in

205/55/16 LRR at 836 RPM and
215/45R17 LRR at 844 RPM
but not in 15".

and of course the grand Michelin Hydroedge with Green X which isn't available in 185/65/15 tires but you can get them for you prius if they still have

205/60/15 LRR at 849 RPM or
215/60/15 LRR at 832 RPM or
205/55/16 LRR at 839 RPM or

So going 16" rims might get you an option that someone sold out on in 15" or never made in 15" and maybe you like the look of a 16" rim better.

Myself I'd stay with 15" rims due to the tire choices, cost, and weight but I wouldn't tell you to avoid the 16" or 17" rims if that is the way you want your car to look.

And I sure wouldn't stick to only 15" or 17" rims just because the factory rims are those sizes. 16" is a valid compromise.

 

Your do not required new T PMS sensors. Just ignore the warnings lights.

If your do not travel much in the winter then a NON- LRR tire is just fine and may save your money in the long run. The Kumhos Ecsta ASX is a pretty good tire and is cheap at under $100 for a 17" model. The DWS is a very highly rated model as well although I would love to see a braking distance comparison with the MXM4.

 

As long as the revolutions per mile won't affect it more than say 1% then you don't have much to worry about. Heck even 2% would be so close as to be acceptable.

For TPMS, if you don't plan to keep your 15" wheels, you should just have them swapped to the 17" rims. If you plan to do the winter tire route, you can pick up a set of TPMS on ebay for around $50. If you get the tool for cheap, not a bad price overall. Again, you can also use the paperclip method as mentioned above. It's really your call. I have a cable to update the TPMS myself, so I picked up the extra set for my winter tires. I lived with the light for a couple months a year ago, and it drove me nuts. I hate excess lights on the dash, esp one that's yellow. At the time, I wasn't aware of the disable trick. However, I'm not as diligent at checking the tire pressure as I should be, so having the sensors is sort of like a backup for me if I get too complacent.

 

That sucks.