Two questions:

As a general rule, 17" tires will be quieter and have a better ride than 19" tires, as higher side walls add more flexibility and more shock and vibration absorption.

I've had both JBL and non-JBL Gen 4 Prius Primes. JBL is louder, but the sound quality is possibly worse than non-JBL. Despite adjusting the equalizer, JBL sounds muffled.

Some aftermarket JBL speakers I bought in the past also had poor sound quality. JBL is hit-and-miss. I would use Pioneer if I had a choice.

Toyota JBL recall

 

idon't think you're gonna find any direct experiences here. we hardly have anyone who's even taken possesion

 

The limited numbers hinders direct comparisons. Reviewers that did both had a weeks gap between possession of the different trims.

But some general things about the wheels. Ride quality is a subjective thing. Some people get bigger wheels for the performance advantages. What they see as an improvement, others won't, and vice versa.

Taller tire sidewalls could mean softer ride, as there is more rubber to act as a shock absorber. The 17 in tires are a smaller in overall diameter though, the sidewall difference is less than an inch. Then the larger wheeled car can have different tuning to the suspension that negates the difference. You can tune the ride quality by adjusting the tire air pressures.

The aero covers will reduce noise at highway speeds, but much of the noise, and even some of the ride quality, depends on the tire plus road surface. I don't think the two options on the Prius are even using the same tire brand. It is something that can change with different tire models.

 

In a vehicle like this, the suspension components, suspension tuning, and alignment parameters will be identical across the trims.

The only thing that could be different is the tire pressure. However, the lower-profile 19" tires have a lower load-carrying ability (195/50R19 88H vs. 195/60R17 90H); therefore, the lower-profile 19" tires will definitely not accommodate a lower tire pressure but they may require a higher tire pressure, making the ride even harsher with the lower-profile 19" tires. Owners can report the tire pressures here, and we can see if the lower-profile 19" tires have the same or a higher tire pressure.

 

MotorTrend thought that the 17" wheel covers looked "awesome."

The cheaper 2023 Toyota Prius hubcaps are awesomely angular

 

Watched a video today of a reviewer that drove both and commented how much better the JBL sound system was he said it had Richer deeper sound! I think the JBL system has an amplifier, so I’m not surprised! with all the goodies you get with the limited for a few bucks more I would recommend it! Heated and ventilated seats// power hatch lift /JBL sound to name a few

 

As I said, I have JBL on my 2021 Prius Prime Limited, and I am not impressed with it.

It is hard to get a good comparison without carefully adjusting the equalizer. All head units have built-in amplifiers. JBL adds an external amplifier for more power. It should not affect the sound quality but only the sound level. Ultimately, the sound quality will be determined by the quality of the speakers, as the head unit is the same with or without JBL.

 

This reviewer said, they actually finally have a good JBL system. He said, the standard system is pretty good, too, but JBL is clearer with more power and bass.

Chances are that the standard system on Gen 5 is better than my poor-sounding Gen 4 JBL, and I will take the higher mpg, longer EV range, and $10,000 in savings over the Gen 5 JBL, even though I listen to a lot of music in the car.

 

The load index difference is 88 pounds, and that rating is for when the tire is at max sidewall pressure.

 

No, the rating is at the load-saturation pressure. The load capability does not increase beyond that pressure.

We know that the 17" tires have a maximum cold pressure of 51 psi (extra load index). Their load capability saturates at 41 psi (not 51 psi).

19" tires may have the maximum cold pressure at 36 psi (standard load index). Someone needs to check and report. If that is the case, their load capability would saturate at 35 psi.

In any case, they will never specify a lower tire pressure for a tire with a lower load index. Prius tires are very skinny and they are near their maximum load when the vehicle is fully loaded.

 

I just got my limited today, coming from a 2013 Prius C Three, which had stock 6 speakers, the JBL on my Limited is better. There is definitely more punch and overall better quality. I'm happy with the speakers, my only experience with car audio is the Prius C and this new Limited, so its good enough for me. I'm sure those who came from better car speakers will say the JBL isn't as good but what can you expect from a JBL vs a Harmon Kardon set up on more expensive cars. I'm glad I never experienced those cars or else the JBL probably wouldn't be good, but since I haven't experienced those speakers, these JBL's are good especially coming from stock Prius C speakers.

 

2013 Prius C multimedia headunit is probably not very good either.

 

LE - 57 mpg due to smaller tires, tires size is easy to come by , other trims were 52 or less mpg - and the larger tires are more $ and the size right now is harder to find. Its a prius - I bought it for the gas millage, my ford 6.2 F150 gets 12-13 mpg and costs $100 to fill up. have not filled up the prius yet but I expect around 25-30 bucks

 

The red LE is looking good. Could you post some pics in the Gen 5 owners thread?

 

What counts as "a vehicle like this"? Gen 3 had significant differences between the trims with 15 and 17 inch wheels, including different steering racks, power steering motors, brake/stability firmware, and body sheet metal.

I haven't looked any of that up for Gen 5, but I'm not sure the situation can't be similar.

 

I don't know much about Gen 3, but in Gen 3, the Touring trim was somewhat a different car as far as I know.

We know for sure that the 17"-vs.-19"-wheel-equipped trims have the same suspension etc. because in Japan you have the 17"-steel-wheel downgrade option for all trims with 19" wheels. In the US, we don't have this option and the LE gets 17" aluminum wheels with wheel covers while the higher trims get 19" aluminum wheels with no downgrade option.