Tires size possible deal breaker on 2023 Prius?

The OEM Toyota lugnuts on our 2010 Camry, 2011 Prius, and 2016 Corolla, for factory alloy wheels, all have a tapered end compatible for use with the space saver steel wheels.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

That makes an awful lot of sense. Thank you!

 

A little more detail:

The first "flat" was more of a slow-leak, slow enough that I'd just keep topping it up. It was one of the regular all-season tires, and the next winter, when I'd swapped over to snow tires, I took it to the dealership.

It was a finishing nail, about an inch from the edge of tread, and they deemed it unrepairable, by the inside plug-repair method they use now. They are superior, require removing the tire and installing a plug from the inside. The downside is the inside portion has a disc with maybe 1" diameter, and you can only get so close to the sidewall, or it won't seat properly.

They're obligated to use that style now, if I'm not mistaken. but from my perspective, replacing a fairly new tire, didn't sit well. I researched, ended up getting an old-school (outside installed) plug repair kit (BlackJack, nice kit), DIY'd the plug repair. That was maybe 2013, and used that wheel/tire for another 5/6 years.

The second flat, maybe a year or two later, was more precipitous; we'd just parked in a Costco parking lot, on the snow tire set, got out, and uhoh...: left/rear corner was flat. This one was a small bolt, and it was flat. Must have just happened; I hadn't felt anything odd. It was not a Costco purchased tire, btw.

It was really chilly that day, and windy. We went in, got our shopping done, and I picked up a 3-pack (hey, Costco...) of insulated work gloves. Back at the car chocked the front/right wheel, then raised the left/rear corner with the scissor jack, swapped over to the spare. Didn't even entertain using the plug repair kit there; I've got low tolerance to cold; just getting the spare on I was chilled.

We got straight home, I rolled the flat wheel/tire into the family room, did another plug repair in comfort.

That tire was used last winter. The set still had 7/32" tread, but I found it was getting dicey one time on a snowy upgrade (one of our rare "snow events"), finally replaced them about a month back.

 

My Gen 4 Prius Primes have not had a spare tire, and I don't see it as an issue whatsoever. Just call AAA if you ever get a flat. Perhaps you only need a spare tire these days if you live in the middle of the desert—200 miles from the nearest signs of civilization.

 

If you don’t have a spare, best you’re gonna get from triple A is a tow, instead of getting back on the road

 

Catastrophic tire failures are very rare. Possible causes:

• driving with underinflated tires
• driving fast over a large pothole
• cheap made-in-China tires
• driving with a damaged or excessively worn tire

 

I doubt aaa is gonna plug your tire

 

That's what the tire-inflator kit is for.

 

They aren’t going to do that either

 

You can do it yourself or have the AAA do it for you. They install spares, and using the tire-inflator kit is easier. They probably have their air compressor as well. You probably don't need the tire-inflator kit for slow leaks, and you can simply put more air.

Most people who drive with a spare don't realize that the spare has no air left in it until they get a flat. So, perhaps they are better off with a tire-inflator kit.

 

I meant to say, the overall diameter of the rim and tire.
Below is a comparison of the regular tire, 195/60R17, and the spare T145/90D16 tire.

In actuality, the original overall diameter is a little over 25", and the spare overall diameter is about 1" or so more, ~26".
I purchased the OEM rim for the spare, 42611-21280 and Falken FK-090 T145/90D16 106M tire.
I put a picture once I try the spare on the car, if I get to it.

 

People who go to all the trouble of buying and storing a spare don’t want to do it themselves,
I doubt aaa is going to plug your tire to inflate it.
They do install spares

 

I can do the repair myself, e.g. plug the tire if I can; I feel more comfortable having a spare though and driving to a safe place to repair the punctured tire, whether I do it myself or someone else.

 

Me too

 

And you are right, AAA will tow but they won't plug the tire. These guys won't even install the 12v battery on my Gen 2 Prius. So why the hell am I paying them for? Go figure.

 

I guess for a real emergency. They did jump me once when the 12 volt died, and came to my house and installed a new 12 volt on my truck.
Locally, it’s probably unnecessary, but when we travel, it’s peace of mind.
And we have four households on it at a discount.
I can understand those who think it and spare tires are unnecessary, it’s a personal choice

 

Agree; also, AAA has installed other 12v batteries for me, they just wouldn't do it on the Prius; that was a few years back, they may have changed their policy now.

 

No one wants to install it except for gen 4 where it’s under the hood.
Understandable I guess, it’s so much more work

 

The two wheel/tire combos are very close. Look at the revs per mile. Rim diameters are immaterial.

 

They are close, yes. I just need to make sure the spare fits in the well. There are thresholds about how smaller/larger the spares should be and the spare I have seems a bit larger even when the rim is oem and the spare tire is the correct size. I'm sure there is no problem, just making sure. What calculations as I showed in the picture are one thing, the real/actual size of the tires is another.