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15" or 17" Wheels

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Wooski, Mar 26, 2009.

  1. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    Well said. :)
     
  2. sl7vk

    sl7vk Member

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    You're right.

    But I suspect that 95% of people with 17's are just going for looks. Most people don't buy the Prius for handling....
     
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  3. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    I agree that the 17" are just for looks. That little bit of size difference won't make a huge change in performance.
     
  4. max2prius

    max2prius Junior Member

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    I strongly disagree. I have 17's on my 2008 and since swapping the rims/ tires the car feels much more stable and safer in emergency maneuvers. IMO it looks much better, and handles much better with a slight sacrifice in fuel economy and a harsher ride.
     
  5. eglmainz

    eglmainz New Member

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    Since you are cutting the sidewall height by almost 1/2, in order to keep as close to the original 15' circumference, you will certainly 'feel' the road more, and all other things being equal, will have a more responsive car as a result. This is one of several reasons that I am picking a Prius V over the others...
     
  6. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    It may seem to be handling better and even if it is handling better, I doubt it is really that big of a difference.

    I have to park in the sun all day long and like having a sunroof so I'm going with the solar package no matter what.
     
  7. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    Probably a little more road noise in the cabin too. That decreases the "luxury" quality but increases the sense of "sportiness". So, it's a matter of preference.

    I've had low profile tires for the past 5 years. I'll go with the 15s this time, looking forward to a quieter highway ride. I guess I'm getting older.:cool:
     
  8. Prius Team

    Prius Team Toyota Marketing USA

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    ggood: The way we currently understand it, those replacing 17" with 15" shouldn't have any issues. It's the 15 moving to 17 that might require some work.

    Erica
     
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  9. quantumslip

    quantumslip Member

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    what about the wheel turn ratio (with regards to lock-to-lock)? I read somewhere here that it was 2.75 for 17",3.5 or 3.75 for 15".
     
  10. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Buy a car with 17 inch and swap to 15 inch and you get the smoother ride and better economy of the 15s and the quick steering that comes with the 17s but with that is a slightly bigger turning circle for the 17 inch wheel car over the 15 inch wheel car even after you fit 15 inch wheels.
     
  11. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    Does anyone have a picture of what the 15" wheel/tire looks like on the 2010? So far everything I've seen has been the 17"
     
  12. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Or just wait a bit - the 15" versions will have the same EPS tuning and steering ratio (?), minus the turning circle hit.
     
  13. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    I'm confused.. they're going to upgrading the 15" steering eventually?
     
  14. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    After racing many cars and trucks for almost 2 decades I strongly disagree. Upgrading to a 17"combo from a 15" factory combo is a pretty huge difference. I can definately feel the limitations of the tire when pushing through fast corners. The 15" tire will literally start rolling under the rim when pushed hard, this is evident by the scrub marks on the sidewall after taking a series of hard turns. The 17's give much less and do not roll over so easy.
     
  15. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    However, the handling of a car when racing it versus driving it normal is completely different.
     
  16. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    There's a post in this forum by PriusTeam stating that the steering will be changed mid-year.
     
  17. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    That sucks. I don't like how they are going to be changing so much after the car is already out there in the world.

    I'm already holding off until the iPod connection is standard w/ the navi package
     
  18. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Have you owned a Prius and done the swap yourself? I've gone back and forth many times and I remain in disagreement. The car just feels different with the 15"s. The closest you can get to the feel of the 17" is running 60psi in your 15" tires and even then it is not the same.
     
  19. scottwyden

    scottwyden new jersey photographer

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    It doesn't matter if it is a Prius or any other car. For normal every day driving I don't see it makes that big of a difference. As I stated before, I know it does make a difference, just not big enough to make me want to pay the extra money for it and loose out on the solar package.
     
  20. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    The Prius comes with a very small tire package given its high weight. A larger tire combo does indeed make a difference even in daily driving so it, IMO, is not like every other car. That is also one of the reasons for its horrible stopping distance. A 185-195/65/15 tire is a pretty small tire for a 3,000lb car (avg. weight)

    You should get what you want, I'm not trying to sway anyone to go 17s over 15s. I am simply giving my opinion based on my experiences with the car over 90,000 miles of playing around with different rims/tire combos. :)