handling difference 15'' wheel vs 17''?

Yes, the 17" wheel Prius has improved handling. Ride quality is a bit rougher due to the lower profile tires.

Some members like DeanFL have the V with no package so you're not necessarily required to get the NAV and back up camera. If you've never been in a IV or V, the leather interior gives it a far better fit, finish and quality, especially with the leather-wrapped steering wheel.

 

The handling is a little better, but the bigger thing for me is braking performance. The narrow contact patch and low rolling resistance of the 15" tires makes them pretty bad in panic-stop mode. More rubber means shorter stopping distances, which can make the difference between avoiding an accident in some situations.

The 17" tires definitely ride stiffer and IMO the Prius Gen 3 is a little too stiffly sprung and dampened to start with. So you feel more road irregularities and it transmits more shock into the passenger compartment, which leads to more rattles and squeeks.

And, of course, the 17" wheels look much better than the ho-hum design of the stock 15" wheels.

Unfortunately the 17" wheels are a heavy cast design, somewhere around 22 pounds each, so you will take a little hit in performance and gas mileage. Some of the high quality aftermarket forged wheels in the same size weight half of what the V wheels weigh. But they're also $500 each and the performance of the Prius is never going to be great so I don't really see the point in spending that much.

Unless you're really in love with the factory 17's, I'd say go for aftermarket 16" wheels. There are a bunch of nice-looking aftermarket wheels to choose from. You'll need 16x7 with 5x100 with an offset around +40. Here's an example of a wheel from Ace called the Cinco that I was going to get until I pulled the trigger on a V. I saw those wheels on eBay for around $350 for the entire set, shipped.

 

It's only a ~1.8 mpg hit as a lot of it is canceled out by the more aerodynamic design of the wheels. Owners with lighter but less aerodynamic 17-19" rims have reported equivalent or bigger mpg hit.

 

I just switched to 15"s on my V for the winter. Even with the very grippy X-ice Michelin 15"s the car took a handling hit. Those 17s are heavy! my MPG went up 2-3 MPG according to the display by going to the 15s. I much prefer the handling with the 17's. The ride is a little more plush with the 15" tires, but ride quality is good with either. I enjoyed the handling with the 17" wheels, quite impressive for a mid size economy car, once you get past the disconnected feeling of electric steering.

 

I'd bet rolling resistance is a bigger factor than aerodymics and weight combined.

 

Also, when you get the Prius V, you also get unique shocks and springs....

 

Can you point us to where this is documented? (I was unaware of this and would like to learn more about it)

 

Can someone please explain to me the technical difference between the 15" vs 17" wheels?

My confusion concerns the total diameter of the wheel + tire. The wheel size is different and the tire 'thickness' is different, but is the total diameter of the wheel + tire the same? What is it?

If the total diameter is not the same, this will impact the measurement on speed, mph, & mpg. If it is not the same how is it accounted for in the software?

 

This topic has been beaten to death in many threads. Search is your friend.

 

And if you can't be bothered to search there's always people like me, waiting in the wings, just waiting to further desecrate the dead...

Like one of the responders above, I've put 15" Michelin XIce on our Canadian Touring model (same 17" stock tires as V). Only difference: we had the stock tires on a week at most before making the switch, so really hard to compare. That 15" combo feels fine, fwiw.

The circumerence of the stock 15" tires is maybe 2% greater, so I suspect our odometer's currently off a bit, reading lower than before the switch by that factor.

The one thing I see in the stats: lock-to-lock of the steering wheel with the 17" tire models is less than 15"

 

I wanted to get the larger tires, but the low profile tires killed the deal for me. Went with the 15" tires!

 

The total diameter is not exactly but roughly the same. The tires are wider and this affects the rolling resistance and hence mpg, as well as being heavier (unsprung weight). The less rubber between the wheels and road contributes to the rougher ride.

The 17" wheel Prius has a brushless EPS and as another poster mentioned, contributes to the tighter lock to lock number. The Prius Team mentioned a prospective software update to program the 15" wheel Prius to have the same turning ratio as the 17" wheel Prius but Toyota scrapped this plan.

 

By going to 17" wheels you also increase your stopping distance.

 

It's not that simple.

 

But ... But ... To paraphrase Homer Simpson ... I want to know now ...

 

Go to your local Toyota dealership (Parts Dept). Ask them to look up the parts number to the Prius suspension. Ask them if the parts number for both the springs and shocks are the same between Prius with 15" rims and 17" rims. (Remember, the ONLY Prius that comes with 17" rims from factory is the Prius V.) The answer will support my statement above. I have asked three different Toyota dealerships and they all confirmed the unique suspension statement for Prius V.

Better steering for the V. LED headlights rock! And this is a must-have for me because i drive frequently at night on poorly lit highways. And of course, getting the V allows you to get the ATP (if you want).

 

I've read that due to the bigger ET off the 17 inch wheels ,track width is smaller than with 16 inch wheels .

(Both OEM Prius 3 wheels )

 

I am VERY pleased with the V. My job requires 1K miles per week (traveling salesman) most every night is a dark highway to get home. The V with ATP is my favorite car ever. I've had Porsche, Benz, and Lexus over the years. I'm almost happy my 07 was totaled, the V with ATP rocks!

 

Agreed...best car for me. I have had bmw m3 smg, mercedes g, acuras, etc...Prius V rocks!