Does anybody else have black wheels under their hub caps? All the others I have seen are silver...mine are black. Might look good without the hub caps, but the lug nuts are silver.
I think the black wheels started with 2012. Mine are black too, but I really wish I had the silver, they would look better with my black Prius.
We rented a 2012 Prius with the black wheels under the hub caps. I *really* didn't like the look, and when it came time to buy, I found we had to go with the Prius (5) to get away from those wheels. That was a big turn-off for me. I thought the alloys on previous generations looked sharp.
I removed the wheel covers as soon as I got home. Good thing, as another thing they messed up at the dealer was one was not fully on. Sigh! It's hard to get the valve caps off with the wheel covers on. It's hard to clean the wheels with the wheel covers on. They are heavy. They are fake. They are gone! I think the black wheels need a white pinstripe on the outside edge. Going over to another dealer maybe today to order the chrome hub caps (plugs the centre hole in the wheel). See a GII to see what I'm talking about.
I don't know why they did that. I suppose it was to add contrast to the silver hubcaps, but honestly, they look terrible. Why do they even have hubcaps anyway? What would have been wrong with a sharp set of 15" aluminum rims WITHOUT plastic wheelcovers over the top of them? Toyota engineering is SO impressive. The wheel/hubcap is something that just leaves me scratching my head.
Does anyone know of a chrome trim ring that would go around just he edge of the wheel These would seem to look good on the black wheels Flat Narrow Chrome Trim Rings Stylish Look, Great Prices, AutoAmenity
FYI FYI - I ordered these. They are "clip over" style, i.e. they are supposed to clip over the edge of the black rims (as opposed to fitting into the wheels like the wheel covers the 2012 comes with). I could not get mine to fit over the rims without (I thought) seriously scratching the black paint. Also, my sense was that once these were on, they were on "for good" and either could not be removed or only with some real difficulty. I sent them back...but it is up to you to give them a try.
It clearly states that the trim rings do not fit the Prius. Copied from the website: The styled wheels shown below are examples of wheels these Flat Trim Rings WILL NOT MOUNT TO. 3 lack the lip and not enough recess. The Toyota Prius 15" wheel at the far right has a lip but it is too wide (1/4") for the clips. The wheel on the far right (or bottom, depending on formatting) is the Prius wheel, only yours are painted black on the 2012. The pic is of a silver 2010 - 11 Prius wheel. the wheel next to that is the Gen 2 2004 - 2009 wheel.
have to disagree my friend. i love the black on black. almost "gangsta"(in a prius nonagressive sort of way)
The wheel on the far right (or bottom, depending on formatting) is the Prius wheel, only yours are painted black on the 2012. The pic is of a silver 2010 - 11 Prius wheel. the wheel next to that is the Gen 2 2004 - 2009 wheel. Thanks, though I still wish that they would work
Yes my 2012 has them, the sales kid told me it was so the owner could decide if they want Black wheels or the sliver hub look.
These cars are tested like you would not believe. I thought it was stupid too until I was told that the hubcaps on aluminium rims are for aerodynamics. Believe it or not.
Sounds like bogus urban legend stuff or Toyota would be putting them on all high mileage vehicles. More likely Toyota found people we're OK with the bright unpainted alloy version (see pic above) and not buying the $2,500 bright alloy wheel upgrade from Toyota which probably costs Toyota $100 in cost and they sell for $2500.
I've made peace with the "Blacks w/ Hubcap." I do believe that they have the slightest aerodynamic quality - But I'm also quite sure that the whole system is much better than anything I could have designed! BlackBerry 9930 ?
