Why I decided to remove mine: 1. Much easier to thoroughly clean the wheel, including the outer rim, outer bead, inside edges and flats against the brake rotors. 2. Less chance for chemical salts and grit to build up where tape weights are applied to the inside of the rim. 3. Looks better (subjective, but I see an improvement in appearance) The only Toyota arguements I agree with are debateable: 1. The trim rings protect the alloy surface from abrasion. Although it looks like the bead edge of the wheel would also get lunched anyway, plus now you're dirivng around with a butt-ugly scar on the trim ring until you buy another (at HOW MUCH apiece?). 2. That trim rings contribute to the overall .026 Cd rating. Probably measurable in a wind tunnel under rigorous protocols. So what, maybe a .0005 Cd improvement at 100 KPH or 62.14 MPH? I agree with the other poster that the mythical "Unspring Outer Edge" weight statement is really naive. Just Bad Science from some 30-something MBA aa Toyota NA. So sue me. Mine are off the car for now, to be cleaned and stored in a plastic bag until I go in for warranty or routine maintenance - I'll just snap them on for that trip, or when I sell/trade the car someday. IMPORTANT NOTE: I only talked to two dealers. One said it altered the car and impacts the letter of the warranty. The other said, "hang on a minute", marched outside, popped off rim, looked, popped it back on came back and picked up the phone and said, "Peronally I kinda think they look better with the rim on, but I can't imagine how this would impact the warranty". Be interesting to hear what the MBA's in Irvine have to say about this. But, on second thought, maybe this is one of those, "Don't Ask, Dont' Tell" deals. Comments? Bob
No Picture of Naked Rims, but... ...they are super easy to pop off. I did all 4 in 2 minutes. And they pop back on just as easy. Or go to my previous post ( that drifted off topic), "...Plastic Rims, what Gives?..". On of our members provided a terrific photo of his car Naked. Bob
The unsprung weight theory is absolutely false as it relates to the "naked" theory. Taking off the trim ring will definitely reduce unsprung weight. The trim ring may reduce unsprung weight when compared to the same rim as if the rim were made of aluminum (but retained the same shape as if the trim ring were on). Confusing, but true. A naked wheel will weigh less than a dressed wheel and this will somewhat offset the reduced aerodynamics. Not an MIT MBA, but just my two cents. Bottom line, if you like the look, either way works. Just don't hit any curbs.
I wish that we had a wheel option for all Priuses. Have you people looked at the other world wide sites and viewed the seven spoke wheels that Toyota puts on Prius in other countries? I think they are awesome, so why can not we have them stateside? Just wondering. JB Snider
The argument about unsprung weight wasn't trim ring or not, but possibly why Toyota didn't make the wheel the "final shape" out of alloy vs. using a trim ring to complete the shape. Going the trim ring route would be the lighter option of the two. It also gives some flexability on final shape for asthetic or Cd purposes. Ring on or off is probably trivial with unsprung weight. But then again, so is using aluminum steering knuckles, etc which were also used for unsprung weight reduction. -Rick
In a Pioneer survey I participated in, they asked whether or not we'd be interested in those wheels. They also implied that there would be a mileage hit of 2-3 (?) mpg. either due to the weight of the rims or the overall increased rolling resistance of the wider tire. Given that they're selling the MPG of this car, perhaps they thought the lowered MPG would have a negative perception among buyers. -Rick
Personally I like the look of the plastic rim rings. I just take them off each time I wash the car to allow me to clean the wheels better. They snap off and on in a matter of seconds, but I like to take a few minutes to make sure they are properly secured when I'm done with the wash. I would not want my wheels to be unballanced or anything like that. ~Andrew
