The 2012 Prius v 2 has plastic wheel covers over good looking 16" spoke wheels. Does anybody know why or what the advantage might be? Would there be any harm in removing the wheel covers? My dealer didn't know the reason and couldn't answer these questions. If I do remove the wheel covers it looks like I would need center hub dust caps. Any suggestions on a cheap source for these? Thanks for your help.
Search the GenIII forum for dust cap sources besides eBay. All the info you need is in multiple threads there.
I took the wheel covers off when I got home from the dealer. Some say the wheel covers are designed for aerodynamics. I'm sure there is a reason but it doesn't affect my mileage what so ever. I took the car on a 2400 mile trip when I first got it and managed 52.4 MPH average. The center caps are all over eBay. I believe they are 56mm. I painted mine Black then removed the paint on the Toyota loggo to reveal the chrome... looks good!!!
That's what I used. 2 inch diameter works just fine. Got them at Lowes. You can always get a Toyota decal and apply it if it matters. Cost like $2.00 each.
Definitely - lose the plastic wheel covers. Given that they're exactly the same shape as the (perfectly nice) alloy wheel underneath, I really can't believe they'd help with aerodynamics or gas mileage. And in fact, since they weigh about a pound each, they might actually HURT gas mileage (rotational weight is a bigger deal than static weight inside the vehicle). I took mine off almost as soon as I got my v, sold them on ebay, and haven't missed them a bit. I bought some Toyota center caps so they look nice, but there are alternatives - other makes of cars use the same diameter, so you could play with people and put a Pontiac or Mercury center cap on your v... Or maybe it's just me who thinks stuff like that is fun. Anyway, to summarize my answers to your questions: I've done quite a bit of reading and can't find a believable BENEFIT to the wheel covers I personally believe there could be a slight benefit (in terms of mileage) to REMOVING them Cheapest source for center caps, besides the electrical knockouts, would be ebay - especially if you don't need them to look like the OEM toyota ones. Have fun! Andy
Wander onto the Main Forum for the Prius v and look at a recent thread on wheel caps. Pictures and links and part numbers there. Just ordered mine.
I purchased mine here 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V Center Cap Sales They were high quality and shopped fast. They also sell these on ebay under lewisenterprises014
