Difference 15" vs. 17"

Diameter! J/k


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I'm sure the 17" will be better than the 15" in terms of ride quality. don't forget that the Touring has "touring specific suspension", so probably softer riding.

 

If the tire is the same apart from size, I'd expect the 17" to have better handling, a firmer rougher ride, higher fuel consumption, less resistance to hydroplaning and a higher replacement cost.

 

The 17's with lower profile tires will never have a "better ride" than the 15's... Having owned both in the past I think I'd go for the 15's this go round...

I've owned both and yes the 17's do handle better (hug the corners better) and are def. a stiffer ride they are no way a better riding wheel / tire combo...

The end result is worse mpg, much stiffer ride but better handling... The choice is yours.

 

Alternating between 15" snows and OEM 215/45R17, on our 2010, I'd say the opposite.

 

Not a fare comparison.

 

I'll never go back to low profile tires on a Prius. Yes, the handling is slightly better, but this is a Prius after all, not a sports car. Anyway, for city driving I much prefer the extra cushioning of the normal 15 inch tires.

 

I find the handling of the 17's far superior to the 15's. Ride will be a little stiffer and mpg's might be 1-2 less. That being said, I love the handling in my persona with 17's. It's almost as good as my old Mazda 3.

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Have you driven the same gen with 15"?

I can think of one specific corner on a run we do regularly: it's not a stop, just tight radius corner. I tend to take it around 40 kmh, sometimes on our OEM Michelin Pilot 215/45R17, and in winter on 195/65R15 Michelin X-Ice2. I really can't tell much difference in feel. I'm sure there's a bit, but it's not that obvious.

 

Have you tried 15" wheels with Michelin tires or other tires that handle better than the OEM tires?

 

Having had both 15s and 17s, the 17s handle much better, track straighter and steadier on the highway and look better. The 15s always felt a little loosey goosey on the freeway.

 

I agree the 17's handle a lot better, I'd say in almost a fun sport like way and are def stiffer.

BUT

Mpg loss compared to the 15's is more to the tune of 4-6 +\- Mpg...

I've owned a 2013 Prius Three (15's @ 48mpg +\- lifetime) and a 2015 Prius Persona (17's @ 42 mpg +\- lifetime)

In perfect SoCal road conditions I'd agree fully. And I kinda agree that under hard tight cornering with 15's it sometimes feels like the tire is gonna fold in under itself...weird feeling.

But up here in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast area our roads are like minefields half the year and speaking for myself I lived in fear of blowing out a tire with the lower profile 17's. I kept mine pumped up harder than normal to help offset a potential blowout which thankfully never came but this resulted in an even stiffer washboard ride..

Just food for thought...

 

Lot of discussion on this topic here on PC and throughout in internet.. As noted, 17 will run firmer due to profile but well worth the sacrifice(safety and aesthetics).

 

It's clear that you prefer the 17 and I assume you mean the firmer ride is a sacrifice with safety and aesthetics as benefits, rather than the reverse.

I guess we will choose different tires as while road feel may be a benefit with the 17, I see a firmer ride as a sacrifice, I'm aware of of no clear net safety benefit, I see no aesthetic benefit and I see significant extra cost both initially and for tire replacement.

 

Safety benefit could be if you need to make an emergency manuver, the 17's could give you that extra edge to be able to make it or not...

 

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder... countless articles and car makers seem to support this by offering on their higher end models, larger rims and low profile tires.

Better handling is a safety benefit. I personally know and had to go a number of quick maneuvers to avoid accidents on the road I would hate to think what would have happened if I had less maneuverability.

Both you can't put a price tag on but I know what it's worth to me. Don't take my word for it, Google is all might.

Here's one;

Effects of Upsized Wheels and Tires Tested - Tech Dept. - Car and Driver

 

I owned a Gen III Prius V which came with the 17" wheels and the LED headlights. I loved the headlights and loved the way the 17" wheels looked, but after a month I realized that the ride quality was too harsh. I test drove a Prius before I bought mine, but it had 15" wheels and the ride was more to my taste (smooth).

Now I opt for the smaller wheels when buying cars. Unfortunately, I like a lot of higher end options like LED headlights and the better stereo package so that usually means having to also get larger wheels. Not this time though. I am happy that Toyota is giving us a choice to take the 17" wheels or not by offering the Touring models. I am getting a Prius 4 with AT & CX options.

 

i just gone from 215/45/r17 to 205/55/r16 Big improvement in ride comfort! 15s would give lot more cushioning but at expense of handling! Compromising with 16s!then Upgrade the frt sway bar and add a rear sway will give a little of both world!

 

I actually have. My neighbor has a gen 3 with 15's and they let me drive it about 3 times when we were in the market for one. I felt the roll around corners more. It could also have something to do with the tighter turn radius on the Persona? Does the Persona have any other suspension components that help it's handling?I might be used to the bigger profile tires, since the 17's in my prius are actually more comfortable than the 18's on my other car. Maybe that's making me biased? I do know that the Persona handles very well and I've never even owned a Toyota before I bought it.
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