Are these wheel covers, or wheel protectors?

They are a factory item and come installed for delivery to the new owner. Take them off or leave them on, your choice.
Do a search for 15 inch center wheel caps for pictures both ways.

 

By that question, I would suggest you leave well enough alone..lol..

 

Just grab a inside edge with your hand and pull straight out. They'r just like a wheel cover on any other car. But they are plastic so watch what you're doing.

 

There is a thread showing how to remove them. It has pictures. The 17" wheels do not have the covers, the spokes are solid and wide. The wheels under the covers on the 15's look a lot like the Scion style wheel (split spokes). It is beyond me though why Toyota did not finish (meaning polish, smooth edges, etc) them a little more knowing many people would remove the covers. Somehow without the covers they look OK but they don't look like they were meant to be a completed stand alone package.

 

I think I'm the only person who likes the look of the wheel covers.

 

It's actually transported on the car carrier without the wheel covers and they're put on after it's removed from the carrier.

They're designed to improve the aerodynamics of the wheels. You might get worse mpg without the covers due to increased drag in the wheel wells.

 

Yah I'm actually looking for caps for my 2016 prius V since I'm about to remove the hideous palstics that cover the wheels, any suggestions? Did you find any ?

I found one that goes in rav4 as well but since imI new here for some reason I can't post any link

Thank you