can anybody tell me why the touring rims have that plastic cover over them? is it an aerodynamic thing? thanks
Style. If you scrape a curb, you can peel the plastic off, and have a new, different looking wheel. Next time you scrape the curb, you're on your own. B)
I believe Toyota added the plastic covers as an afterthought, probably based on some type of consumer reaction to the bare rims. If you look in the Prius brochure, the covers are not there. IMO the 15" wheels and the associated wheel rings fit the look of the Prius better then the 16" rims, with or without the plastic covers. I changed from shopping for a touring to the base model once I was able to compare the wheels side-by-side.
