I have a set of 205 65 R15 snows that I know I can use on my 2008 base/standard Prius come next winter- but no garage in town will do it (they say it ain't code/ it ain't in the book/ it won't pass inspection/ it will adversely affect MPG/ it will adversely affect the Speedometer/ and it may even hurt the on-board computer's data........Can it really be all that bad and if they are A-OK to use- how do I make it happen? Your wisdom and thoughts?
I would check the overall diameter and width vs. the stock tires for fit. You can always get a set of steel Corolla wheels and get them mounted separately, and do the change-over yourself. I'm not a snow tire guy, but basic fit should be easy to check. I'm guessing that they will be slightly taller than the stockers, which might help in ground clearance, but throw off mpg, mph and other functions. With so many litigation conscious tire fitters (Costco, etc.) they may not want to do the whole job. But any gas station should be able to mount up the steelies for you. You would lose the TPMS, but how long does it snow in Vermont? I know, stupid question.
Some of the other threads say that 205 65 R15s will work just fine - but 60s are a better match - and yep - I will get them mounted on rims and just do the change over myself.... thanks for the feedback.
Oh - can you elaborate on the Corolla 15" steel rims - do they also work on a Prius?? (both Toyota....) - just clarify for me if you could.
For snow performance, narrower tires will work better: same weight distributed over less surface area, more pressure on the snow, better grip on tires. This is the reasoning I took away from the TireMax site.
Speaking as someone who has to drive in snow, and having experience with a Civic Hybrid, my opinion is that width tire would be a huge mistake. If anything go narrower. I say put 'em on craigslist and get something else. My 2 cents.
No wider than stock which is 185. There are many free wheel calculators out there but they may not take into account all safety elements. Go to a couple of tire stores and see what they offer in stock width or less; they don't want to be sued so they generally won't steer you into an unsafe tire. Then you have to decide studded or studless. Personally, I like studless on regular rigs like SUVs and trucks. I ran studless on a Civic Hybrid last winter and I swear I have more gray hairs than usual because if it. At least as far as an 04 Civic Hybrid is concerned, the normally assumed benefits of front wheel drive are lost; not enough weight on the drive wheels. Handling is fine, traction is a lost cause. All this gets even worse with direct ice or ice under the snow. If legal, I would go studded. Can't honestly speak to Prius traction control, it's probably better than the Civic. Still, relatively wide snow tires are a handicap on a vehicle that's already snow-handicaped. The problem with snow, and even more so ice, is you move from the analog domain of good, ok, not-so-good, bad etc. to the digital domain of win-lose. It hurts to lose, been there, done that. Stack the deck heavily in your favor.
So - here's my snow tire decision... UPDATE for y'all good folks: I went with 195 65 R15's from DiscountTire.com - total price paid $564 - I purchased 4 alloy rims ($67 each) and 4 General Arctic Snows ($66 each) (I read very good reviews on these snow tires - German made) - studless by the way. I am having the rims/tires delivered UPS free shipping (!), free mount and balance too. I also purchased additional lugs and valves for about $50. Also got an extra 10% off the entire order (ask for TY - he's da man - (!) A very good deal for all new equipment. I think snow tires are going up in price due to the increase in petroleum products. Also, FYI - I could not locate any 185 65 R15 SNOW TIRES on any websites with decent alloy rims to match in my price range, so I went with the 195's. I am concerned that the tire sensor on the Prius won't approve of the 195's - what do y'all think?
The sensors only understand pressure...Keep the tires inflated and the sensors will be happy. I installed 205/55/R16 snow tires on my 2010 Prius and they feel quite solid on snow. It might be true that a slightly narrower tire would track through the snow a bit better but my experience is that a high quality snow tire will improve your traction significantly on snow but it's really ice that is the major concern. Short of installing studs, I find the slightly wider tire makes me feel I did more to help ice traction than I hurt snow traction (which was already much better than all-season tires).
This is a three year old thread, so it's unlikely anyone is still reading it. Just in case, now that you've brought it back from the grave, TPMS sensors may only understand pressure, but the car can't talk to them if they are somewhere else. The problem, as described in this thread, is that using dedicated snow tire wheels leaves the TPMS sensors on the summer wheels, safely tucked away at home, where they can't talk to the car. Tom
