15" or 17" Wheels

zyonuf79

No, the center caps may not be essential, but if you have a look at the excellent three-wheel comparison photo in post # 836861 a little further up, you'll see that the "missing" center caps look silly - and as it will very probably just be a matter of putting the center caps from either the 17" wheels (or from another Toyota) on, I don't see why not. Money-wise the center caps (part # 42603-52030) cost around 18 US$ for a set of 4.

 

Do you think the Prius in the second picture was parked deliberately with the Toyota emblem up the right way?
I do wonder what inspired the uglification of the 15 inch wheels with those wheel covers?

 

I'm going to have to decide soon whether to pull the trigger on a Prius V. After reading all comments on the wheel sizes from Prius Team and everyone else on PriusChat, I still don't know for sure how easy it will be to downgrade to 15" wheels, either custom or factory. I assume the "stops" to prevent rubbing of 17" wheels on wheel wells are adjustable, but would appreciate someone's confirmation. We know suspension parts and software programming of the EPS will be the same. However, isn't there still an open question as to whether there will be a physical difference in the steering assembly, and in particular, the gearing?

 

Sorry...I haven't been able to find those close up shots (Noob!). I can't post links yet, or I would post an example shot of what I'm looking for. Basically, I'd like to see a profile shot of a 15 and 17" one in front of the other. I think my problem with the existing photos is positively identifying a 17 vs a 15. I'm just guessing which is which, because I haven't found photos that call out wheel size.

Right now I'm going with a Prius V with Nav only (no adv tech pkg), but maybe the 17's aren't going to look as good as I think they are.

Thanks

 

Hello, mtmogo

go up to post #53 in this very thread, click on the three attached thumbnails (illustrating a "naked" 15" wheel, a 15" wheel with the delightful plastic covers, and a 17" wheel), and that should answer the questions you have put.

 

Got it, thank you...my default browser wasn't displaying all of the thumbnails for some reason.

I'm looking for a comparison like the one pictured in post #55, except with the 2010's. No worries...now that I can positively identify which is 15 and 17 from Post #53, I can photoshop 2 photos together to get the shot I'm looking for.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

 

Always happy to be useful :welcome:.

That's what a forum like this is for - otherwise I'd also have been considering spending useless money on "pretty" 15" wheels when all that's needed is not putting the wheelcovers on.

 

[FONT=&quot]I uploaded the comparison pic I was looking for to my priuschat album.

I'm not 100% sold that I have to have the 17's. I was expecting a bigger visual difference. I may switch to the Prius IV+Solar...and add 17's later if it’s possible.

+Handling
+Better looking
-Replacement costs higher
-Slightly less MPG[/FONT]

 

Great side by side. Thank you. Only thing that would provide a better comparison is if both cars were white or silver. (The dark blue obscures the wheel wells a bit.) Personally, I see a big difference.

 

Somehow, these side by sides don't fully convey the bad impression the 15" wheels and covers make in person, especially by comparison to the 17" wheels. That said, I'm caring less and less about looks, and more and more about ride and MPGs. Of course, I'm also sensitive to the highway handling issues, but I guess I'm convinced that has been adequately dealt with, regardless of tire size.

 

Isn't there a Photoshop-capable person around who could do this comparison? I'm unfortunately not at all able to, but I believe we have members of this forum who are actually doing this kind of thing for a living .

If this could come throough, I for one would very much like also to see the "naked" 15" wheels - I think dropping the wheelcovers would make a vast improvement in looks.

 

Refer to post #53 in this string, 3 thumbnail pics (can enlarge):

- naked 15" alloy wheel
- 15" wheel cover
- 17" alloy wheel

 

Hello DeanFL,

Yes, that was what I was thinking of, but unfortunately not capable of doing: Take "your" three different wheel images, adapt the diameter to the wheels of what's posted above (blue or silver vehicle), and paste the three different wheels on these vehicles to get an impression of what "the real thing" would look like.

 

My wife's car has 17" wheels...

They @#%@#$@ suck. I hate the feel and the cost. I was able to put 4 X-Radial Michelins on my car for less than 4 crappy Kumho's (30k warranty versus 80k) on my wifes. 17's suck in snow. They are hard as @#%#@, increase your chances of a blowout, and are expensive.

Give me 15's or give me death.

The Venza is the perfect example of a car that has it all wrong. What looks good and what works are often two different things.... 19" wheels on an all wheel drive car is a joke. The prius with 17's is a joke as well IMHO.....

 

Unless you like the better handling the 17s grant you.