17" Rims on Gen II (Pics)

I second all of this.

I haven't had one traction control/handling issue since these went on.

My MPG has stayed the same or gone up...but I credit that to anything being better than the OEM tires.

 

I will likely be getting new shoes when I need new tires. Could be a longgg time though.

 

This is one of the best looking Prius I found. This is not my vehicle, but if your interested in rims, these look good.

 

It's going to more than a 1-2MPG hit unless you like to kid yourself and not make careful calculations. lol

 

I second F8L on this... even when I was running with the stock Gen III OEM 17's, I experienced a 4-6 MPG drop. If you're comfortable with the mileage hit, I say definitely swap out the rims. I think the Prius looks better with upsized tires anyways. If you looking for less of a mileage hit, maybe consider 16s with LRR tires. I switched mine out for lightweight 16s and now experiencing a true 1-2 MPG hit (calculated).

 

^ what lightweight 16s are you running?

 

I'm rolling on Motegi Traklite 16x6.5. They are roughly 12.1 lbs each. Tires are Conti ContactPro at 20lbs each. I believe my current set up is actually lighter (or the same weight) as the Gen III OEM 15 set up.

Link to pictures from the So Cal meet. In the picture with the two WGMs, mine is on the right. I defnitely need some spacers to push the wheels out a bit further.
http://priuschat.com/forums/local-c...al-prius-meet-pix-02-26-11-a.html#post1273555
My size is not listed, but here is a listing of the wheel weights for their more common sizes:
Motegi Trak Lite Wheels Rims from Tire Factory

 

I have some 17" OZ superlegara left from my Celica I will probably try to put on my 06 prius just to see the difference I'll post photos when finished.

 

Thanks. It's too hard to see in the picture however. Traklites 1.0 or 2.0? I was considering those long ago.

 

Traklite 1.0. Yeah, the matte black doesn't show up very well in pictures.

 

I wouldn't trust your math or analytical skills with a 10' pole.

If you are happy then that is all that matters but please do correct calculations and try to be as scientific as possible when you measure your MPG changes or else your information is misleading to people who care about MPG. I'm not slamming you here. I just want to keep things honest and as accurate as possible.

 

Luckily for me, I found someone selling the Traklites on craigslist. They were brand new and unused for $500 (for all 4). I also found another seller on craigslist selling the Conti tires, brand new take offs, for $300. So all in all $800 for a set of new rims and tires. Guess I made out okay.

 

Phazon makes great points. His math might not be accurate but I definitely get the idea.

The best thing to do is go with a rim that you love and matches the car. I've been searching for a year+. It's so hard to match Magnetic Gray.

 

Sweet deal!

His only point is that he bought something used and saved a bunch of money. The take home message is that he still lost MPG and is still in the red when compared to the stock setup. If the choice is between buying a used setup that gets worse MPG or a new setup that reduces the MPG lost but costs a grip more than he obviously made the wisest choice.

 

+1!! People ask me all the time why I bother modding my Prius. And this is what I tell them:

Consider a teenager who has been privileged all his life. He knows he's going to college so when he gets there, it's hardly special for him. He'll graduate but might not stand out among his class. In other words, his education had not done much for him.

Now consider a teenager who grows up in poverty. He dreams of college but knows that realistically, it's out of his reach. Then give that kid a full scholarship. He's not going to squander his education. He might even end up more successful than the privileged child. In other words, his education made a huge difference in his life.

Now whose education was more valuable? Obviously, the second teenager. He started at the bottom and nobody expected him to succeed.

Modifying a Prius is the same principle: it needs it the most. When you modify a BMW for looks, you aren't doing much for it. After all, a sports car will look good on its own. But when you modify a Prius, you are transforming an ugly duckling into the swan princess or whatever. Much more dramatic, and much cooler. In fact, side-by-side it might look even better than that BMW.

.....
After I explain all this, people say, "oh yeah your car looks better than that one [other Priuses]." Well no shit.