Hey, so I really like the Michelin Defender tires, as I've had them on previous vehicles. My Prius comes with 195/55/16, which the defenders dont fit. The defenders fit rims of 195/65/15. Would it be okay to switch the rims? I have a tire company that's willing to do trade-in credit for my rims and my brand new tires I just bought from another store. So I would be going down an inch in the rims. The speedometer reads +2/3 mph at 50+ mph, and I have a mechanic that can correct the speed with the rim change. Would this be a good thing to do for the sake of the mileage of the tire or no? What are the benefits of the two tire sizes? Thanks in advance! Garron T
The stock 15" gen II tire is 185/65R15. Michelin Premier and Defender come in that size: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2007&autoModel=Prius&autoModClar=&width=185%2F&ratio=65&diameter=15&sortCode=37550&skipOver=true&minSpeedRating=S&minLoadRating=S
In my opinion, ABSOLUTELY not worth the time and trouble and money......even if they do fit OK. Find a Michelin model that does fit your present rims and learn to love them too.
see if 205 50r16 is available. better traction, negligible mpg hit. they should improve speedo accuracy and look better too.
I'm doing 195/65 R15 It is more stable than stock size and also corrects speedometer error a bit. It's comfortable but not good for handling if you drive aggressively. I would suggest you go for 205/55R16 or 205/60R15. I think these are balanced options to do.
making the speedo inaccurate by design is a stupid idea, but not as stupid as that damn bladder in the fuel tank. I wish I could get a European tank.
Making a speedometer "accurate" is impossible, with variations in tread diameters, tire diameters reducing as the tire wears, and so on. So they err on the side of safety; they never want you to think you're going slower than you actually are, to be speeding due to an low speedo. That's a fool's mission though. I'd rather keep my odometer reasonably accurate, but whatever floats your boat.
Your 195/55-16 tires are 24.4" in diameter, prius wants 25" in diameter for correct speedometer readings. 195/60/16 tires are 25.2" in diameter. 205/55-16 tires are 24.8" in diameter. I'd go with the 195/60-16" tires, better mpg's.
