Gen III Winter Wheel Suggestions?

You might get an answer quicker if you do a search yourself... Also where you live and drive in Winter directly relates to what you need to buy! Also know that Google is always way more accurate/relevant than the search functions on a website...

It's easy! Go to Google and type in:

site: priuschat.com GenIII winter wheels

Than spend some time reading and learning from the most popular post on the subject!

Point being if you want to succeed at buying something you won't regret you have to do your own homework. Either that or go to your local Toyota dealer and ask them, they'll be sure to charge you three times as much... Or go to your local tire and wheel store and pay twice as much...

Or do lotsa homework and find wheels for sale on here or on ebay or at a used wheel store/junk yard and then find a great deal on the best winter tires for your driving conditions and then spend the next five years laughing and bragging about how you paid 1/2 as much as everyone else because you're smart and did your homework...

That's what DIY is all about! That's what PriusChat is all about...

 

PS: Maybe PriusChat wouldn't have 364 posts about this topic if people didn't post their question before making an earnest effort looking for an answer?

I've found that the best place to ask a question that gets a rapid answer is in the existing threads rather than in a new post... As in people with the most knowledge on your subject matter get an immediate notification when you post in a thread they have posted in.

 

The stock 15" size on Corrolla steel rims (black) works fine when your oem is the 17". I did that, with Michelin X-Ice, used regular open ended galvanized nuts, no tpms. You could Corrolla wheel cover on I guess; I just left them plain.

 

A 16" wheel will not provide more ground clearance if you plus size correctly, I.e. you size the tire so the outside diameter is the same as the OE 15" tire. If you want more ground clearance and a little more safety then keep the 15" wheel because they are cheap and go with a 205/65/15. It is 1/2" larger in diameter and won't screw up the speedo too badly.if you are set on 16s you may be able to use a 205/60/16 tire for .7" larger tire. This assumes you are not lowering the car otherwise you could run into clearance issues. Personally I feel a 195/65/15 Michelin XIce Xi3 would work just fine unless you definitely need more ground clearance.

 

A wider tire is a disadvantage in snow and slush. A narrow tire with an open tread design cuts through the crud and reaches the pavement for grip. Siping helps grip when you're driving on packed snow and ice. The rubber compound used in winter tires maintains flexibility in cold temperatures. Factory painted alloy wheels generally provide the best corrosion resistance, but they are hard to keep clean due to all the nooks & crannies. I opted for using my factory 15" wheels for winter tires and bought a nice set of aftermarket 15" wheels for summer use.

 

True but you can't really go any taller with the 195 tire so you have to step up to a 205. I agree otherwise.

 

Gen 3 wheel suggestions? My suggestions are that you keep all four wheels on the road at all times and enjoy the improved economy compared to other cars on the road.