Installed 15" MB Wheels "Viper" in an effort to maintain MPG

For Sale - Brand New - Energy Saver A/S tires (195/65/15) | PriusChat

I'm just trying to recoup all of my money and be honest with the $70 rebate. These tires are often hard to come by so I see no need to lose money selling them cheap. Besides, as many tires as I test for PC I am sure someone will take pity on me. LOL

 

Yup. Never cut orange pipe in your attic or walls. You cannot buy replacement pipe or plastic cement at regular stores because of fire code regulations.

 

Well that all depends. If you want show car looks and hellaflush then there are others in here much more knowledgeable. If you want efficiency and tire advice I may be able to help you out.

 

40mpg? Are you running 17" wheels right now or 15" wheels?

1. How long is your daily commute and how many miles do you average per year?
2. How aggressively do you drive?
3. How important is ride quality to you compared to long tread life and performance?
4. Rank these in terms of top priorities:

Fuel Economy or total economic viability (these can be different!)
Tire Life
Wet Grip
Dry Grip
Ride Comfort
Noise

5. Are you set on the idea of larger wheels or are 15" or 16" wheels acceptable?

 

Great! You will be easy to please.


Tires: 215/45/17 Michelin Primacy MXM4 (V)
Wheels: 17x7 or 17x7.5, 40mm-45mm offset, 5x100 bolt pattern

I chose this tire because it is more tire than the average Prius owner needs but still offers decent tread life and fuel efficiency. A more race oriented driver would do better with the Pilot Sport tire. Since you are not a race car driver this tire is more than enough. It's my favorite 17" tire for the Prius. As a bonus, Michelin always offers a $70 rebate when buying 4 tires so this puts the MXM4 at a price point at or below competitors. Costco takes the rebate off your total price. Most other retailers require you to pay full price then you send in the rebate form.

You can read up on it here: Michelin Primacy MXM4

Tire Test Results : Testing New Grand Touring All-Season Tires

As for the wheels, just get whatever you like and can afford but try to stay within the specs I suggested. The lighter the wheel the better but don't get too hung up on weight. Anything at or below 24lbs is fine. The OE 17" Prius and CT200h wheel is 24lbs. There are many nice wheels by Drag that are affordable and light. Go to Discount Tire and play around with their Interactive Wheel System to see what different wheels would look like on your car. See Wheels on Your Vehicle - Discount Tire

 

I knew you were going to recommend them. I thought about as we'll as the Pilot Sport but honestly I think it is overkill. His driving does appear to warrant an ultra high performance tire. It is a great tire though.

 

LOL

I'm not an expert. I have just tried a lot of tires and the rest I read about.

The Potenza doesn't come in the 17" size you would need. I must have confused you with someone who was looking for 17s. If sticking with 15s then yes, the Potenzas will work great and they are cheap. Bridgestone occasionally runs a similar $70 rebate which almost pay for 1 tire!

Just keep in mind that going to a non-LRR tire will drop your fuel economy by as much as 4mpg depending on your choice. If you are ok with that then go for it. LRR tires can be very good but they are rarely as good as a high performance or ultra high performance tire. You have to make sacrifices for fuel economy.