Tires size possible deal breaker on 2023 Prius?

I'm in the same boat. Ultimately I'm hoping I can fit 205/65/R16 tires on 16 inch rims because it's a much more universal size with a close diameter.

Supposedly the 19 and 17 inch sizes are common in Japan, but that doesn't really help us here in North America.

 

When Japanese cars calling for 0w16 motor oil first arrived in the US, the dealer was your only source for it. Now you have your choice of brands in the likes of Walmart.

The sizes being common in Japan means they aren't like the tires for the i3, whose tires likely fit the 19in rims. That is not unique. Options will arrive.

 

Yeah, I have the same problem in Europe. I am trying to find a decent 195/60R17 tire, but other than Michelin Primacy 4, I pretty much did not find anything, plus I found ZERO winter tires with these dimensions ...
Even finding a decent aero styled wheels turn out to be quite a time-consuming challenge, as most of the aerodynamic ones are 19" or even bigger (Borbet AeroTec).
What do you think of 17" OZ Rally Racing on a Prius? :-D

 

I think you’re right. This new generation of Prius is definitely getting noticed, and the big tire makers for the North American market are $urely paying attention too.

 

IIRC from the photos, the tires on the car were made by one of those big tire companies. Somebody already importing tires to these other markets, and likely from the same factory.

 

Had a bolt go through the tread destroying the tire while on a trip to a major metropolitan area. Car had been in use a year with 3k miles. Went to call around and get a replacement as I was 300 miles from home with an 8 year old accompanying me on a sightseeing trip. There were only two available and it took three days, the entire planned trip, before I could get the single tire replaced.

So I judge: legitimate concern.

 

Rare tire sizes are a drag.

But @Trollbait has a point: often they don't stay rare.

That just means it's too early to tell, for this particular trim with its tire size. Buy the version with common 17" tires if you're worried.

 

i can't see anyone making or importing tires that only fit a car selling 35,000 units/year.

i would rather have the tyres available first, then buy the car

 

I think I remember reading in one of the threads where somebody posted the new owners manual that it made a few references to the 19" wheels not being appropriate for winter driving due to the low profile tires. I'm getting the feeling that you would have a hard time finding winter tires in that size and you'll probably need to find a set of 17" wheels for cold weather. Hopefully there are aftermarket wheels out there that'll still fit (maybe with the right spacer) and can take a more standard tire size. At least for winter tires.

 

I have the same concern. LE size is 195/60 R17, but I can't find one anywhere. It is definitely an oddball. Tried Tirerack, Bridgestone, Tirebuyer, Discount/America's Tire, Michelin and GoodYear. No luck. (Will the Toyota dealer be the only potential source? What if you get a flat? Where do you get snows or All-Weather tires? etc.)

This WILL be a problem. I drive cross-country road trips. The fix-a-flat kit is a joke, and a temporary compact spare is useless 100+ miles from the nearest tire shop (Toyota or otherwise). What I'm thinking now is that buying the car has to be contingent on receiving at least one extra tire upon delivery. No telling if Toyota will even sell me one. It doesn't even need to be mounted. For a long road trip I could keep it in the back seat, knowing I could get it mounted pretty much anywhere.

p.s. even the wheel-size web site Rim and Tire-Size Calculator is stumped when looking for plus/minus-size tires, reporting "Selected OE wheel/tire size is unfeasible"

 

FYI, Bridgestone already makes a Blizzak VRX3 non-studded winter tire in both Prius sizes for the Japanese market, so at least that part is just a distribution issue rather than a manufacturing one. Granted that the Blizzak wouldn't be my first winter tire choice(Hakkapeliitta or X-Ice Snow), but one choice is better than none.

195/60R17　サイズ　検索結果 - タイヤを探す（乗用車用） - 株式会社ブリヂストン
195/50R19　サイズ　検索結果 - タイヤを探す（乗用車用） - 株式会社ブリヂストン

Toyo has now updated their Japanese website with the OEM Prius tires. Yokohama's Japanese website seems to be down, so I can't check to see if they already have tires in the needed sizes.

PROXES Comfort IIs（プロクセス・コンフォート ツーエス）｜タイヤ製品情報・検索｜TOYO TIRES（トーヨータイヤ）製品サイト


At the moment, there seem to be several acceptable(but not perfect) options for cold climate situations depending on which trim level you get and whether you prefer one set of wheels or two(this is assuming safety over mpg). Mix and match the sizes according to your preferences.

17"
195/60R17 - Toyo all-season(stock OEM)
195/60R17 - Blizzak VRX3 (winter)
205/55R17 - Hakkapeliitta R5 or 10, X-Ice Snow (winter)
205/55R17 - CrossClimate 2 (all-weather year round)

19"
195/50R19 - Toyo all-season(stock OEM)
195/50R19 - Blizzak VRX3 (winter)

If you put a gun to my head right now, I would go with stock Toyo 19" for summer(I plan to get a XSE Premium) and 17" Hakk R5 or X-Ice for winter. If Michelin comes out with a CC2, Pilot Sport A/S or X-Ice Snow that fits on the stock 19" wheel, that would change my choices, as well as Nokian coming out with a 19" compatible WR G4 or Hakkapeliitta R5. I typically put on less than 10k miles a year, so a single all-weather tire makes better economical sense for me, but safety is more important to me if a top all-weather tire is not available in 195/50R19.

edit: fixed a tire size from 215 to 205

 

The i3 has odd tire sizes. Four actually as there are two wheel sizes available, and the front and rear tires have different widths. When the car arrived, it was dealer only for the tires, but now the major tire stores can get them.

Those sizes were unique. BMW had to have a tire company make them to their specs. The tire sizes on the new Prius aren't unique. Other cars use them in Japan. They just aren't used in the US now. Only dealers will have them at first, but availability will improve. If that availability at first is a concern, then wait. There are other good reasons to not buy a new model the first year.

There is even snow tires for these sizes in Japan. Maybe snow chain options is something to look into until the tires become available.

Not sure how low profile alone would be bad for driving in snow or ice.

I carry a plug kit and portable compressor in the car. Have made several repairs. The kit states they are temporary repairs only, but I've driven on them for years. One needed to be replugged after a couple years when it developed a slow leak.

 

those tires will be like the prius battery has been for 20 years, a thorn in the nice person.

deals will be hard to come by, even after availability improves. choices will be limited, and other manufacturers aren't going to make an odd size for a niche market. choice will be lacking

 

How about Yokohama BluEarth Winter?

 

So if one had to pick between the 17 inch and the 19 inch for eventual replacement, which is better. Board seems to think size 17 tires will be a little easier to replace or match up.

 

i have no idea. i'd want the ones that give the smoothest, quietest ride. but for replacement availability, it doesn't look like either is better.
people may scoff now, but tyres are a big issue here. there are hundreds of different threads, and a wide variety of replacement tyres up until gen5.

 

The 195/60R17 are hard to find, but the 195/50R19 seem harder to find (and would probably give a worse ride anyway)

A possible alternative to the 195/60R17 is 205/55/R17...?

 

215/55R17 would be close, with OD 26.3". (not sure what's available in that)*

The 195/50R19 size, fwiw, has an OD of 26.7".

* What ho:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=215%2F&ratio=55&diameter=17

 

The answer is meaningless right now unless you need snow tires. Unless you put on over 30k miles a year, it's going to be a minimum of three to four years before you're going to need to buy replacement tires; maybe as many as five to seven years if you don't drive much. Nobody here has a crystal ball to tell you which tire sizes are going to be available by then.

Those of us in cold climates are a little more pressed for time because we will need winter tires in about nine months if we buy a new Prius this year. But if you only need all-season tires, you've got loads and loads and loads of time(barring a catastrophic flat).