What size tires to get?

Hey CoolWind, plug your options into this web site:

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

And then you're the expert!

One goal is to keep the same overall tire diameter (205/45/16 does not achieve this). Another is that all that wide rubber must fit into the wheel well for all sterring angles and suspension travel.

Even though I have only the classic Prius, I doubt that 205 width tires are going to fit in the front.

 

You're going to spend a lot of money for new wheels and tires, and instead of obtaining a notable improvement in handling you'll most likely see a decrease in fuel economy. The stock wheels are made of aluminum for lighter weight and the stock tires are low rolling resistance and good for at least 40,000 miles. I would leave well enough alone and spend more wisely the money saved on gas.

 

I did try the 195H60X15 tires, Michelin Hydroedge, and the mileage difference was about the same as the 185H65X15 Hydroedge that I ended up with after about a month with wider tires. I think the wider tires handled better and probably should have kept them. But I thought the 185's would be better on gas mileage. After all was said and done, I got about the same mpg's with the both sizes and very little difference from the Goodyears, maybe 1-2 mpg at the very most (if any at all). I have heard of others here that tried 195 or 205 size with other brands, like Bridgestone, claim a 15-20% drop.

 

As I recall the Prius Wheels are about 14 pounds (6.5 kg).

They are also designed to have a very low mass on the outside of the rims to decrease inertia.

 

Just for the record, European Priuses - which all come with 16 inch wheels as standard - take 195/55R16 size tyres.

I believe the standard OEM tyre is the Michelin Pilot Primacy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(allenlux\";p=\"58375)</div>

And according to an article I read, the std size in Australia is 195H60X15 and some type of Michelin too I think. In spite of the larger size, the article still mentioned some bad manners, wandering, at freeway speeds with cross winds.

 

8) I changed my tire from the OEM’s to Goodyear Comfort Treads 185/65/15’s.

Ben

 

Your dialogue was quite helpful, so I decided to share my 2006 Prius tire upgrade experience.
I am pleased to report that the Falken ZE-512B 195/60/15 88H have greatly improved handling at the cost of 1-2 MPG at highway speeds. The Prius seems to be less affected by cross winds, but the tires did not solve the tendency to wander. This report is after 1K miles on the OEM tires and 1K on the Falkens.

My Prius handling complaints included numb feedback, the lack of road grip, the car’s constant need of corrections to follow a line at highway speeds and particular squirrelyness when encountering cross-winds.
I felt Toyota went too far in optimizing gas mileage (reducing load margins in the interest of less rotational intertia and minimal tire friction) compromising drivability. With the OEM GY Integrity 185/65/15 86S, the car felt like it was riding on over-inflated over-burdened balloons. I was willing to trade a couple of MPG in exchange for addressing the aforementioned woes. I sought a stiffer, better connected ride without excessive noise.

After doing my research, (Tirerack site, Priuschat and CU) the Falken’s seemed to have the best compromise of (in order) wet handling and wet braking, rolling resistance, noise, steering feel, wear, price, tire weight and ride comfort. The runner up’s (not in any order) included Bridgestone Turanza LS-H, Bridgestone RE950 and G009, Michelin Energy MXV4, GY Assurance Triple Tred, Michelin X Radial DT, Yokohama Avid TRZ and Avid H4S, and Kumho ASX. I valued comparative test results much higher than survey’s.

Riding on the Falken ZE-512B 195/60/15, the Prius feels much better connected and more capable in turns. The car plows less, much of the steering nebulousness is gone. Corrected measurements indicate a 1-2 MPG hit at highway speeds and no measured difference below 50MPH. I am happy to give up 1 MPG in combined driving in exchange for the handling improvements. The Falken’s are almost as quiet at the OEM GY’s with a subtle whir heard from 20-30 MPH. Wind and other noise obscures the whir by 35 MPH. For the record, the Prius is somewhat less affected by crosswinds, so the new rubber improved but did not completely solve that issue. The car still tends to want deviate from the selected line and needs too vigilant attention to maintain the desired path in both straights and turns. I suspect the cause lies somewhere between alignment, body flex, and aerodynamics.

 

BT Tech stiffening plate. It's not a placebo -- it's the real deal.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(allenlux @ Dec 18 2004, 03:09 PM) [snapback]58375[/snapback]</div>

Yep,
But I ordered my Prius with All Season tires in the size 205/55 R 16. To be precise: Vredestein Quatrac 2.
The Toyota dealer didn't see any problems so I guess this size will fit fine.
I will know in a few weeks, the car is scheduled to arrive at the dealer on 21 april, than wait another week and a half before delivery.

 

I have Yokohama AVID H4Ss on at 195/60R15 which are only 2 pounds heavier per tire and a minor drop in road noise vs the Integrities. Tirerack says these are 855 revolutions so exactly the same as OEM.

A few K miles broken in now and no mpg losses I can attribute beyond 1MPG, but vastly many times improvement in traction especially in rain.

Had an incident where this large truck lost traction and swerved left and right over 3 lanes during some heavy SoCal rains directly in front of me in the carpool lane, while myself at the same speeds was gripping fine. Good thing the guy was able to not jack knife or flip, and only rubbed up against some Mercedes that decided it was a good idea to try to pass on the right.