Winter Tire Size for Prius IV

get some used rims (probably from here) & buy some new winter tires/
or get a used (like new) set from here (sales section)/
I wouldn't buy nething from craigslist; the risk is too high that someone treated the tires badly (like drive over curbs real quick) & the tire is internally damaged, but looks good on the outside/
what if you put just a wtb (want to buy) post in the sales section here?

size is P195/65R15

 

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Snow tires in your stock 195/65R15 tire size are best, really the only way to go. There are a lot of snow tire choices. I went with Michelin X-Ice. They may not be the best in deep snow, but they're decent, and quiet, good on bare pavement. All the snow tires will have the mountain/snowflake symbol, be sure to verify that. And read up, lots of snow tire reviews on the net.

While it's possible to just pull off your regular tires and have snow tires mounted, and then reverse the process in the spring, the "smart money" is to get separate rims for your snow tire, either aftermarket alloy rims, or steel rims.

I went with the latter, used:

Corolla steel rim, part no: 42611-02471 (2003-2008 corolla or matrix, CE, LS, S)
steel rim lug nuts, part no: 90942-01007 (plain, open-ended, galvanized)

Toyota rims such as the corolla rim above have hub openings that fit exactly. Aftermarket rims will have oversized openings, require adapter rings. Not the end of the world, but worth something I think. When I purchased, the rims were $70 apiece (new), and the lug nuts were around $30 in total. It's technically possible to use the stock nuts, but they will look odd, sticking out.

I believe in the 'States it's mandated that you have to have functioning TPMS sensors? If it's possible to avoid this, I would. TPMS sensors will rival the rims for cost, and will be an ongoing hassle/expense: with every swap you have to reestablish the car/sensor connection. I believe the dealerships charge around $100 for this.

 

yep, can only recommend tirerack/
bought a set last winter for my wife's subaru/

 

THAT would be my choice..../
(shipping is probably between $130-$150, nevertheless, should be cheaper than buying local neway)

 

One thing with the steel rims, the open centre hub shows the rusty innards, doesn't look very good. I tried capping it with a "2 abs end cap" last winter (you can pick them up at places like home depot). The cap is a loose fit (on the Corolla rim). By first pushing on a makeshift rubber band (made by snipping off a section from and old bicycle inner tube), and then pushing on the cap, it was a snug, secure fit.

 

Yes, you should have snow tires in NH.

Your first step should be to educate yourself on the nomenclature on tires and determine what your requirements will be. TireRack.com - Winter / Snow Tires - Tech Center is a good source of information and also a web site that will sell you tires at a competitive price.

Once you understand what the various markings on a tire are and have determined your requirements, you can begin researching particular brands and the various tires they offer. Use the buyer's reviews to see if the manufactures hype lives up to buyers satisfaction and expectations. Lastly, decide what is within your budget.

For what it's worth, I have bought my summer and snow tires from TireRack since about 2000 and they have been a reliable retailer. For winter tires I have been using Bridgestone Blizzak tires on my 3 Prii and my wife's CRV and Ford Escape. These tires have performed very well in NH snow covered roads while I commuted 80 miles per day. They're not the cheapest, but I find them to be among the best.

 

In the Prius family, there are 15" tyres and 17" tyres. They size the 17" ones so the outside diameter is nearly the same as the 15" tyres - they use a shorter sidewall. So all Prius tyres/wheels fit on all Prius (of the same model - i.e. hatchback). The Prius C and Prius V may be different, so stick with wheels within the model.

For winter you want the larger sidewall, to keep the rim out of the "muck", so the 15" size as listed in the posts above.

DO inflate your winter tyres to the proper spec. Don't use lower pressures thinking it will help the tires to "float" over the snow. Proper pressure allows the tyre to expel snow from the tread.

Finally, while proper winter tyres make a BIG difference, don't put on your "superman suit". It's still slippery, you can still slide into things! Keep it slow and steady.