I just picked up a 2010 Prius and am noticing that the wheels do not have those plastic covers like my v does. Toyota tells me that my v has them for fuel economy. Does the standard Prius have them as well? I'm Not sure if the dealer removed them or not. Also, if fuel economy is affected does anyone think it would be worth the $50 on ebay to get another set? I like the wheels the way they are, but I will put caps on them if fuel economy is worsened much. Thank you Mike
Yes, your car would have come with the plastic wheel covers. I put up with them for a couple of years but couldn't bring myself to put them back on when I pulled the winter tires and wheels last spring. I haven't noticed a significant drop in fuel mileage and feel much better about the appearance of the car. For owners of 2012 and later models, please understand that the 2010 - 2011 models have silver painted alloy wheels under the wheel covers. Do you have center caps on the wheels? I opted to install Toyota center caps to finish things off.
I pulled the covers off about 3 days after getting our 2011. Looks better, and no appreciable drop in mpg. I also purchased centercaps. EBay has them for much lower than the dealer price. FYI, you can use either Prius or Yaris centercaps, they are the same size. Four New Toyota Corolla Yaris Prius Wheel Center Caps Chrome 42603 52110 | eBay
You may be getting confusing answers because your profile lists a v but you are speaking of a 2010, a year where there was no v wagon. I pulled the hubcaps off my '12 v wagon's wheels and installed ebay center caps. I have no scientific evidence that the mileage is affected. I doubt your dealer has any evidence either. The spoke wheels that were underneath the hubcaps have remained remarkably clean for silver colored wheels, little to no brake dust which confirms how little the Prius line uses the brakes. Your '10 car's previous owner may have pulled them off and they may be stuck in his garage like mine are.
Proper wheel covers or rim designs do have an effect on fuel economy. It is miniscule, however. I doubt you will get $50 savings over their lifetime.
Thanks, that is answer I was hoping for. I already own a v wagon and just got the standard 10' last night. I tried to change it in my profile but it doesn't seem to allow for more than one at a time. Thanks for the help. Off to ebay to get those center caps.
You could add a signature line listing the details of both cars to make it clear you have two and what they are. That would post every time you post just as, for example, my fuelly numbers will post below this message. Only your signature lines would be in text.
