Tire Size Recommendation (for a significant off-road time)

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Boulder, Jan 17, 2022.

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  1. Boulder

    Boulder New Member

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    Hello Prius chat!

    I've been lurking for a while, but I finally have a question that I cannot find a simple answer for. I just got a Prius v, and I noticed I going to need to replace them soon. I have seen many recommendations on here, though not many for my specific situation.

    Long story short - I would like to be able to take my Prius most places (obviously within reason), and not have to worry much about whether I have the right tire or not. I know that there is never a perfect tire, and there are trade offs to consider while shopping for tires, but I am wondering about a few things:
    • I am getting the Prius off-road lift kit for the Prius v, and I am wondering if this affects my options for tire size.
    • My friend recently ordered 205/65 for his gen 3 regular Prius, and discount tire said it fits his vehicle, but that same size won't fit the Prius v?
    • I like the idea of having more width to the tire, as there would be more tire for traction when going off road. This intuitively makes sense, but I am not sure about how this works out in real life.
    • My priorities are:
      • Off road capability (but not at a crazy significant loss of MPGs) I'm willing to take like a 10% hit or maybe a bit more
      • MPGs
      • Longevity
    With all this in mind, would anyone be willing to recommend a tire? Or even better, a tire size that's better than stock for a bit more off-road capability?

    I think a Michelin cross climate or defender is probably the best due to tread length, but I am open to other suggestions on brands. Honestly, I am wondering what width of tire I can get away with! I would have liked to get the 205/65's, but I'm worried that they won't fit. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Open to all suggestions!
     
    #1 Boulder, Jan 17, 2022
  2. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    My wild guess is:
    Get tires with an aggressive thread design intended for "off road" use in, or very close to, the stock size.
    And take whatever "bad" that comes along with that choice. You can't have it both ways.

    A wider tire probably is not a good choice because it may not scrape anything UNTIL you hit a big bump with the wheels turned.
    And there is no easy way to do a good test for that.
     
    #2 sam spade 2, Jan 18, 2022
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Fugedaboutit?

    Nobody wants to say that, it smacks of negative. But yeah, a Prius is a Prius.
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Jan 18, 2022
  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    What is this BS about "negativity" lately ?
    Negative does NOT equal bad.

    I have no problem telling someone that they have a really BAD idea.
    That is not being "negative", it is telling the truth.
     
    #4 sam spade 2, Jan 18, 2022
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, but Sam: you do it with relish. :ROFLMAO:
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jan 18, 2022
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  6. Boulder

    Boulder New Member

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    Haha I understand what I'm asking for is silly.. thanks for the reply! I see you on like every post. I went from a Volvo XC 90 that got 14 mpg and only took premium, so I'm already getting more than double the mpgs, which is great! But I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with tires that can be more capable going on light rocky trails.
     
    #6 Boulder, Jan 18, 2022
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  7. Boulder

    Boulder New Member

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    Replying to your earlier comment - Ok, like I said in my post - I'm aware I can't have it both ways and there isn't the perfect tire for all priorities. Thanks for the suggestion though, I just assumed a tire with an aggressive bumpy tread would kill mpg.

    With the priusoffroad lift, my friend and I went up a mountain with some pretty large cobbles near the border of Canada in WA, and his Prius did surprisingly well. It inspired me to get one too, and try to outfit it the best I could within reason. I guess I can just slap off-road tires on it without much research, but that isn't the smartest way to do research is it? Idk, maybe it wasn't a good idea to post here.. thanks anyways

    Replying to your second comment - it's cool. It was just a question. You know, it's possible to comment without being a negative 'truth-teller'. Mendel is a great example of that. At least your comment might drive up engagement so more people that know about what I'm asking might see it, so thanks for that.(y)
     
    #7 Boulder, Jan 18, 2022
  8. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    In many cases it isn't.
    How do you say, for instance, that is a BAD idea......without actually saying "That is a bad idea". ?
    And why should one have to make an extra effort to sugar coat it ??

    It is also possible to read a "negative" response without taking it as a personal insult intended to start a fight.

    So.....how about this:
    What do you hope to gain by getting "off road" tires ?
    Given what you have said already about your anticipated use, ones designated for off-road might not really gain you anything significant.
    Except maybe it should ensure you something like a 6 ply belt rating......which you might be able to get without the aggressive tread of an actual off-road tire. I don't know. Just an idea.
     
    #8 sam spade 2, Jan 19, 2022
  9. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Sam is being nice in this thread so far. Normally he harasses and insults on a more personal basis.

    A standard Prius uses 15" wheels while a standard Prius v uses 16". So you can't use the exact same tires. I am sure Discount Tire can recommend a more aggressive tread that will fit a v.

    Personally I would not routinely off road a v. It has a typical front wheel drive differential that will lose traction easily. The v does have a higher numerical final drive ratio which is a plus, but the engine, inverter and brake booster all have design flaws which can be well over $2k each to repair. So taking it easy on a 2012 v is a good idea for long term reliability.
     
    #9 rjparker, Jan 19, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2022
  10. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Not to mention that anything but a LRR tire degrades achievable MPG. I doubt you will find a Dick Cepek in LRR.
     
    #10 Air_Boss, Jan 19, 2022
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    You mean like the totally inaccurate claim that you just made ?
    :)
     
    #11 sam spade 2, Jan 19, 2022
  12. Veloandy

    Veloandy New Member

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    Boulder! I was wondering the exact same thing and the responses to this thread have been totally unhelpful so far.

    Have you seen the Prius Off-road’s FAQ? (I’m a newb on this forum so I can’t post the link) It says you can fit a +2-inch overall diameter tire after adding the lift (which makes sense after adding a 1.5 inch lift).

    Your V came with 16 or 17 inch wheels.The first post on page 3 of the “prius-v-considering-swapping-wheels-for-15-or-different-17-tires-advice-appreciated” thread says a guy fit 15-inch steel wheels from a Corolla fit on his V and they didn’t interfere with the brakes or anything.

    For dirt roads I prefer a smaller-diameter wheel with taller sidewall tires - the tall sidewall absorbs bumps better and protects the wheels from damage. The trade off is tall sidewall tires squirm more on pavement so your car won’t handle as crisply on smooth asphalt (which is no big deal if this isn’t your autocross car).

    That’s in addition to the trade off of larger overall diameter wheels throwing off your speedometer/odometer and heavier wheels/tires impacting gas mileage. (Both of which seem like fine and dandy trade offs to me in order to have a 40+ mpg car that can tackle dirt roads without breaking a sweat!)

    The best width and tread pattern depend on the terrain. For reasonably solid dirt roads, stock-width all season tires are a great choice IMHO. If you expect to deal with a lot of sand, mud, ice, or snow it’s a different story.

    So decide on your wheel diameter, go to an online tire calculator/comparison tool, and pick out a tire size in a similar width and +2 inch diameter. The tire comparison helps visualize the tire size. For example, if your V came with 17-inch wheels and 215/50/17 tires, you could get 15-inch wheels and run 205/75/15 (+1.6 inch diameter) or 215/75/15 (+2.2 inch diameter— maybe too big and maybe will rub). Then buy tires with the tread pattern for you terrain.

    Let us know what you get and how it does on your adventures!

    Good luck and great idea!
     
    #12 Veloandy, Jan 30, 2022
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