Is there any hope of getting winter tires on the stock size wheels for Prius Prime XSE with 19"? Mine was purchased in 2023 so coming up on two years and was thinking maybe by now there would be more selection of winter tires, or at least decent all season, better than the Toyo that came with it. Or any other tire size options that would fit on the 19" wheels and not cause a problem? I know some here bit the bullet and swapped out to 17" but I would prefer to avoid that cost and headache. Any thoughts on what to do appreciated. Car is still pretty good with just going over 20,000 miles, although had a long warranty repair issue related to a sensor in the steering wheel. Dealer finally got it fixed.
I would look for a set of 16 or 17 inch tires with rims compatible with your Prius. That would tend to be more available and less expensive. JeffD
Yes. The Michelin X-Ice Snow has been available in the the stock 195/50-19 size since late December of 2023. I got my set installed in Jan of '24 and love them. Absolutely a top-tier snow tire. Roughly $900/set on Tire Rack, though you might be able to shave around $100 off that price with seasonal promotional prices.
Been Running Toyo GSi-6 OEM size 195/50 R19 for the winter on the OEM rims Run Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 225/50 R18 for Spring, Summer and Fall on Enkei Phantoms 40 offset.
To clarify, you're thinking to use the stock 19" rims, have them mounted and balanced twice yearly? That can be a cost and headache. I'd chime in: consider getting extra rims, compatible 17" would be optimum. Snow tires in that stock size are pretty spotty as well, but definitely easier to deal with snows on separate rims. Where in the United States are you, say what State?
I bought a new set of 16" aluminum wheels to go with my new snow tires on my new car. Cheaper than buying 19" snow tires and paying someone to swap rubber every 6 months.
Try Tirerack. I picked up a great set of Michelin Ice X's for my 2024 LXE (19"). They even shipped them directly to my dealership who changed them over for me. I'm going to have them put the stock tires back on in May. Here's the Link: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=X-Ice+Snow&partnum=95HR9XIS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2024&autoModel=Prius&autoModClar=XLE
New England. I should clarify, I do not want to be swapping out two sets of tires. I just want to be able to get a decent snow rated tire like Michelin Cross Climate2, for example. And it seems that unless I spend some money to go down to 17 inch rims, that if I stick with the stock rims that came with the car the tire selection is still woefully limited. Oh well, thanks for all the responses. I will just keep off the roads in big storms, they get cleaned up pretty quick anyway.
Ahh, so what you actually want is an all-weather tire, not a winter tire. You are correct that there are no all-weather tires that fit on the stock 19" wheels. (If there were, I'd already have a set.) Your choices are: 1. Live with the Toyos in winter. (I wouldn't, but that's a decision you need to make based on your conditions and needs.) 2. Buy a set of 195/50-19 X-Ice Snows and swap tires on your original rims twice a year. (I did this for a bit and don't recommend it; the wheels should be rebalanced every time, and it's hard on the wheels to have the weights pried off and reattached again and again, And that's assuming the tire guy even gets the rebalancing correct.) 3. Buy the X-Ice Snows and a second set of wheels. (Best option, but spendy. I got lucky and got a spare set of wheels for free.) 4. Buy a set of 17" wheels(OEM or aftermarket) and get a set of all-weather tires that are reasonably close to 195/60-17. Options listed below. (Best choice for those that don't put on a lot of miles or don't want the hassle of swapping wheels/tires twice a year.) 5. Buy a set of 17" wheels and a set of X-Ice Snows in 195/60-17. Top quality 17" all-weather options for a stock 17" wheel(none are a perfect fit, but are close enough): 205/55-17 (borderline, but they'll work) - Michelin CrossClimate2 - Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 215/55-17 (better in circumference, but worse for mpg) - Michelin CrossClimate2 - Nokian Remedy WRG5 - Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 215/60-17 (very slightly worse than above) - Nokian Remedy WRG5 - Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 The Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive is a very good tire, but it doesn't come in a compatible size. The Bridgestone WeatherPeak is okay, but I wouldn't choose it over the others in the list. The Vredstein Quatrac is probably good, but it isn't made in a compatible size either.
Excellent summary of my options, thanks. I think I will try to make it through one more winter with the Toyo stock tires, and then it will be time to replace them, will have gotten a good bit of their life. Once I do that, how bad would it be to just run the X-Ice snow tire year round? I know they would wear more quickly, but I don't put a lot of miles on a care anymore, something like 10K per year. So if that is the only real downside, seems like a reasonable option.
X-Ice are very smooth, drive like all-seasons. You can use year ‘round. If you’re heading into winter and they’re under 6/32” I’d replace.
