I’m aware that the matter of spare tires for Prius that don’t come with them has been discussed extensively. However, I’ve looked at all the threads and have not found an answer to the question of what size spare tire (if any) is compatible with the 2019 AWD-e XLE model. My daughter inherited this car from my mom a couple summers ago when my mom had to move into assisted living. My daughter has now completed her first year of college—so come August, now that she will be allowed to have a car on campus, we will be making the long drive from Seattle to upstate New York in this vehicle. I’m not keen on her relying on the fix-a-flat system that comes with the car (I own a Prius Prime with the same setup, and have benefited twice already from lugging around a spare tire that I bought on eBay). However, based on the research I’ve done, because this car is an AWD it seems to be more difficult to fit with a spare. I checked this site, which calculates the best spare tire fit based on the regular tire size, and for an AWD with 195/65R15 tires it says 125/80R17 is an “excellent” size—but the spare size called out in the manual, 125/70D17, is “high risk.” However, none of the Toyota-compatible spare tires I have found on eBay are 125/80R17—and doing a general web search I found very little info on any spare tires of this size. So I have to conclude that (1) the spare tire calculator is wrong, (2) the AWD Prius should never have a non-full-size tire installed for any duration, or (3) I am misunderstanding/overthinking this. Would appreciate input from anyone has dealt with this situation specifically as it relates to the 2019 AWDe XLE model.
Either 3rd or 4th gen tire sizes, specd in owners manual, will do. The simplest way to find tire sizes in OM: download pdf version (here, under the “manuals” tab), search the pdf for “195/65” to quickly find the tire spec section. while both gen temp spares are compatible, the 3rd gen 16” dia spec is actually closer to stock 195/65R15.
Thanks. I checked the owner’s manual in the glove box before posting. But under certain vehicles covered under that manual, it does not provide specs for a spare tire—it just says “none” (the manual includes various tables for different 2019 models). My concern is that because it’s an AWD vehicle it might be more susceptible to damage. The “Tire Calculator Hub” site I referenced above says that AWD-4WD vehicles have the strictest tolerance. And because we will be driving across long stretches of road with no towns (Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas etc.) I want to make sure we don’t get stuck. I’m tempted to just buy a full-size 195/65R15 wheel, which I can get for $70 at Discount Tire, plus the cheapest tire I can get. It would take up more space, but would be worth it if we have just one mishap. I guess at this point I’m not confident that any spare-size tire will work, unless someone posts on here that they have this exact same AWD-e model and have used a spare with no ill effects.
