I just purchased a second hand 2007 Prius and it needs new tires. I wish to put on aftermarket wheels to improve the look. As I have been inquiring about wheels for the Prius, I have begun to hear over and over again how the Prius is specifically designed the way it is to maximize fuel economy. With that in mind, I have decided to keep the wheels at 15 inches, but what about tires? I have to replace the tires because they are worn. How much do Low-rolling-resistance tires cost and what kind of deficit in MPG can I see if I go with $60 cheapies tires. BTW, I live in Socal so the weather is always nice in case someone was wondering about winter tires. Has anyone put on wheels on a Prius with different offsets so the tires are flush with the body of the car and not tucked in? If so, what offset will result in the getting the tires to flush with the car or stick out just a bit? I have also tried to get information about the Kenstyle body kit and the impact it has on MPG. If anyone cares to share or point me in the direction of other threads that answer this question then please do as I have been unsuccessful in doing that. Thanks in advance.
In a nutshell, if you want to maintain the stock MPG you are seeing now but with aftermarket wheels then you need to maintain the stock wheel/tire weight AND use a decent low rolling resistance tire. It is that simple. If you stay with a 15" wheel then just make sure it is as light as the stockers and you will be fine. Decent tires that are efficient usually run about $60-$120 per tire depending on how fancy you want to get. I paid about $70/tire for my Nokian i3s and they work great for CA weather. Search the tire threads for more info on tires. All that being said, you can go to a 17" wheel and put a quality low rolling resistance tire on it and not lose too much in efficiency. I see about a 6mpg loss with my 17's but my tires are very heavy and ultra high performance so they are considered very high rolling resistance (Kumho Ecsta ASX, 215-45-17) and that kills my MPG. When these tires wear out I'll look into the Ecopia or something similar for a replacement. The car just looks SOOOO much better with the 17"s vs. the stock wheels. In the grand scheme of things even if you lose 6mpg (50 to 44mpg) going to a 17" wheel you'll only spend approx. *$102/yr more on fuel. * assuming 15,000 miles driven and fuel cost at $2.50/ga
Thanks for the reply. Do your wheels have a greater offset than stocks so the ride flush with the body of the car and look sportier? What offset would get that look anyways?
My wheels have a 42mm offset. The fact that they are wider than stock really improves on the sporty look. I think they look more flush than the stockers but I've never measured it. I am about to go to lunch so I'll take a better look. These pics help illustrate how the wheels fit into the wheel well. Sorry I don't have anything better.
My aftermarket rims didn't really have a tangible impact on my mileage (my driving style has a much greater effect). RAYS CE28n Eco Drive 16x6, Yokohama ADVAN AD008 205/55/16 (21lbs per tire). Will probably drop some fancy RAYS/Volk lugnuts on next summer when I change them out again (on winter/stock set now).
my wheels are 17x7.5 offset 48 (could use some spacers to bring it out a bit)... wheels are really light but my tires are not LRR. (Goodyear's from Japan 215/45/17).. my mpg on this wheel/tire combo is 45-46...
bino - Looks nice. Did you lower the suspension or is that simply the result of a lower profile tire?
i'm getting average 47mpg with city driving. I do a lot of hypermiling and so far i am very very very happy with the results. Why...?! because i am rolling on 19s. I keep them at about 45psi in the front and 42psi at the back. Hope this was helpful.
