I kind of like the looks of the exterior with the rims/larger tires of the Persona; on the flip side, I like the added option of Homelink, heated seats & power driver's seat on the Four. Are the bigger tires going to give me a smoother ride or better handling? Is there anything else that could/should push me in one direction or the other? Thanks in advance. Going with Blizzard Pearl with either package
The 17" wheels will lower fuel economy slightly (approx. 2mpg) with the OEM tires but once you replace them with aftermarket LRR tires you'll lose 3+mpg vs. the OEM LRR 15" tire and 6+mpg vs. a very fuel efficient 15" tire like the Energy Saver A/S. Handling will be much improved with the 17" tire but ride quality is much reduced. It's tough to have your cake and eat it too. Another option is to buy the Four and change to 17" wheels when you can afford to do so. The adjustable heated seats are rather nice. So if you want max mpg then get the Four and stick with 15" wheels. If you want style points then get the Persona. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year then the mpg penalty of the 17" wheels doesn't really hurt much. It'll cost you maybe $100-$150yr in extra fuel.
Just to clarify a point for other readers. The OEM 17" tires (Toyo Proxes A20 215/45/17) are actually shorter than the OEM 15" tires. The 215/45/17 is 24.7" diameter and the 195/65/15 is 25" diameter. Taller tires are better for fuel economy generally speaking and 17" tires are just not very efficient yet compared to 15s.
Thanks so much- ride quality is REDUCED with the 17" tires? I drive less than 15k miles per year but lots of hills if that makes any difference.
Sure. Lower profile tires are going to be stiffer, all else being equal. They do look nice, though, I wish I could have got those wheels on a Four. The Four also has JBL, which is a nice step up from the base sound. Make sure you sit in the seats of both, and validate comfort, especially lumbar support. The adjustable lumbar was a big improvement for me.
Well, solved the problem by getting a 5! Think I got a pretty good deal and got the options I wanted including the bigger wheels. On my way to pick it up at the dealer now! Thanks for the input.
