This may be a dumb question. I have a 2012 Prius with 215/45/r17 stock all season tires. I would like to know if I can put the 15" (195/65/r15) winter tires on to my Prius? I would assume it shouldn't be a problem right? Because the Prius base model uses the same size 15" tire.
That's what I do, no problems. I used this steel rim and lug nuts: Corolla steel rim, part no: 42611-02471 (2008+ model year?) steel rim lug nuts: 90942-01007 (plain, open-ended, galvanized) The lug nuts are optional, you could use the stock nuts, but they look odd, stick out. And having them off allows you to clean them up. You could also go to nicer aftermarket alloys, your call.
Well, it's a tug-of-war. The narrower 15" tire improves mpg, and the snow tire pulls it back down. In my experience it ended up a tie.
Like Mendel, my 195/65/r15 tires and steel wheeles come from an old 2006 corolla. I just have mag type lug nuts. I will probably lose more mpg due to the winter temperature than what is lost due to the rolling resistance of the winter tire.
