Hi guys, I have the prius C in the 16" tire options, and my stock all seasons are sized at 195-50-16. In looking for winter tires, I found this stock size to have very little selection. A local tire shop suggests 185-60-15, saying it is "the same overall diameter and does not put less/more strain on any of your vehicles components. This is the correct size for your Prius c". Other threads on here have suggested 185-65-15, 175-65-15, and even 195-55-16 (although I was under the belief you should always go down in size for winter tires). My main concern is I thought the C with 16" tires has a different drivetrain (or something) that makes the turning radius wider. Would it not "screw things up" if I went down to 15" tires for winter? And among all these suggestions for alternate tire sizes, which one is "best"? Who is right and who is wrong? Thanks!
I wanted Micheline xice3 but my dealer and 2 other tire retailers told me that they did not make them in the 195 -50-16. I finally found 1 retailer with brains (Tireland in Vernon B C) who suggested The Micheline xice3 at size 205/50R 16. They are terrific and rated the best by consumer reports. They are quieter than my stock 4 seasons. You can also get a $70 mail-in rebate.
I have read to never go up in size for winters, and if I want to save money I could minus-size my tires. There's a good page on tire rack that tells you what sizes to use (TireRack.com Search Winter / Snow Tires By Vehicle at Tire Rack) With that in mind, I'm getting a set of Winter Claw Extremes in 185-65-14 for a pretty good price. This size is smaller than stock diameters by 0.89%, according to the tire size calculator on 1010tires (www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp)
Notice that minus sizing works the same as plus sizing only in reverse. My point? The overall diameter of the tire stays the same or as close to the same as possible. So you are not using "smaller" tires. You may use a narrower tire sure but the diameter stays the same.
