[Ormond]

I am considering buying a new Prius. The dealership I prefer, puts upgraded wheels on all the vehicles. Will it hurt the mileage? :?:

Has anyone traded "down"? I have a 2005 E500, which really has nothing wrong with it. I just want something new.

Thanks for your help.

 

[An04Prius]

I am considering buying a new Prius. The dealership I prefer, puts upgraded wheels on all the vehicles. Will it hurt the mileage? :?:

This may be a more philosophical reply than you wanted:

Since mpg varies widely for a large number of reasons, and you will have the 17" wheels on the car from day one, you will never know for sure what effect the wheels alone have...

So, if you like the 17" wheels, just dont worry about it.

I'm sure others will give you a more substantial reply. 8)

 

[hyperion]

Why would they do that. Just to clip you for the xtra bucks? The Prius is an engineering marvel and I expect the designers condiderd all options before coming to the present "end result" The car is "pretty cool" just as it stands!
Seventeen inchers just "might" effect your odometer. You'll find you don't need to add options to make your car look "different" cause there are not that many out there to look different from.
I haven't heard of a single change you could make to this car that could make it perform any better.

 

[BOXOUTBM]

I wouldn't go any bigger with the wheels, as I would be afraid that anything larger than the 15" stock would start to rub in the wheel wells (especially when driving over bumps and dips in the road). The stock wheels look great and the car is designed to work most efficently with the standard equipment.

Yes, To answer your other question, I did trade in my Range Rover for the Prius

 

[Lasse D]

I have been told by professionals that larger rims will hurt the fuel economy. (Probably due to the draft which will increase). The tires will also wear faster, the ride is rougher and the wheels are easilly damaged, especially if you don't take good care of them during the winter.
But on the other hand they look so darn good on the prius!

 

[Tadashi]

Bigger wheels will always decrease fuel economy. How much it is hard to say. TBH, I think it would look crappy on the Prius. As it is the stock 15" wheels fit perfectly in the car as it is with no much room for play.

Traded down? Well I went from a F250 Crewcab 4x4 King Ranch. It had leather seats, heated captain's chairs, the entire cabin insulated with Dynamat so sounded like a sedan when you got inside. But let me tell you 15 mpg was $58 every 10-14 days. I pay $20 a month now. I think I traded up.

 

[hyperion]

I think he wants to know how much of a bath he is going to take?

 

[Sanny]

I think he wants to know how much of a bath he is going to take?

big wet sloppy one.

 

[Ormond]

It seems that the dealer put's these wheels on every Prius. It's a Southeast option. I am sure it's to add to the profit. I can always have them removed, and make that part of the deal. My local dealer adds $5,000 on the sticker on the Prius, and $995 to the sticker of all the other vehicles. Even if you can negotiate the price, this practice turns me off. I don't know if I would even consider buying anything there.

Thanks for the advice. I always expect to take a bath when trading. :evil: We'll see. I will let you know if I take the plunge, I am also considering the RX400h.

 

[hyperion]

You don't have to pay a nickle over MSRP. Those days have passed,as should the dealer be that's making the attempt. Let your finger do some walking in the telephone book.

 

[An04Prius]

Yes, out here also, MSRP should get you a Prius. One dealer was offering a small discount as well, depending on pkg. from $150-300.

I like the car with the standard OEM wheels. I think it is part of the good integrated design.

 

[ceric]

Impact on MPG

Assume that the width of the tire on the 17" is the same and the overall diameter of the tire is also the same, the impact on MPG would be very minimal. Some pros and cons:

17" over 15"
- shorter sidewall: hasher ride, better control in aggressive turn (in a Prius?)
- slightly more weight (assuming same alloy/rubber material): minor impact on MPG (<1%), longer stopped distance (sligtly), slower 0-60mph. All those were reported by an auto mag about a year ago under a strictly controlled comparison. The differences are all very small, if any.

Normally, when people move up to 17" from 15", they also increase tire width. That is where you would get a major hit on MPG due to more aerodynamic dragging and friction. When I up-sized my BMW540iA's tires from 225x55R16 to 235x45R17(F)255x40R17(R) (almost same diameter), I have been seeing about 5% hit in MPG. However, the handling is much improved at turns. In my Prius, I don't see the points.

 

[Ken S]

Ceric,

Thanks...if the tire width stays the same then the size of the wheels shouldn't make any difference in MPG. That's what I thought and couldn't understand why people keep saying that they'll cause a big hit 10%+ to fuel mileage.

The tires that come on the 17" wheels are Pirellis and probably have greater rolling resistance than the std Prius tires...this will mean lower mileage, but also better traction. I'll take good traction over a few MPG anyday...especially with some of the rain we get in Florida.

 

[Sanny]

The rims are probably not as aerodynamic as the OEM ones, though. Remember, the rims and snap ins around the edges were designed to reduce drag. Bit hit? I dunno. But there it is.

 

[melgish]

"Puts Upgraded wheels on all the Vehciles"

What a crock... Insist on standard as shipped from the factory equipment at factory MSRP... Then negotiate bells and whistles.