Gen 3 On 16" Steel Wheels For Winter - Any Reason Not To?

[cabcurtains]

Hi All,

Is anyone on 16"s? I know the normal wheel size is 15" or 17" but can you fit 16"'s? I am intending to fit winter tyres to a set of 16" steel wheels.

I know all about rolling radius's/ offsets/ stud patterns etc and i don't want to start a discussion about if winter tyres are required ;).

So my question is can the Prius Gen 3 T-Spirit take 195/55 R16 87H's without invalidating the insurance or any other law!

Thanks in advance

CC

[Birty]

I always put winter tyres on my cars and you must inform the insurance company. Never charged me yet but the first thing an insurance assessor will check should you have a accident is tyres and wheels! Dont risk it, tell them!

Never put winters on my prius yet and unsure if i should because its an auto? Will they still grip?

[cabcurtains]

I will let the insurance company know, fingers crossed they don't charge us for it!

The smooth power delivery of the auto will probably help the initial get away, the auto certainly wont stop the tyres working,

Now back to my original question ;) , can i put 16" wheels on, as UK cars have 15" or 17"s

[valmiki]

I've spent many years putting on winter tyres over the cold months, partly because my last few cars had been rear-wheel drive BMWs. I was planning on doing the same with the Prius, even though it managed quite well during a heavy snowfall last winter which saw more capable cars stranded, but this time I'm going to put on all-weather tyres and leave them on all year round.

Partly because the Prius coped so well last year on normal tyres (even up hills in our neck of the woods) and that the extra running cost will be offset by not having to invest in an extra set of wheels, tyres, or having to sort out insurance.

Honest John has recommended a few times now 'Goodyear Vector 4Seasons' (amongst others) and I see that there is a price premium to buying these, but there are others out there that look good value eg. Nokian.

[Parts-King]

You don't always need to let your insurance company know, some even offer a discount if you DO have them fitted

https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/Migrated/Motor/ABI%20guide%20to%20winter%20tyres%20The%20motor%20insurance%20commitment.ashx

I have nothing that tells me they cannot be fitted

Kingo

[PeteB]

Partly because the Prius coped so well last year on normal tyres (even up hills in our neck of the woods) and that the extra running cost will be offset by not having to invest in an extra set of wheels, tyres, or having to sort out insurance.

I've found all three generations of Prius very good in snow/ice, partly because of the smooth, gentle application of power provided initially by the electric motor. In the latest models, using ECO mode helps even more. I sometimes find B mode good for slowing too, to reduce reliance on the brake pedal.

Some drivers seemed to find the opposite, but those I've witnessed having trouble were using enough right foot to bring in the Traction Control which does rather spoil things!

Just occasionally, a steep, slippery uphill slope has defeated me going forwards, but reversing up worked just fine - then it effectively becomes a tail-heavy rear-wheel-drive car.

[korat102]

Always a good idea to let your insurance company know. Maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age but I don't want to give them any excuse to not pay out if anything does happen.

Having said that, when I asked mine about fitting winter tyres they told me that as long as the overall size (wheel+tyre) remained the same, they didn't really need to know.

[Cyker]

There's no physical reason why you can't use 16"'s - The only potential problem of using smaller rims is that it might interfere with the brake calipers but since the Prius has such tiny brakes and can mount 15" rims, a 16" rim shouldn't be a problem as long as the PCD, offset etc. are right.

Only tricky thing might be calculating the correct tyre to match the diameter of your current setup so that the speedo remains correct.

This is quite a nifty site that someone posted some time ago that calculates equivalents if you give it your current tyre specs:
http://www.alloywheels.com/Tyre_Calculator


Definitely notify insurance; Although Kingo is right that a lot of insurers say they don't need to be notified, a lot of them still do (Heck, I bet there are some out there who still charge you extra if you put on winter tyres and count it as a modification but don't take into account the enhanced safety!) and may try to use it as an excuse to invalidate your insurance in the event of a claim.

[johalareewi]

With a gen3 prius, it is possible to get 16 inch steel rims that will work. Have a rummage on prius chat. Or you can do what I do and put winter tyres on the standard 15 inch wheels.