Winter Boots

[Sagitar]

I am wondering whether it might be worth buying a spare set of wheels and tyres for winter use on my Prius GenIII T-Spirit.

I have the standard 17" alloys with Michelin low-rolling-resistance tyres and I understand they are pretty awful on snow and ice.

I could consider a set of 15" wheels with winter tyres, but on the other hand, are we likely to get enough snow to make them worthwhile?

Has anyone else looked into the options?

[Fujisan]

I have the standard 17" alloys with Michelin low-rolling-resistance tyres and I understand they are pretty awful on snow and ice.

Don't know about Ice & Snow but the Michelin's on the Prius are a million times better in the wet than the God-awful Bridgestones fitted to my old RAV.

I could consider a set of 15" wheels with winter tyres, but on the other hand, are we likely to get enough snow to make them worthwhile?

I think you answered your own question there. Are you likely to see enough snow to justify spending any where from £300 to £600 on a set of spare wheels and tyres.

Canada yes

The vast majority of low land England?

[Sagitar]

Don't know about Ice & Snow

Are you likely to see enough snow to justify spending any where from £300 to £600 on a set of spare wheels and tyres.

The vast majority of low land England?

That's the dilemma. I had to dig myself out twice last winter, when I was driving a Lexus IS250. I'm old and I have cardiac problems so I don't want to have to do it again.

Has anyone driven the Michelins on snow?

[Fujisan]

That's the dilemma. I had to dig myself out twice last winter, when I was driving a Lexus IS250. I'm old and I have cardiac problems so I don't want to have to do it again.

Wow!

I can see why you are concerned now.

I can only suggest you have a look over on Priuschat, quite a few people in Canada and the northern States have driven on snow already this year....but they will have almost certainly swaped to winter tyres. :(

[timberwolf]

How about some Autosocks? Given that we hadn't had a winter like last winter in 16 years, what are the chances that we get more of the same this winter?

[Sagitar]

How about some Autosocks? Given that we hadn't had a winter like last winter in 16 years, what are the chances that we get more of the same this winter?

Nice question. It is probably inversely proportional to the amount of money that I spend on winter tyres . . . . . . :D

[Sagitar]

I am not getting very far with this exercise.

I can get a good set of Continental winter tyres for about £300, but Toyota want around £1,100 for a set of 15" wheels and that strikes me as being O.T.T.

I can get aftermarket wheels for a good deal less than that, but which would be best?

Is there any source of sound, independent advice on aftermarket alloy wheels?

[cootuk]

Did the PCD ever change on the wheels, so would any year wheel fit?

I would trawl eBay looking for cars being broken, then try the various Toyota breakers from a google search.

Are there any specialist hybrid breakers yet?

Would you need to double check your insurance as snow tyres are generally lower speed rated than standard?

[Sagitar]

Did the PCD ever change on the wheels, so would any year wheel fit?

I would trawl Ebay looking for cars being broken, then try the various Toyota breakers from a google search.

Are there any specialist hybrid breakers yet?

Would you need to double check your insurance as snow tyres are generally lower speed rated than standard?

Thanks - I checked early on with my insurance and there is no problem. The OEM Michelins are rated well above what is necessary for the Prius and though the Contis have a lower rating it is still much higher than is needed for the Prius.

I have looked around on eBay etc without finding anything and it looks like my best bet now is a set of 15" after-market alloys. I would have preferred to buy Toyota wheels but I can buy four, well specified after market wheels, for less than the price of one new 15" Prius wheel.

Sad to say, my Toyota dealer has not been very helpful, refusing to give me information about offset etc., on the grounds that they cannot be seen to be encouraging me to buy none-Toyota equipment and trying to justify the Toyota price on the grounds of quality.

[Sagitar]

I had a set of Dezent 15"x6.5" inch Type A delivered yesterday. Wheelsinmotion put on the Conti winter tyres for me today and I had the geometry checked at the same time. I was a bit surprised to find the right, front toe angle was out of spec (not good on an almost new car) but everything else was within tolerance.

The car drove well on the way home. The suspension feels a bit softer on the higher profile tyres and I'm wondering whether I should raise the inflation pressure a bit.

It will be interesting to see how it performs if/when we get some snow, though having spent my money probably guarantees no snow.

[Hicardo]

Hey buddy...very interested in your posts on winter wheels and tyres, as i've been converted too. Its so much safer. My wife's Saab 9-3 runs on Kumho winters which are fantastic. Wondering whether the route you have taken with he wheels and tyres for the Prius will be a good route for me too? Keep posting! :)

[Sagitar]

Hey buddy...very interested in your posts on winter wheels and tyres, as i've been converted too. Its so much safer. My wife's Saab 9-3 runs on Kumho winters which are fantastic. Wondering whether the route you have taken with he wheels and tyres for the Prius will be a good route for me too? Keep posting! :)

Thanks Hicardo - the handbook indicates higher inflation pressures for 15" wheels so I have bumped the pressures up to 37 p.s.i front and 36 p.s.i rear and will keep a close eye on tyre wear etc.

All seems well over the first few days. The ride and the steering are good and they don't appear to be any noisier than the OEM Michelins.

The changeover temperature point for summer tyre/winter tyre performance is about 7 degrees centigrade and we are round about that at the moment so I would not expect to see any significant change in performance unless/until the weather gets colder.

[The Traveller]

Well the snow tyre purchase seems to have triggered a deluge of snow over the last 3 weeks or so. What a good purchase, and an astute time to have bought them. Perhaps it snowed because you bought?

It's worth knowing that many EU countries (should you happen to drive over there at this time of year) make the use of winter/snow tyres compulsory, especially but not exclusively, in mountain areas. I believe, for example, that they are mandatory throughout Germany from December 1st?

What are your impressions now? Would you recommend them? Impact on fuel efficiency? Roadholding / noise / wear?

I'm thinking of this for next year, when we may well take a spin down to the German-speaking end of the Alps for Xmas week, so it would be good to have your thoughts and anyone else's too.

2 sets of wheels with a summer set and a winter/snow set to swap over. After-market isn't a problem, why should it be? Where are good places to buy the wheels and the tyres from?

[Sagitar]

Well the snow tyre purchase seems to have triggered a deluge of snow over the last 3 weeks or so. What a good purchase, and an astute time to have bought them. Perhaps it snowed because you bought?

With my luck, I confidently expected that we would get no snow once I had spent my money - but hey, we are all entitled to get it right once in a while . . . :)

It's worth knowing that many EU countries (should you happen to drive over there at this time of year) make the use of winter/snow tyres compulsory, especially but not exclusively, in mountain areas. I believe, for example, that they are mandatory throughout Germany from December 1st?

Winter driving on the continent is unlikely. My reasons for moving to more modest and safer transport are to do with age, health and the need to make extra effort to remain independent.

What are your impressions now? Would you recommend them? Impact on fuel efficiency? Roadholding / noise / wear?

I am reticent to appear as though I am attempting to persuade others. Circumstances alter cases. The decisions that I would have made when I was young, impoverished and less risk-averse would probably have been entirely different than I would make now. That said, I have no disappointments with the decisions I have made and on the basis of my limited experience would certainly do the same again. My fuel efficiency was declining as the weather got colder and I have noticed no increase in that decline. Road holding is subjective and it seems to me that they are certainly as good as the Michelins in the dry. I had an interesting experience yesterday, when I was taking a sweeping left hand curve at about 55 m.p.h. with a Ford following fairly close behind. There had been a severe frost, the road was damp and the gritters had just been along it, so I was taking it steady. The Ford might have been a Mondeo but I didn't get a very good look at him - the bar across the Prius back window blocks the view of vehicles close behind. Anyway, I thought at first that he was moving out to overtake me, but he continued to move to the right until he appeared to brush the bank on the far side of the road before swinging about a bit and recovering to the left hand side of the road, having slowed down and dropped back. Happily there was nothing coming in the opposite direction.

I don't know why he lost it. There was no sign of any loss of traction in my car and his manoeuvre may have been nothing to do with road holding, but it did make me drive even more carefully.

I really haven't done enough miles on the winter tyres to make any judgement about wear. I can see no sign of any accelerated or localised wear.

I'm thinking of this for next year, when we may well take a spin down to the German-speaking end of the Alps for Xmas week, so it would be good to have your thoughts and anyone else's too.

2 sets of wheels with a summer set and a winter/snow set to swap over. After-market isn't a problem, why should it be? Where are good places to buy the wheels and the tyres from?

Buying wheels and tyres is a matter of individual judgement. I wanted to get the geometry on the car checked at the same time as I had the wheels and tyres fitted so that influenced my choices somewhat. Several of the sites that I visited when researching wheels did not have obvious information about the Gen III Prius in their wheel data bases. The Toyota dealer was not very helpful when I was seeking information about offsets etc. and one of the reasons I bought from POTN was that they could provide clear, hard, data about the fit of the wheels on the Gen III Prius. I would have preferred to buy Toyota original parts because it obviates issues that might arise about warranty if I got into trouble, but the price of a set of Toyota 15" wheels is silly and in any case I do not like the plastics covers that come with them. The wheels I chose are a bit wider than the Toyota wheels (6.5" rather than 6") but they take the standard profile tyres recommended by Toyota for 15" wheels (195/65). I looked for something simple and sturdy and was influenced also by the finish which is an easy-clean nanotech job. The wheels are Dezent Type A - made in Germany and meeting all the appropriate European alloy wheel standards. I notice that the same wheels are available from Halfords, but at a higher price than I got them from POTN.

I also checked the situation with my insurance company and they raised no objection providing that the wheels/tyres were fitted only for the winter. They have provided me with an amended schedule in confirmation.

[cootuk]

If the tyres meet the speed rating of the Prius and fit without fouling, then why should the insurance company restrict the use to winter only, unless they are being overly cautious.

Who defines what 'winter' is? - specific dates or average temperatures?

[Sagitar]

If the tyres meet the speed rating of the Prius and fit without fouling, then why should the insurance company restrict the use to winter only, unless they are being overly cautious.

Who defines what 'winter' is? - specific dates or average temperatures?

You would need to ask them.

What they offered meets my need and costs no more so I didn't pursue it further.

[Fujisan]

Several of the sites that I visited when researching wheels did not have obvious information about the Gen III Prius in their wheel data bases. The Toyota dealer was not very helpful when I was seeking information about offsets etc. and one of the reasons I bought from POTN was that they could provide clear, hard, data about the fit of the wheels on the Gen III Prius.

The wheels I chose are a bit wider than the Toyota wheels (6.5" rather than 6") but they take the standard profile tyres recommended by Toyota for 15" wheels (195/65). I looked for something simple and sturdy and was influenced also by the finish which is an easy-clean nanotech job. The wheels are Dezent Type A - made in Germany and meeting all the appropriate European alloy wheel standards.

Sagitar, did POTN give you all that information on offsets, PCD's etc., or did they just say that the Dezent Type A will fit.

Any information will be very useful, thank you.

[Fujisan]

For OE 15" wheels does:

15" x 6"

5 x 100mm bolt pattern

45mm offset

sound about right?

[Sagitar]

Several of the sites that I visited when researching wheels did not have obvious information about the Gen III Prius in their wheel data bases. The Toyota dealer was not very helpful when I was seeking information about offsets etc. and one of the reasons I bought from POTN was that they could provide clear, hard, data about the fit of the wheels on the Gen III Prius.

The wheels I chose are a bit wider than the Toyota wheels (6.5" rather than 6") but they take the standard profile tyres recommended by Toyota for 15" wheels (195/65). I looked for something simple and sturdy and was influenced also by the finish which is an easy-clean nanotech job. The wheels are Dezent Type A - made in Germany and meeting all the appropriate European alloy wheel standards.

Sagitar, did POTN give you all that information on offsets, PCD's etc., or did they just say that the Dezent Type A will fit.

Any information will be very useful, thank you.

They just said that they would fit - and they do. Their website has a wheel selection data base that includes the Gen3 Prius.

[Fujisan]

They just said that they would fit - and they do. Their website has a wheel selection data base that includes the Gen3 Prius.

Thank you Sagitar

When I get some money together I'll give them a call.

Thanks again.

[Fujisan]

Link to a video Autocar have done on winter tyres.

OK. Total sold on the idea........just have to save up some money before next winter!

[phil4]

Link to a video Autocar have done on winter tyres.

OK. Total sold on the idea........just have to save up some money before next winter!

"Two completely identical BMWs".... since when is a 1 series and 6 series identical?

I've always thought it was a good idea, but as we seem on only really have a couple of weeks snow each year, I can't see myself wanting to go through the annoyance of getting them changed, let alone the expense of another set of wheels and tyres.

I'll leave it to driving when I can, and working from home when I can't.

[Sagitar]

Link to a video Autocar have done on winter tyres.

OK. Total sold on the idea........just have to save up some money before next winter!

"Two completely identical BMWs".... since when is a 1 series and 6 series identical?

I've always thought it was a good idea, but as we seem on only really have a couple of weeks snow each year, I can't see myself wanting to go through the annoyance of getting them changed, let alone the expense of another set of wheels and tyres.

I'll leave it to driving when I can, and working from home when I can't.

Well he did say it wasn't a scientific test . . . . :o

The other confusion is that he used the terms "winter tyre" and "all-weather-tyre" as if they mean the same thing. They don't. Everything that I have read says that "all-weather" are not nearly as good as "winter" when the weather is cold and especially when there is snow and ice. There are more scientific tests demonstrated on the Tirerack site.

[Fujisan]

I've always thought it was a good idea, but as we seem on only really have a couple of weeks snow each year, I can't see myself wanting to go through the annoyance of getting them changed, let alone the expense of another set of wheels and tyres.

I think this is where the common misconception is, and I'll admit until recently I was just as guilty, that these tyres are only for snow and ice, they are not.

Winter tyres are cold weather tyres and work at their best from 7 degrees C and below (just were summer tyres start to drop off in performance / stopping ability etc..). So at a guess in my part of the world I can fit them at the end of October, beginning of November and leave them there until March, April time.

And as briefly mentioned on the video and on tyre company websites, winter tyres will reduce stopping distances on wet road during the autumn / spring months compared to all-season / summer tyres.

I'll leave it to driving when I can, and working from home when I can't.

Unfortunately working from home is not option for me. :(

On the two different BMW's on the video, the reporter did ask BMW for two identical cars......

......but BMW's press gargage was snowed in!

So he had to make do with what he could borrow off the tyre company and what he could find in the Autocar carpark!

[phil4]

And as briefly mentioned on the video and on tyre company websites, winter tyres will reduce stopping distances on wet road during the autumn / spring months compared to all-season / summer tyres.

Nope, you're not wrong there. And do appreciate that when you're in a pickle you'd love to have everything possible to get you out, but have you noticed since getting a prius that you tend to start slowing for things much much earlier, trying to look at head far earlier, regenerate more than brake etc etc.

In my previous cars, I'd have loved some extra anchor, in the prius I'm miffed if I use the real brakes.

As mentioned, I don't think they're a bad idea as such, just the cost, and inconvenience of changing them for me outweighs their usefulness, but that's a very personal judgement.

FWIW, on stock 17" tyres, had no trouble at all driving up an icey hill that other cars were needing to be pushed up. Thought I was in something with 4WD it surprised me that much.

Oh, and for what it's worth, all RWD cars I've had have been shocking in snow compared to FWD.... the video was of two RWD cars, don't be surprised if even with the wrong tyres, your FWD car beats the pants off them.