Yaris MK4 steel wheels & winter tyres

[ISL]

Have always run Winter tyres on my cars.

Question is what wheels (steels or alloys) are people generally running, any pics would be good, and also any recommendations on winter tyres, something that with still have reasonable fuel economy?

Looking at 15” steelies changing from 16”alloys currently fitted to my Design model.  Can anyone provide me with recommended wheel size, PCD, offset and central bore?

Can I run standard valves or will system throw up a fault?

Will I also need a set of new wheel bolts for steel wheels?

Any advice greatly appreciated Thank you. 😊

 

[TonyHSD]

Hi Shaun, 

Cyker is your man about the wheels and tyres as he went that way with steely but on summer tyres for better comfort and efficiency.
For the winter tyres will depend what will be the tyre size. Some tyre manufacturers offer different models tyres in the different tyre sizes. Basically try to look for “European winter tyres” , avoid “Nordic winter tyres” these are names of types only and not particularly brands names.  
Anything with low rolling resistance will do it , but from personal experience I know that winter and all season tyres aren’t good friends to Toyota hybrids.  
I ran my car on winter tyres for 4 seasons but I stopped doing that. They performed great in all conditions although never really needed except when was driving purely on snow and ice. The problem with Toyota hybrids and winter( all season tyres) is that they kill the inertia of the car and reduce the ev drive time by much, often the car will not switch to ev drive where with summer tyres will keep rolling silently on ev power alone for long. If you in a region with severe winter conditions with often snow and ice covered roads then yes winter or all season will be great. Here two sites that give information of wheels and tyres . 
https://www.wheel-size.com

https://www.willtheyfit.com

https://www.mytyres.co.uk

 

 

[Cyker]

I must admit I had a lot of trouble nailing down the 'official' spec for the 15" rims for the Mk4 Yaris; Some places said they were 5x112, others 5x100, some say the width is 5.5J, others 6J. Offset seemed to be ET45.

In the end I managed to find the part code for the 'official' 15" steel rims that they actually use for the Mk4 Yaris (In other countries at any rate).

Shoutouts to Parts-King for finding this where none of the dealers around London I asked or the dealer I phoned in ireland could get me

Aaand *drumrolls* the fabled magical part code is for the 15" steel rims is:

42611-K0170

They were ~£45 each when I got them (Which was £5 more than what a certain North London breakers yard wanted from me their busted up rusty second hand ones... so a bargain by comparison!  ), but like everything may have gone up a bit by now.

You will need different nuts, as the alloys use flat-faced nuts but the steel rims need those tapered ones; I think you could use the alloy nuts temporarily as they have a slightly tapered end that normally doesn't touch the alloy (I suspect it's so they can be used with the space saver), but they'd stick out relatively far. I also got the nuts from the dealer but as PK confirmed to me they're just standard steel wheel nuts that you can get anywhere.

You could get away with normal valves but the TPMS warning light would be on all the time while you're using them, which is a paint if your MOT is in the winter!

The Toyota TPMS sensors are very expensive - I was quoted something like £72 each; More than the rims! I had mine transferred over from the alloys since I wasn't going to use them. However, we recently discovered that Mazda sell a set for the Mazda Yaris 2 (  ) for much cheaper so that might be a good option. (I think it was something like £135 for a set of 4!)

Despite what my dealer insisted, the car can remember 2 sets of TPWS sensors so if you do get two sets you can code them both in and switch between them using the dash controls (It's in the manual somewhere)

[SinglePointSafety]

3 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Anything with low rolling resistance will do it , but from personal experience I know that winter and all season tyres aren’t good friends to Toyota hybrids.  
I ran my car on winter tyres for 4 seasons but I stopped doing that. They performed great in all conditions although never really needed except when was driving purely on snow and ice. The problem with Toyota hybrids and winter( all season tyres) is that they kill the inertia of the car and reduce the ev drive time by much, often the car will not switch to ev drive where with summer tyres will keep rolling silently on ev power alone for long.

Interesting experience Tony. Difficult for me to do a direct comparison changing just the tyres, but I did compare the journey to/from Reading, where I replaced the 18-inch 50-profile tyres on my Yaris Cross with 16-inch 65-profile all-season tyres. The Goodyear Vector all-season tyres I chose are rated 'A' for rolling resistance. The comparison showed that.... virtually no difference in mpg or time spent in EV mode, within the usual variance one would expect from temperature, traffic etc

But yes, there are many winter and all-season tyres rated C or D (or worse) for rolling resistance and the difference in fuel economy, especially with hybrids, might be significant

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, SinglePointSafety said:

Interesting experience Tony. Difficult for me to do a direct comparison changing just the tyres, but I did compare the journey to/from Reading, where I replaced the 18-inch 50-profile tyres on my Yaris Cross with 16-inch 65-profile all-season tyres. The Goodyear Vector all-season tyres I chose are rated 'A' for rolling resistance. The comparison showed that.... virtually no difference in mpg or time spent in EV mode, within the usual variance one would expect from temperature, traffic etc

But yes, there are many winter and all-season tyres rated C or D (or worse) for rolling resistance and the difference in fuel economy, especially with hybrids, might be significant

Hi Keith,

In my case with the Auris first change to winter tyres they were nexen winguard sport 2 215/45 17 rated D⛽️ and ☔️B 68dB , the car was super quiet especially on rough asphalt, very smooth and soft drive even at low profile 45. But definitely there was kill in the free rolling, inertia was almost half plus acceleration and maintaining ev coast were more difficult and required a lot more accelerator push. Efficiency in real world perhaps 3-5mpg against summer tyres. 
Then the change to summer tyres I went for Goodyear efficient grip performance 2, just been released on the market, first ever review it’s mine. 
These are probably the best summer touring tyres to date. The car is so lived to drive, acceleration is brisk and ev mode omg, I a, draining my Battery, seriously the car just keep going in ev without worry., when going out the motorway in release accelerator long before the slip  road and the car keeps rolling where with winters was not the case. 
Last October decided to try Goodyear Vector’s 3 same as yours. Got them for 1000 miles and I did not like them. Although an amazing tyres and one of the best all season, as good as cross climates or even better I noticed immediately the same free rolling it’s gone and the car required more push to go. Also they were harder than the summer Goodyear and I was not happy to keep them. I gifted the tyres to my dad and went back to efficient grip performance 2, these tyres has spoiled me, I just can’t like anything else. And  to my surprise they performed so well on the snow and ice that I could not believe that. So that’s my story with the tyres and Toyota hybrids. Here is my dram documented with pictures and links.

 

[SinglePointSafety]

Thanks Tony, that's a very useful and interesting post, even though our experiences have differed, possibly because of wheel/tyre size differences or 'something else'

Additionally useful because our BEV will soon need new tyres, and the GY Efficient Grips are the favourite contender, so thanks again for your review

[Cyker]

It is hard to compare sometimes; Even tyre pressures can make a massive difference to noise and ride quality depending on the tyre construction and compound.

My dad was saying his Verso's been down on mpg lately and I just assumed it was the weather, but I checked his pressures on a whim today and they were down to 28, so I pumped them back up to 35 (I didn't appreciate how much more effort that would be with a foot pump compared to my Yaris... ) so it'll be interesting to see if that helps!

[TonyHSD]

3 minutes ago, Cyker said:

It is hard to compare sometimes; Even tyre pressures can make a massive difference to noise and ride quality depending on the tyre construction and compound.

My dad was saying his Verso's been down on mpg lately and I just assumed it was the weather, but I checked his pressures on a whim today and they were down to 28, so I pumped them back up to 35 (I didn't appreciate how much more effort that would be with a foot pump compared to my Yaris... ) so it'll be interesting to see if that helps!

Yes, definitely the pressure plays a huge role in free rolling but the tread pattern is the most. The winter and all season tyres V shaped treads are very grippy, they grip the road like gear wheel which is great in slippery conditions and also these has ability to cancel rough road noises better than summer tyres with straight lines and large water drain canals. 

[ISL]

On 1/29/2023 at 12:37 PM, Cyker said:

I must admit I had a lot of trouble nailing down the 'official' spec for the 15" rims for the Mk4 Yaris; Some places said they were 5x112, others 5x100, some say the width is 5.5J, others 6J. Offset seemed to be ET45.

In the end I managed to find the part code for the 'official' 15" steel rims that they actually use for the Mk4 Yaris (In other countries at any rate).

Shoutouts to Parts-King for finding this where none of the dealers around London I asked or the dealer I phoned in ireland could get me

Aaand *drumrolls* the fabled magical part code is for the 15" steel rims is:

42611-K0170

They were ~£45 each when I got them (Which was £5 more than what a certain North London breakers yard wanted from me their busted up rusty second hand ones... so a bargain by comparison!  ), but like everything may have gone up a bit by now.

You will need different nuts, as the alloys use flat-faced nuts but the steel rims need those tapered ones; I think you could use the alloy nuts temporarily as they have a slightly tapered end that normally doesn't touch the alloy (I suspect it's so they can be used with the space saver), but they'd stick out relatively far. I also got the nuts from the dealer but as PK confirmed to me they're just standard steel wheel nuts that you can get anywhere.

You could get away with normal valves but the TPMS warning light would be on all the time while you're using them, which is a paint if your MOT is in the winter!

The Toyota TPMS sensors are very expensive - I was quoted something like £72 each; More than the rims! I had mine transferred over from the alloys since I wasn't going to use them. However, we recently discovered that Mazda sell a set for the Mazda Yaris 2 (  ) for much cheaper so that might be a good option. (I think it was something like £135 for a set of 4!)

Despite what my dealer insisted, the car can remember 2 sets of TPWS sensors so if you do get two sets you can code them both in and switch between them using the dash controls (It's in the manual somewhere)

Thanks for the info, really appreciated. Also great info all round.

@Cykerwho supplied your wheels?, they’re a great price even if they have gone up slightly.  Do you have any pictures of them fitted to your car? Have you used wheel trims?

I realise that the Yaris uses nuts on studs rather than bolts. Only concern is that if using an open nut that this might lend to any exposed threads of the stud being open to corrosion. Do you know how much exposed thread there is from the wheel face.  Would look at a closed nut https://wheelpartsdirect.com/products/nuts/69?gclid=Cj0KCQiA8t2eBhDeARIsAAVEga2NUpwh9fdNjnySTiFYD-GqkL-qwJc9nUFy5--Fw1AMGEVF28u2QGkaAtBhEALw_wcB

When I get chance will see where I can get a good price for the TPMS sensors, is there a part number? Will see what the latest price is from Mazda (good shout)👍

Will have a look to see what Winter tyres are out there for the tyre size 185/65 15s. Looking at past tyres I have used, the Vredestein Snowtrac3 were outstanding in snow especially, better than Conti Winter contact. The Vredesteins however might not be a good choice due to their poor rolling resistance.  I do have some 16” TOYO snowproxes winter tyres for my old car but sure they are too wide.

Thanks for the info.

 

 

[Cyker]

I got everything from my 'other' Toyota dealer. I was surprised how cheap the steel rims were from a dealer! The rest was a bit expensive (I'd recommend getting the nuts and trims from e.g. Halfords as the Toyota ones are much more expensive! The 4 trims cost nearly as much as the 4 rims did!  )

I don't want to take a picture of them now as my car looks disgusting (I will clean it... eventually... ), but this is what one of the wheels looked like in the summer:

and an original 17" rim for comparison

There isn't that much exposed thread/stud, so you don't need to have a massively long nut to still be able to use a closed one. I reckon the one you linked to should be okay.

Don't have a part code for the Mazda TPMS set alas; I only found out they  even did them the other day when I was speccing up a Mazda 2 on their website to see what options and equipment it had compared to Toyota!  

If you find out what it is and the actual cost, let us know!

 

[TonyHSD]

11 hours ago, ISL said:

Thanks for the info, really appreciated. Also great info all round.

@Cykerwho supplied your wheels?, they’re a great price even if they have gone up slightly.  Do you have any pictures of them fitted to your car? Have you used wheel trims?

I realise that the Yaris uses nuts on studs rather than bolts. Only concern is that if using an open nut that this might lend to any exposed threads of the stud being open to corrosion. Do you know how much exposed thread there is from the wheel face.  Would look at a closed nut https://wheelpartsdirect.com/products/nuts/69?gclid=Cj0KCQiA8t2eBhDeARIsAAVEga2NUpwh9fdNjnySTiFYD-GqkL-qwJc9nUFy5--Fw1AMGEVF28u2QGkaAtBhEALw_wcB

When I get chance will see where I can get a good price for the TPMS sensors, is there a part number? Will see what the latest price is from Mazda (good shout)👍

Will have a look to see what Winter tyres are out there for the tyre size 185/65 15s. Looking at past tyres I have used, the Vredestein Snowtrac3 were outstanding in snow especially, better than Conti Winter contact. The Vredesteins however might not be a good choice due to their poor rolling resistance.  I do have some 16” TOYO snowproxes winter tyres for my old car but sure they are too wide.

Thanks for the info.

 

 

In your 15” size tyres price difference between mid range and premium tyres is minimal therefore best to look towards top premium brands like Goodyear ultra grip 9, and similar Michelin Alpin 6. From mid range Vredestein or Nexen and Hankook are good, also Falken does very good winter tyres too along with kleber, barum,. Rolling resistance rating will be C and wet performance B , road noise don’t worry about it as this is only for outside and many tyres with higher dB are active a quieter inside the cabin. 

[Cyker]

Annoyingly the tyre prices have come up; It was very easy to get a  premium 185/65r15 tyre for around £50 before but now it's more like £70  (And I almost can't believe I got tyres for my old Mk1 diesel for £35 way back when!! Although the dinosaurs had only just gone extinct back then so it was a while ago...)

When I start to need new tyres I just keep all the tyre place websites open and check them every day - If you can wait long enough, there is usually a weird random dip in price which only lasts a week or so, then it goes back to normal again.

 

[Mojo1010]

https://www.protyre.co.uk/basket

Protyre offer £20 off 2 premium tyres.

This will be the one to change to on the design trim Yaris when it's time. 

[TonyHSD]

22 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

https://www.protyre.co.uk/basket

Protyre offer £20 off 2 premium tyres.

This will be the one to change to on the design trim Yaris when it's time. 

Good, you can check ats too, sometimes they offer £32 off or £64 off when you buy two or four tyres. 205/55 16 it’s not the correct size for Yaris, it should be 195/55 16 , and best to keep this size. Changing only tyre sizes without wheels its classed as modification and you need to inform your insurance plus it’s not better. It changes dynamic characteristics, efficiency, drivability. 

[Mojo1010]

Not a problem to declare mod. Have increased tyre width with a few cars in the past, the results are always positive, it felt more stable and secure. Its not a sports car, a little change in tyre size isn't going have much negative effect, apart from a little less mpg. 

[Mojo1010]

Almost £32 per tyre more this size, £127 less on a set of 205. The 16" can take 205 no problem. Major win, gives the performance I wanted and saving can go to mod declaration hike. The 205/45 on the excel does seem bad by the minute, good thing to passed on it.

Cyker is smarter than some people give him credit for 😉 speed humps all over London are bad for low profile tyres. 

[TonyHSD]

50 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

Almost £32 per tyre more this size, £127 less on a set of 205. The 16" can take 205 no problem. Major win, gives the performance I wanted and saving can go to mod declaration hike. The 205/45 on the excel does seem bad by the minute, good thing to passed on it.

Cyker is smarter than some people give him credit for 😉 speed humps all over London are bad for low profile tyres. 

Well no argument here.
It is not only few mpg less, it’s more than that.
Your car will actually loose some road handling in exchange for the higher wall profile and the tyres themselves will add another 100-200gr or even more unsprung weight per wheel. 
The car will become slightly less agile and will loose half second in acceleration, these means nothing on paper however the overall feeling of lightness and agility Cyker has gained from his wheels and tyre change you will actually loose it. If you done the change yourself previously and you had been happy that’s ok then. I hope you had done that change on other Toyota hybrids, because these are very picky about tyres sizes, models, tread patterns , etc. You need to double check if 16” 6J can indeed hold a 205 tyres before you place an order.

[Mojo1010]

Have actually experienced opposite to what's been said. Got better acceleration, braking and handling on dry condition from going 10-20mm wider in the past. Wet condition I don't drive so hard so makes little difference. 

[SinglePointSafety]

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

You need to double check if 16” 6J can indeed hold a 205 tyres before you place an order

Yes indeed: when I changed wheels/tyres the rim manufacturers (Alutec) were very helpful when I asked for their list of allowed tyre widths/tyre size combinations for that rim (was on their web site but in an obscure place). This also put me in the clear with the insurance company, who were actually really only concerned about going to bigger wheels, which can attract unwanted attention from the thieving class, and I was doing the opposite

[Cyker]

That was my reasoning; Worked so far with every insurer I'd spoken to, except MoreThan who refused to insure me with steel rims!

[SinglePointSafety]

Cyker, that's.... bizarre behaviour from MoreThan, I'd love to know their reasoning (or whatever was programmed into their accept/reject algorithm). What would they say to those many folk who swap to steel rims/winter tyres when it's snow-time?

[Cyker]

I'd like to know too! They wouldn't explain it to me, just kept repeating I had to put the 17" rims back on in order for them to provide insurance, didn't care that all my previous insurers just noted it and deflected any queries about winter wheels (e.g. if I put winter tyres on the 17s).

Not wanting to waste more of my time or aggro arguing with the human equivalent of a brick wall, I pulled the plug. If they don't want my money, I won't force them to take it! There are plenty other insurers out there...

 

 

[TonyHSD]

As far as I know insurance companies are interested if any non original wheels are fitted not only if theft happens but also in case of future claim in an event of an accident they need to pay separately for the wheels.
They asked me how much they worth on top of the car value and I said nothing more than the standard wheels the car had because my new wheels were 1/3 of the original wheels price but now since the prices went high for my next policy I will add them as another £800 to the car value. 

[Cyker]

My previous insurers' T&Cs specifically said "modifications that increase the value or performance of the vehicle", and since the rims did the opposite they didn't increase the premium so they only made a note of it.

It helped that this configuration is specifically listed in the owners manual for the car, and so is technically recognized by the manufacturer.

I just had a quick look at MoreThan's and it's much more vague - It just says "any modification from factory", which is unhelpful as that could technically include everything from the floor mats to my Dashcam to my SpinalSupportTowel(tm) to anything the dealer has changed during the recalls, maybe even my new windscreen!