Toyota Prius c Tires
Toyota Prius c was the smallest member of the Prius family, a city-focused hybrid hatchback produced from 2012 through 2019. Its lightweight packaging, fuel-economy mission, and trim-level wheel differences make it a very different tire-selection exercise than many older collector cars, even though buyers still need the same careful approach to size and wheel confirmation. Toyota Prius c is not difficult because of obscure antique sizing, but because two modern radial sizes were used during most of the production run and they correspond to different wheel diameters. The first thing to verify on any Toyota Prius c is whether the car carries 15-inch or 16-inch wheels before choosing a tire.
Toyota Prius c Tire Size Guide
Toyota Prius c used 2 distinct tire sizes across the 2012 to 2019 production span, and the key difference is wheel diameter rather than an era change in construction. Both sizes are modern metric radials, with one fitted to 15-inch wheels and the other to 16-inch wheels, so matching the tire to the actual wheel on the car is the critical first step.
195/50R16 fits Toyota Prius c models from 2012 through 2018 that were equipped with 16-inch wheels. The code indicates a 195 mm section width, a 50-series aspect ratio, radial construction marked by the R, and a 16-inch rim diameter. Choose this size only for cars wearing the 16-inch wheel package, especially when preserving the original appearance tied to that wheel size.
175/65R15 fits Toyota Prius c models from 2012 through 2019 that were equipped with 15-inch wheels. The code indicates a 175 mm section width, a 65-series aspect ratio, radial construction marked by the R, and a 15-inch rim diameter. Choose this size for cars carrying the smaller wheel package, and confirm the wheel itself rather than relying only on model year because both sizes were used in the same years.
Toyota Prius c Tires by Year
Most Toyota Prius c model years in this range can use one of two tire sizes, so the year listing helps narrow the choice before you verify the wheels on the actual car. From 2012 through 2018, both 15-inch and 16-inch fitments appear, while 2019 is listed only with the 15-inch size. In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, two sizes are listed, which points to a wheel-diameter split rather than a simple year-to-year change.
2012 Toyota Prius c
- 195/50R16
- 175/65R15
2013 Toyota Prius c
- 195/50R16
- 175/65R15
2014 Toyota Prius c
- 195/50R16
- 175/65R15
2015 Toyota Prius c
- 175/65R15
- 195/50R16
2016 Toyota Prius c
- 175/65R15
- 195/50R16
2017 Toyota Prius c
- 175/65R15
- 195/50R16
2018 Toyota Prius c
- 175/65R15
- 195/50R16
2019 Toyota Prius c
- 175/65R15
Best Toyota Prius c Tires for Sale
Available products currently cover 1 brand and 1 product in the listed Toyota Prius c sizes. Confirm the car's correct tire size and 16-inch rim diameter before selecting.
195/50R16 Products
These are the available products for 195/50R16.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below focus on the two-size Toyota Prius c fitment pattern, the difference between 15-inch and 16-inch wheel packages, and how to verify the right modern radial size for a specific year and configuration.
Size Basics & Fitment
Toyota Prius c uses two tire sizes across the 2012 to 2019 model range: 195/50R16 and 175/65R15. The 195/50R16 size is listed for 2012 through 2018 and fits 16-inch wheels, while the 175/65R15 size is listed for 2012 through 2019 and fits 15-inch wheels.
That means year alone is not enough for most Toyota Prius c cars. If the car is a 2012 through 2018 model, check the tire sidewall already on the car, confirm the wheel diameter directly, and compare that with the year listing before choosing a replacement size.
On a Toyota Prius c, 175/65R15 is a modern metric radial size. The 175 is the section width in millimeters, 65 is the aspect ratio showing sidewall height as a percentage of width, R means radial construction, and 15 is the wheel diameter in inches.
That decoding matters because a 15-inch tire cannot be installed on a 16-inch wheel, even if the car falls within a year range that also used another size. Use the code as a direct match to the wheel package on the car rather than treating it as a general Prius c size.
A 2015 Toyota Prius c has two sizes listed because Toyota Prius c used two different wheel diameters in the same model year. One fitment uses 175/65R15 on 15-inch wheels, and the other uses 195/50R16 on 16-inch wheels.
The practical takeaway is to identify the specific wheel package on your 2015 Toyota Prius c before selecting tires. Checking the current tire sidewall, measuring the wheel diameter, or verifying the trim and wheel setup on the actual car will prevent ordering the right size for the wrong wheel.
Toyota Prius c uses two rim diameters across the listed years: 15 inches and 16 inches. The 175/65R15 size corresponds to a 15-inch wheel and appears from 2012 through 2019, while the 195/50R16 size corresponds to a 16-inch wheel and appears from 2012 through 2018.
Because both wheel diameters appear in the same years for most of the production run, the wheel on the car is the deciding factor. A quick wheel and sidewall check is more reliable than assuming all Toyota Prius c models from one year shared the same fitment.
Buying the Right Tire
A 2017 Toyota Prius c can use either 175/65R15 or 195/50R16, depending on which wheels the car has. The correct size is determined by the actual wheel diameter on the car, with 15-inch wheels taking 175/65R15 and 16-inch wheels taking 195/50R16.
Start by reading the size on the current tire, then verify the wheel diameter directly so the sidewall code and wheel agree. If the car has changed hands or had wheel swaps over time, that physical check is the most dependable way to choose the right replacement.
The listed Toyota Prius c product shows a wide whitewall sidewall style in 195/50R16. That available product is a BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial with a 2 Inch Whitewall, which gives the car a customized or period-inspired appearance rather than a typical late-model economy-car look.
Sidewall style matters as much as size when the goal is a certain visual effect. If your Toyota Prius c is being built with a more distinctive presentation, a whitewall can change the character of the car, but the wheel diameter and exact tire size still have to match first.
The current Toyota Prius c product selection shown here includes BFGoodrich. The listed offering is the BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial in 195/50R16, so BFGoodrich is the brand represented in the available products for this model group.
Brand choice should still follow fitment first. On a Toyota Prius c, confirm whether the car needs the 15-inch or 16-inch size, then compare the available brand and sidewall treatment to the look and driving character you want for the finished car.
Maintenance & Longevity
A Toyota Prius c should be stored on clean, properly inflated tires in a cool, dry, dark space away from direct sunlight, ozone sources, and large temperature swings. Long periods on one spot can flatten the contact patch, especially if the car sits without being moved.
If the Toyota Prius c will be parked for an extended period, move it slightly from time to time or support the vehicle in a way that reduces continuous load on the tires. Clean storage conditions and stable inflation do more to preserve a low-use collector or custom tire than tread depth alone.
Tires on a Toyota Prius c should be inspected regularly even if the car is driven only occasionally. Check inflation, tread wear, cracking, cuts, impact damage, and any sign of uneven wear across the tread and shoulders before normal use and after long storage periods.
Hybrid and low-mileage cars can spend a lot of time parked, which means aging and air loss may become more important than mileage wear. A brief inspection routine before each outing helps catch sidewall aging, slow leaks, or alignment-related wear before they become a road-use problem.
Tires on a Toyota Prius c should be replaced when age, cracking, hardening, bulges, puncture history, or structural damage make them questionable, even if tread depth still looks acceptable. Collector and low-mileage cars often age their tires out before they wear them out.
The safest habit is to evaluate the full condition of the tire, not just the remaining tread. If a Toyota Prius c has spent long periods parked or shows visible age-related deterioration, replacement is the sensible choice before returning the car to regular road use.
Safety & Road Use
A correctly sized, properly mounted, and well-maintained radial tire can be suitable for public-road use on a Toyota Prius c. Safety depends on matching the tire to the wheel diameter, keeping the tire in sound condition, and avoiding aged or damaged tires regardless of how much tread remains.
The biggest risk on Toyota Prius c fitment is choosing the wrong size for the wheel because both 15-inch and 16-inch setups were used in many of the same years. Before road use, verify the sidewall size, wheel diameter, inflation condition, and overall tire age rather than relying on model year alone.
Before driving a Toyota Prius c, check tire size, air pressure, visible sidewall condition, tread condition, and any signs of puncture damage or uneven wear. Also make sure the tire size on the car matches the wheel diameter, since Toyota Prius c commonly appears with both 15-inch and 16-inch wheel packages.
That quick pre-drive inspection is especially important on a car that has been sitting or has recently changed wheels. Catching low pressure, mismatch issues, or visible age damage before leaving the garage is a simple way to avoid handling problems and unnecessary tire stress.
A Toyota Prius c should be driven at speeds appropriate to the condition, age, and exact specification of the tires actually fitted to the car. Even with a modern radial size, the practical limit should reflect overall tire health, inflation, and whether the car is using a specialty sidewall treatment aimed as much at appearance as everyday commuting.
The sensible approach is to stay conservative until the tires have been fully inspected and the car has been evaluated for stable road manners. If the Toyota Prius c is wearing older, little-used, or long-stored tires, moderate use is wiser than assuming full modern-driver confidence from size alone.