Highlander 18" tires on Venza

General Discussion
1

Here’s what I asked Toyota (to customer service at their corporate website):

“Will the Highlander’s 245/60-18 tire and wheel fit on a Venza, which uses 19” and 20" wheels?

I’m talking straight install, not needing spacers, longer bolts, or anything.

And let me ask the same question in reverse: will the Venza’s 245/50-20 wheel and tire fit on a Highlander?

I ask because if I buy a Venza, I’ll be looking for a Highlander owner to trade tires with. Or maybe ask the dealership to make the swap. If it’s technically possible, of course.

(I’d buy a Venza in a heartbeat … except for the oversize tires. I’ll bet they’ve cost you a lot of sales, maybe why you’ve stopped making the Venza.)"

Here’s the reply (in an email) from Toyota:

"Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry.

When replacing the tires, use only the same size and construction as originally installed on your vehicle and with the same or greater load capacity. Using any other size or type of tire may seriously affect handling, ride, speedometer/odometer calibration, ground clearance, and clearance between the body and tires or snow chains.

We apologize, we do not recommend or assist with modifying our vehicles from their original factory specifications.

Modifications could affect the vehicle’s performance, safety or durability, and may violate government regulations. In addition, damage or performance problems resulting from the modification may not be covered under warranty.

We appreciate your feedback. It is through communications such as yours that we become aware of the reactions and expectations of our customers and are able to review and improve our product offerings.

Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us."

In other words, generic, useless, CYA information. Frankly, Toyota, I’m disappointed. Expected better.

Anyone at Car Talk have experience with this?

2

Go to a site like tirerack.com and see if the various optional tires for each have the same size. In other words, I bet there’s some overlap in available wheel sizes, for the same size wheel are the tires the same size? If so, I bet they’re interchangeable, they’re both based on the same basic chassis. Heck, call Tirerack, they might just tell you.

And I can’t imagine Toyota giving you any other answer than what you got. I don’t blame them, either.

3

Don’t be disappointed in Toyota. No company is going to tacitly approve the use of tires not tested and approved for one of their vehicles. They’d be foolish to.

Texases answer was an excellent one.

4

What else is Toyota going to say ? I don’t know why you are so hung up on a Venza that you are going to have to spend a lot of money just to reduce your tire size. Look for something else, besides the car was discontinued .

5

I do have to say that the current trend to lower and lower profile tires is a really bad thing. It’s being done for style only (in my opinion) and results in much higher priced tires and wheels as well as very high sensitivity to potholes. And the trend is to make those standard with no possibility of switching to a higher profile tire.

6

Volvo V70, I know the car’s been discontinued. Doesn’t mean it’s not just fine for me. Except those humongous tires. I don’t think I’ll have to spend much, if any, money getting higher profile tires. Should be plenty of Highlander owners who’d like to swap with me – if the swap will work. That’s what I asked Toyota. They produce both cars and both wheels. Why such a difficult question?

I agree with BillRussell. “High priced.” “Very high sensitivity to potholes.” To me 20" tires on a Camry station wagon makes no sense. Who was the target population for this car? Inner-city pimp or suburban soccer mom? Or, as in my case, empty nesters. And we wonder why production’s been stopped.

7

Tirerack lists 245/55x19" tires for both the Venza and Highlander, so I bet you’re good to swap.

8

I just looked at 3 Venza used cars on AutoTrader and they all had 19 inch 55 series tires that Edmunds list as standard. I guess the one the OP is looking at had different wheels put on it. The difference from standard to 18 is one lousy inch.

9

The OP never gave us the car’s year and drivetrain, but I too could only find 19" wheels on a Venza. Going to a smaller wheel size will always require a check of caliper clearances, and going to a smaller size wheel will likely result in reduced stability, even if the tire size is adjusted to provide the same rolling diameter.

Offset also needs to be checked, even if the bolt circle is the same (it probably is, but it needs to be checked). Going more negative on the offset will further reduce stability even if the section width of the tire is the same.

10

TireRack.com shows winter tire packages for 17" and 18" wheels for a Venza.

11

Tirerack lists 17" and 18" (and 20") tire/wheels for the Venza under ‘Don’t see your size?’.

12

It’s impossible to guess without knowing the year and options.

“if I buy a Venza, I’ll be looking for a Highlander owner to trade tires with.” - OP
and why in the world would a Highlander owner trade wheels with the OP?

Reading through the post again, it isn’t realistic at all. No company is going to tacitly approve a wheel not OEM to the vehicle, being disappointed in a manufacturer for not doing so is, well, really unrealistic, and even considering buying a Venza with the expectation that you can get a Highlander owner to swap wheels with you is, well, awfully strange thinking.

Something is really strange about the thought process going on here IMHO.

13

I am not sure if thought process is in play here.

14

To all who said they found only 19" tires for the Venza, no, the V6 comes standard with 20" tires.

So, Volvo V70, it’s two lousy inches I’m trying to get to. From a 50 profile to a 60. I wouldn’t even mind a 65. Might even prefer it.

It’s not the tire that concerns me about the swap between Highlander and Venza, it’s the wheel. Can the Highlander wheel be used on the Venza (and vice versa) without causing problems?

Guess my point wasn’t made clear at first. Hope it is now.

15

Point is clear, but no way we could know for sure. Tire rack folks do, they sell smaller wheels + snow tire combos for your Venza. Call them.

16

Height is one thing you have to worry about. As long as you keep the overall height the same - then it may not be a problem. Going to a larger diameter wheel will require you get get lower profile tires to keep the same height.

You also have to worry about offset. Find out what each vehicle’s wheel offset is.

17

MikelnNH – Regarding overall height staying the same, it appears it does. Here’s a copy/paste from another discussion group:

"The 245/50R 20 tire that came on your Venza has an overall diameter of 752.85 mm, sidewall height of 122.4 mm, circumference is 2,365 mm and turns 423 times every kilometre.

A 245/65R 17 tire on the steel wheel recommended by your dealer has a diameter of 431.8 mm, circumference of 2,356 mm and turns 424 revs/km.

That will result in a slight, but acceptable, speedometer error. When it reads 100 you will actually be travelling at 99.8. That is not an issue since there is not a speedometer in the industry accurate to within that 0.2 per cent error."

So it’s not the tire that’s the real issue, it’s the wheel. I know how to buy tires. I’ve never bought a wheel. Can any 17" or 18" wheel be put on the Venza? If so, no problem. But I’m thinking it’s not that simple.

18

Oh, and let me add:
I’m also thinking there must be some Highlander owners who would like to trade me, even up, their 17" wheels and tires for my (if I get a Venza) 20-inchers. If the swap would be safe, of course.

19

One more time - if tire rack lists 17" tire/wheel combos for your Venza, they’ll fit. You could also look up the same package for a Highlander, see if the stock #s are the same.

20

I think in this case the aftermarket will be your friend. I would stop by your local tire and wheel shop and ask them what wheels they have that will fit on a Venza. No doubt they will have some choices for you.