Hubcaps and rims are not the same thing, and you should not use the terms interchangeably, even though you may hear others do so. What is a hubcap? Gordon Magee/Shutterstock.

Hubcaps cover the central portion of a car’s wheels, though they can certainly be larger. They have been around for as long as the automobile industry has existed and, for many decades, were an ...

There are many types of hubcap, but each serve an important purpose in keeping your wheels functioning properly. Protecting the wheel. Hubcaps act as a shield for the wheel.

The hubcaps, which only come on the entry-level Prius LE model—the XLE and Limited wear larger, bare-faced aluminum wheels—give the Prius aBlade Runner-like appearance.

Hubcaps and rims are not the same thing, and you should not use the terms interchangeably, even though you may hear others do so. Read more: 14 Major Tire Brands Of 2025 Ranked.