Recommended replacement tires for Prius Touring 195/55R16?

Did you try a 205/55 for comparison purposes?

Many tires are noisy in any size... you really have to do some homework to find those tires that perform and keep the noise down. Generally it's the tread pattern and internal tire build that mostly dictate noise levels.

Tire sidewalls hold much of the secret between a stiffer or softer ride. Stiff sidewalls give you better handling, but not a better (smoother) ride. Softer sidewalls make the ride cushy, but steering inputs can become more relaxed, so handling precision tends to drop quite a bit and in the worst cases, becomes dangerously slopy.

Homework, homework, homework.:ranger:

 

As it turns out, my brother also has a 2009 Touring model, and also bought the Nokian WR-G2 tyres in the 205 size. You see, he lives in St. Paul, MN, and decided that the extra size could help with traction in bad weather.

He was up visiting over the holidays, and we more or less concluded that that the size difference made no noticeable difference in performance overall.

The Nokian is a great tyre for the Prius Touring. That is the tyre that Toyota SHOULD have supplied as OEM for the car. It costs a bit more, but if you average out the price difference over the life of the tyres, to me, it's a no brainer. One should never compromise on tyres (and the safety aspect associated with tyres).

 

Actually just the opposite is true, in snow and slush type winter driving the narrower tire is better for traction, the narrorer contact patch puts more weight per sq inch and is supposed to work better in winter conditions as it helps plow thru to the pavement, I know it seems counter intuitive. Just visit the tirerack.com and thay have articles explaining it. Also the size difference makes a 1.8% speedometer error.

 

Interesting point on the traction, thanks for that. (Not the first time I've heard that). I did know about the speedometer delta, which is why I went with the OEM size.

I'm a supporter of the Nokian tyres for the Prius. I previously owned a 2007 Prius, and the Nokians are easily the best tyre I've used with the car.

 

Still have them, will probably go through the hot summer (I'm in the south) and see how they ride after some heat and break-in.

I remember the factory tires being hard at the beginning but softened up after a few thousand miles, can't remember how many, but the rattle in the dash that re-appeared when I replaced the tires had been gone for quite some time.

 

Up here in MN the snow slushiness is limited in duration when compared to the constant freezing and below-zero temps - you're dealing more with traveling on ice surfaces off the normally clear main drags. And I suspect that the narrowness actually means you need an even skinnier tier than the 195 to have a noiticeable impact.

Either with the 195 OEM or the 205, the Nokian is still a damn good tire. And I can live with the 1.8% error as I stay within +/- 5 mph of the posted limit anyway.

 

I finally took the time to do some digging. The stock 16" touring rims could be replaced with 15" rims like the standard Prius has and the RevsPerMile is identical and/or really close on most of those tires. More tires are available in this size and the prices are a bit lower thus ofsetting the cost of new rims. Plus, could pick out some nice rims and get rid of that plastic cover.

For refrence its 854 RevsPerMile on the stock EL-400s.

I would guess this would provide a smoother ride, how much I don't know. I see Comfort Treads are available for the 15" rims and they are 855 RevsPerMile, closer than the Ecopia's I have now @857.

 

The Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grids are a very good tire, considering the price. But, you still might want to investigate the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum. Dumb name for a tire, but extremely smooth and quiet all season. Performance is also very good but not inexpensive like the G019. I was very pleasantly surprised, meeting all expectations and more, especially the extra quiet part. If I get the rear hubs fixed, that will be the Prius' next summer tire.

Just FYI... and I'll go away now. :bolt:

 

It depends on several factors, but overall, I do think they are worth the extra cash. Keep in mind you will get 50 to 60K miles out of them, so the extra cost over time is small compared to the increased performance.

 

Personally, I would get the Hankook Optimo H727 in the 205/55R16 tire size, and call it a day.

It's Consumer Reports' highest rated 4 season tire.

It rates higher on snow and ice than the Nokian WRg2. In fact, it rates as well or higher on snow and ice than most of the winter tires tested by Consumer Reports.

And it's relatively inexpensive -- about $400 for four (with free shipping and no tax) in the 205/55R16 size from Gripston.com.

You might lose one mpg because of the wider than OEM treadwidth, but I think that's a small price to pay.

 

IMHO, paying the $200 to get better performance and safety during the winter is worth it.

I also went with Nitrogen inflation, which seems to have helped out.

 

I looked int those before buying the Nokians. In the end, the Nokians won out due to the following factors:

1) The Nokians are the correct size and speed rating for the Touring. The Hankooks are not.

2) Researching Hankook tyres was a mixed bag. While there were good reports, there were also a fair amount of complaints about them as well. The Nokians all had stellar reports.

3) The price difference was not 200, but 120 for a set of four from Tire Pros.

Hopefully, you can make a more informed decision from the various feedback provided. Good Luck!

 

I've got 32000 miles on my original Turanza's and still have plenty of rubber left. Of course for the life of the tires they were always rotated every 7500 miles and at 44psi front and 42psi rear. So, when time comes for me, I'll probably go with the Turanza's again. However, the Falken ziex ze-912's may be an alternative.

 

I'm sorry to jump in so late but wonder why 205-50-16 size has not been considered. There are several available tire choices and the rotation numbers are fairly close.

 

Good point. 205/50R16 can also be considered. With them on, the speedometer will read 1.5% faster, compared with 205/55R16 which will cause the speedometer to read 1.8% slower. Note however that there are more tires available in the 205/55R16 size.

 

I think you made an excellent choice. Let us know how you make out.