I was at Sam's Club checking out some tires for the Prius I'm soon to purchase. I've read here that the Michelin tires give the best bang for the buck. Would anyone disagree? I'm looking to purchase the Michelin Defender XT tire. The Sam's Club mechanic who I've spoken with many times said that he has them on his Sunfire and they offer a quiet and safe ride, even in the snow.
Good tire for other cars but not the best for Pri's. Michelin Energy Savers and Bridgestone Ecopia's in that order are more ideal.
If you drive a lot of miles annually they are a good economical choice. Fuel economy will be lower than OE and a lot lower than the Energy Saver A/S but the long tread wear makes up for some of the efficiency loss. Still, the Energy Saver A/S is cheaper in the long run.
I am on my second set of Michelin Energy Saver AS tires, 195x65x15. They are a true 60,000 mile plus tires, if you rotate them on a regular basis. I kept mine at max pressure 44 psi in all four and the tires wore perfectly even. MPG's are at least 3 mpg more than the Ecopias and the original Avid tires.
Likely because the car is front heavy. I do this with my TDI Beetle as well. Third set of tires on the VW and second set on the Prius with even wear. PSI adjusted after each rotation. To hard in the back makes it loose.
Like mentioned above, I would suggest keeping them with the factory pressure split unless you regularly carry a heavy load or 4 people.
