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Does ANY tire get better mileage than originals?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by cary1952, Jun 23, 2008.

  1. cary1952

    cary1952 Member

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    Lots of threads on tires, but does ANYBODY get BETTER mileage than they did on the original tires? If so , what brands are you using. I need tires within a week or 2, and need suggestions! HELP! Thanks.

    Cary
     
  2. bbald123

    bbald123 Thermodynamics Law Enforcement

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    I intend to run the Michelin HydroEdge when I kill the GoodYears on mine.
     
  3. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    find a lighter rim...
     
  4. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    You seem to know alot racer. or act like you do anyway. Who are you to say who is stupid because you know nothing of what they are doing or why? And who made you the arbiter of tires for everyone?

    You buy the tires you want for your needs and leave others to do the same. Just because MPG isnt your concern doesnt mean it isnt others. One can have LRR *and* safety you know.

    I know you know that since you seem to act like you know everything already. Hypermilers might consider you stupid. I might tend to agree with them.
     
  5. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    Dude, you need to chill and stop thinking that your a legend in your own mind!

    Treating folks on this board in this manner is quite out of line. If you have that much loathing for yourself that you have to take it out on others, stop, take a breath, and think.

    We all bought Prii, we are not stupid, nor do we really care about what you give a ...about!

    Grow up

    Pat KK6PD
     
  6. cary1952

    cary1952 Member

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    Can we try this again please?
     
  7. Prius 07

    Prius 07 Member

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    Hi Carry,

    If MPG was the only factor then look for low rolling resistance tires. Trade-off of other factors may impact your tire selection : like driving in rain; snow and also expected tire life and riding comfort.
    I'm still on the original OEM tires, but have seen quite a few treads on evaluating different tires for various factors.
     
  8. Ichiro

    Ichiro Member

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    ouch... i actually agree with racer's point of view, basically, but I would have been a bit more diplomatic about it :flame:

    in any case, I think the Pirelli P3000's have very low rolling resistance too.
     
  9. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Apparently there are no tires that allow better MPGs than the original Integrities.
     
  10. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    I have been keeping a pretty close check on fuel mileage for quite a few years now. With 4 different vehicles and 8 to 10 sets of tires I have found:

    1. If I buy the same size and same general type of tire I can tell no difference in mileage, other factors being equal of course.

    2. The tires I have owned which were rated as energy efficient tires (Michelin MXV4) were very good tires but no more energy efficient than comparable tires that were not "energy efficient". But that's just what I noticed, others may have seen an improvement.

    3. Tire pressure makes a big difference, the higher the better, just don't exceed the maximum cold pressure listed on the sidewall (44 psi or 51 psi) for passenger car tires.

    4. Wider tires may cut your mileage a bit, I replaced the 185/65-15 tires on my '05 Prius with 205/60-15 tires which had the same circumference and revs per mile. I may have lost 1 or 2 mpg at the most. I considered the improved stopping and handling to be worth it.

    5. A good place to check out and compare different tires by most manufacturers is the Tire Rack web site.
     
  11. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    So ... a Prius driver wants low rolling resistance tires. Let's see ... odds are, that means their top concern is high MPG's. Thus, they won't be slamming the hammer, and diving into the corners at an idiot's speed ... or being concerned whether they can pull 2 horizontal G's through the turns. Thus, for that driver's mind set, WHO CARES if your tires aren't glued to the road ... when you aren't going to be running the Indy 500 anyway. Get it? Consider the OP's question.

    To the OP, see page 5:

    http://greenseal.org/resources/reports/CGR_tire_rollingresistance.pdf
     
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Were the Michelin MXV4 tyres also wider than stock?

    My advice is to look for tyres using silica compound in the tread as it improves rolling resistance and grip.
    Michelin Energy XM1+ are supposed to be very good, I have the Energy XM1 on my car at about 40PSI and get 4.3L/100km without trying all that hard and the XM1+ according to Michelin are even better. That is more grip and lower rolling resistance. I'm almost due for tyres at about 100,000km which is good on our roads and will be fitting XM1+ to my car. If you buy expensive tyres to reduce what you spend on fuel you may never recover the aditional cost, but you get what you pay for so you will probably get a better safer tyre if you spend a little more. Note that narrower tyres roll easier but may have less grip. Standard fitment on all Prius here is 195 60R 15 and that is what I will fit in future.

    I would never put more pressure than the maximum on the sidewall of the tyre. I also believe wheel weight has a very small affect on fuel consumption and Prius wheels are already very light. Buying lighter wheels only for lower fuel consumption wouldn't be money well spent. How ever if you buy them for looks, that is up to you but don't expect the wheels to ever pay for themselves in fuel savings. Just my opinion mind you.
     
  13. Ichiro

    Ichiro Member

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    Wow, you are a bit too tightly wound ... i suggest more fiber in your diet!
    :hippie::hug:
     
  14. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    No they were the same size but it would be fair to add that I did not try them on my Prius, they were on a Honda Accord. However with the exception of some special techniques, such as pulse-and-glide, what improves mileage on one car will usually work on others as well.
     
  15. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Pulse and glide works on most cars, I used it when I had the Camry but it is much harder and there are some minor safety concerns. I improved my consumption from 9.0L/100km normal driving to 7.0L/100km pulse and glide then a milder economy driving method was settled on for about 8.0L/100km until I sold it.
     
  16. Walker1

    Walker1 Empire

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    Good luck! I posted on this issue about 4 mos. ago when my '06 was ready for 4 tires @ 30,000 miles. I got NO answers that answered my question just like you are.

    I said to heck with it and bought the stock tires again @ Sam's Club. I had no trouble or problems with the stock tires, but I felt 30K miles sucks for longevity. My only concern is MPG as I have no other issues.

    It took about 1100 mile to break in the new skins & get back to 54.5 MPG. I am quite satisfied.
     
  17. bbald123

    bbald123 Thermodynamics Law Enforcement

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    In fact, lighter wheels may be a net negative if you do a large percentage of highway miles. Angular momentum can be good if your speed deltas are small.
     
  18. micheal

    micheal I feel pretty, oh so pretty.

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    The OP has gotten several informative posts about possible tires and tips about tires. In the end, tires have a much smaller impact on MPG than driving style and conditions do. I have had Goodyear Comforttreads for a about 2 years, but it's hard to tell how they have/haven't affected mpg, since I modified techniques since then.
     
  19. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    my second set of tires likely will be the Mich X radials of some model. highly rated and very good for mpg
     
  20. mcmurray

    mcmurray Junior Member

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    I am about to get my first replacement set at 97000kms and 2 and a half years (got to be happy with that:)).

    In Australia the original equipment is Michelin Energy XV1 and I have found that they are originally made in Germany whereas the other 'local' Michelin Energy models MXV8 and XM1 come from Thailand or thereabouts and according to my tire dealer do not last as long as the German manufactured tire. The German XV1 is AUD$200 fitted whereas the XM1 is about AUD$140 fitted.

    I have also been told that the V-rated tires (XV1 and MXV8) are lighter than the H-rated XM1 and is therefore likely to have the lower rolling-resistance. With the MXV8 at AUD$188 I think I shall go with the XV1 again and see if I can get another 100000kms (65000 miles?):rockon:.