Tire replacement.....which tire?

The Nokian WRg2's are indeed fine tires. I have the older (and a little more aggressive so better in snow but a little noisier) WR's. They do indeed get better MPGs on my non-touring 2004 Prius (185/65HR15, also 848 revs/mile vs 855 for the GYs when both tires were new) than the original Goodyear Integrity tires (about 4% better by my data). I don't have data on the original touring tires so I can't make a direct comparison.

See the related PriusChat discussion thread:
http://priuschat.com/forums/care-ma...get-absolute-best-mpg-prius-3.html#post766567
for my detailed MPG data spreadsheet.

JeffD

 

I just turned 60k miles on my 2005 Prius. I have already replaced my tires once and replaced them with the same tires that came on my car when it was new. I replaced them at 30k. They are going bald on the outside edge. I have kept the tire pressure where it's recommended. Now the dealer tells me I should keep the pressure at
35 lbs for all tires. Can anyone suggest what kind of tires I should by as replacements? Also, is there a set pressure that I should be setting all the tires at?

 

This past Monday I replaced the OEM GY tires at 45k miles with the Michelin Radial X's at Sam's Club. I had put the X Radial on two other vehicles and always had great service from them. Also, I really had no complaints about the GY's as they had taken us from FL to OH, IL and TN many times and even a trip to CO. They still had tread left but I just decided it was safer to replace them with new rubber, and the $60 rebate wasn't bad either.

Today we drove for the first time on I75 with the Radial X, a 400 mile roundtrip, and I was very disappointed. On the trip out there was a crosswind and it was all I could handle to keep the car between the lines. Drivers behind us probably thought I was a drunken sailor (no disrespect intended). I never had this problem with the GY's and I'm sure I would have been in a few crosswinds in 45k of driving. On the return trip the LOML drove and there was no crosswinds. She didn't have as much of a problem but did notice the steering was "touchy". I noticed from the passenger seat that when she changed lanes to pass and then back to the right lane that the car seemed to give extra movement from side to side when straightening up. I'm guessing this is due to the sidewalls of the Radial X being more flexible than the GY's. I also am thinking that this is just as unsafe as driving on the GY's with the lesser tread. If we were to go to OH and change lanes on a road with snow or ice I can see the car sliding and losing control. I usually had 40/38 lbs in the GY's and only have 37/35 in the X's but don't think that is the reason for the problem. So, unless the tires just need a break-in time they are going back, for what I don't have a clue. Anyone else with the X's notice any changes like this?

Lanny

 

Thanks for all of the input on new tires in this thread and a few older ones.
My wife's '01 (57,000 miles) get tires tomorrow and it's getting time for my '02 (70,000 miles)
to get new ones soon. MPG/LRR is the main focus of my search.
After looking at some of the reviews of the Michelin X Radials,
I'm even considering getting a Costco account!
I started out checking what my local Discount Tire was offering, but found my way over here.
The info about pressure has been a real eye-opener.
Yes, of course, properly inflated is good, but I never realized how high you can go with them
(Dallas summer heat needs to be taken into consideration too tho).

Anyway, just wanted to thank all of you for weighing in on your experiences.

®ø∂

 

Well, after my decision to look at the Michelins,
I decided to go where the rubber meets the road (eh, hem...)
and take a look at Costco.
What I found was that not only didn't they have the Michelins,
but when I got back home and checked both the
Costco and Michelin websites, neither had anything that was 175/65 R14.
Also, the guy at Costco was telling me that ALL Michelins were LRR,
but I suppose I can expect that from Costco. I guess I need to check
out another brand...

Anyway, I'm back to square one on this.
Anyone still own an first gen Prius and have a recommendation?

thanks,

®ø∂

 

Nokian I3. Since you are in TX and don't have deep winter snow to contend with a good all season like the I3 is perfect. Plus it is cheaper than the Michelin X. Since I have a Ford Explorer for snow use here in New Jersey, I'm getting a set of the I3 just as soon as my Integritys wear out.

If I were to face heavy winter snow in the Prius and wanted one tire, I would go with the Nokian WRG2's, but they have less tread life than the I3 and are more expensive.

Rumple

 

Thanks for the advice on Nokian. I'll have to decide whether it's worth the 60 mile drive to east Texas to get them.
Still a young company apparently with small distribution. I do like that that they're environmentally friendly!
I may think about this drive while checking out some other options.

Thanks again,

®

 

I've got 44K on the original Integritys and the tread is still legal. I'm going into my fourth snow season here in Boston with no complaints ... the car is a tank ... very good in the snow.

My opinion for what it's worth.

 

I am replacing the stock 185/65/15 Goodyear tires on my '08 Prius with Kumho Solus KR21's this week & anxious to see what my mileage & handling does. I went with 195/60/15 on the Kumho & hoping my mileage doesn't tank. Running 50mpg +/- now so we'll see.

I read Michelin is coming out with an improved tire with less rolling resistance. If my mileage deteriorates significantly, I will replace them with Michelin tires & the original 185/65/15" specs.

I have run Michelin tires on most of my vehicles for several years & no major problems. Not sure why I changed, but a local shop handles the Kumho & seems they are a good tire. I'll post a follow up.

 

I just replaced the integrities on my 08 Prius... I replaced them with the GY Comfortreds... do not do it... my mileage in highway went from 48 to 38 and city went from 50 to 44. I am going to go back to stock integrities... even though they were not good lasting tires... I only got 28k miles on them.

 

Why don't you try the GY Ecopia? Tirerack had good review on them. Plus maybe you could get a discount from GY.

 

But also consider Tirerack's assessment of stopping distances and turning Gs both wet and dry. Considering everything drove me back to the GY Assurance FuelMax.