2010 Prius owners reports

The difference becomes larger with more weight, so stick with the 2 PSI difference.

And why stop at 62PSI, the early Prius hypermilers saw an increase of MPG all the way up to 68-69PSI before there was no detectable return, in case you want the most MPG.

Wayne

 

Please help me to understand what you are suggesting. If a tire has a max pressure on the sidewall of 50PSI, how is it that filling the tire to that pressure, and keeping it there daily, could be a problem -- much less an indication of a mental disconnect in an otherwise health person?

I can see it is an issue if you've taken the load too high, but that isn't happening. Also an issue if the tire is damaged -- or if the tire just isn't appropriate for the car or the way it is driven. Still, I don't understand the problem.

 

Congrats alfon!

What brand and model 15" tires came with your 2010?

In winebuff's photos, they look like Avid something.

 

The other concern I would have beside the rough ride would be that running a tire at 60+ as one person mentioned would give very little cusion when hitting potholes. We have them everywhere and they are deep. I wouldn't want to hit them with 60 psig in my tires.

 

Alfon,

Could you comment on

1. Seat comfort compared to the older Prius, and
2. Acceleration in power mode compared to the old Prius.

Thanks.

 

I probably shouldn't have brought it up being new here. I'm sure this has been discussed in previous threads here and on Edmunds.

Bottom line, tire pressure directly relates to how much contact area a tire makes with the road. It affect braking distance and handling (grip). Too much pressure (rock hard) and you will negatively affect your ability to stop in as short a distance as you would at the design pressure. Same for grip around curves.

In some cars this may make a significant difference. I can't imagine in a Prius already getting 50 mpg and using low rolling resistance tires that the gains would be significant. And by significant have you calculated your savings in the difference in say 50 mpg and 55 mpg? At 12,000 miles a year and $2.40 gas it's less than $5 / month in gasoline.

To a hypermiler that gets off by posting 55 mpg that is indeed a significant number. To a grandfather that wants to save fuel but make sure his granddaughter is as safe as possible in the back seat, it's just not worth it.

 

That's probably going to be a lot better than the 17" though.

 

Maximum Tire pressure (a police perspective) - Car Dealer Forums

You've made some claims about tire pressures, here's a claim made by law enforcement. There's a link within the article that shows a truck with tires inflated to 100 psi. The article discusses this.

 

Tires are :
Yokohama
Avid S33 195/65R15
Treadwear 320, traction B, temperature B
(no clue what this means)

 

I don't plan to do high speed manuevers with my Prius. High speed + Concrete + lots of flex = tire failure, thus the need to increase pressues. Even your owners manual tells you to do that.

I'll stop there because I've been here before and it's an argument that can't be won by either side.

To each their own. But if a Cop or Prius ever tail ends me I'm checking their tire pressures and I'll see what my lawyer does with someone who knowingly exceeds the tire and auto makers recommended pressure.

Nuf said let's move on to Julie's celebration.

BTW how could anyone tell those were AVID's from that very small picture???

 

Julie, a quick search on Tirerack.com revealed a bunch of information (Tire Tech Information - Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Standards)

Unfortunately, it did not show much information for Treadwear, but I found some of that here: ([ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadwear_rating[/ame])

I hope that helps...

BTW, Congrats on your new baby. I finally ordered mine this weekend (Thanks again to Jabber), and will be getting a Prius V, Nav, in Blizzard Pearl, with Misty Grey leather. Just counting the days till mid June.

 

I believe the max pressure and recommended pressures are all cold pressures.


The only disadvantage I can tell for higher pressure is increased tread wear but gas mileage should increase due to reduced rolling resistance.

But it looks like the tires aren't the best since my Accords Michelins are A rated for both Traction & Temp although treadwear is not so good on them.

 

Very true. That is an issue even at the max rating, I presume, and a significantly greater personal safety and liability question once the tire pressure so greatly exceeds the max sidewall pressure.

It has, but not everyone has read those threads, and I think the discuss is worthy. If it isn't, no one else will read or respond. Not to worry.

OK. I just wanted to see where you were at on this.

I think the people who are pushing the envelope on inflation are doing it with understanding. I'm more concerned about the safety to others on the road, and I would hope the inflation pressure is adjusted to deal with general conditions. For instance, I run the pressure at or close to the sidewall max (never above), but I will drop it down at times. I do not want to sacrifice control over the car, but if a little more pressure means I need another few inches to stop, I'm not too concerned. I am a very defensive driver and never get close to cars in front of me. If I am going to lose lateral control, well that's another story.

I love getting high mileage, but I won't bring out the bicycle wheels and rock hard tires to reduce rolling resistance.

 

Can you recommend a better 17" tire for me? I'd like to take delivery with a better tire, if possible, and let the dealer have the others.

 

I have a bad habit of replacing stock tires on my cars because the stock ones never please me. Looks like the 2010 Prius will be no exception. Will start researching replacements tonight