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Need advice about replacement tires for Gen III

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by yadax3, Sep 18, 2009.

  1. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    I'm sure this issue has been discussed before but one of the first things I noticed when I bought my 2007 Gen II Prius was how lousy it handled on snowy/icy roads. Replacing the original tires with all-season tires made a world of difference but I lost 3 mpg.

    Anticipating the same problem with my new Gen III Prius, I entered my make, model, and year into Costco's tire search and here are the results: Costco.com - Shop for Tires

    Any thoughts? Does anyone know if the Michelin Energy Saver tires make any difference on a Prius? If I change to all-season tires, I'm guessing I'm going to take a hit on my mpg no matter what. :frown:
     
    #1 yadax3, Sep 18, 2009
  2. jay_man2

    jay_man2 jay_man_also

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    #2 jay_man2, Sep 18, 2009
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  3. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    Excellent. I didn't see that thread when I searched. Thanks!
     
    #3 yadax3, Sep 18, 2009
  4. FreakinToddles

    FreakinToddles New Member

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    How snowy is it in N. Nevada?? I don't mind losing 3 or 4 MPG knowing I am getting excellent traction on ice. Go with the Blizzak snow tires, they perform extremely well and you will not be disappointed.
     
    #4 FreakinToddles, Sep 18, 2009
  5. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    We get enough snow to need to good all-seasons. I also have a long commute to work through a windy valley which tends to get the worst of things. And then we sometimes venture 'over the hill' to Sacramento in Winter, but that usually requires chains.

    I'd never heard of Blizzak but I see they are snow tires rather than all-seasons. I'm assuming my gas mileage would take an even bigger hit with those but I certainly agree with you about the trade off being worth it.
     
    #5 yadax3, Sep 19, 2009
  6. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    What tires do you now have on your Prius IV? I thought all of the 15" tires offered were all-season radials. Are you concerned they aren't a high-enough quality (like the Integrities on the Gen2), or do you believe the design is not enough "all" season to really help in the winter?
     
    #6 a priori, Sep 19, 2009
  7. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    Good question. I guess I just assumed they'd be as bad as the ones on my Gen II, especially since I remember a salesman at the dealership saying something about Toyota putting cheap tires on their cars. But when I took a close look at my tires last night they seem to have a decent tread. I really don't know much about tires so I generally rely on ratings from CR and the like. My Gen III came with Yokohama Avid S33 tires. From what I can tell they are rated okay. I suppose I can wait to see how they handle this winter before replacing them.
     
    #7 yadax3, Sep 19, 2009
  8. venom700

    venom700 Just call me Brian...

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    According to the Tire Rack customers, they don't like the tires it seems. I agree that most tires from the factory suck & that is why I went to 17's right away (not just for the looks, but better handling & better tires for rain/light snow).

    Yokohama AVID S33
     
    #8 venom700, Sep 22, 2009
  9. Buckeye

    Buckeye New Member

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    #9 Buckeye, Sep 22, 2009
  10. digitizer

    digitizer New Member

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    Prius 2010 GEN III comes with ALl-season tires.
    below is from Tire Rack:
    AVID S33D radial are tires on our new 2010 Prius II.
    ...I do not know quality of these...:D

    The AVID S33D is one of Yokohama’s low rolling resistance Passenger All-Season tires developed to match the Original Equipment (O.E.) needs of third generation (2010+) Toyota Prius hybrids, as well as for the drivers of other small cars using the P195/65R15 89S size looking to reduce their vehicle’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions while retaining all-season traction. The AVID S33D is designed to accommodate dry, wet and wintry conditions, including occasional light snow.
    The AVID S33D combines traditional energy efficient tire technologies (low rolling resistance tread compound, narrow tread width, shallow tread depth and optimized internal construction) to maximize vehicle efficiency and driving range.
     
    #10 digitizer, Sep 24, 2009
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  11. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    Thanks but 'occasional light snow' doesn't give me much confidence. I suppose I can pull out the gas-guzzling Honda Pilot when more than a light snow falls.
     
    #11 yadax3, Sep 24, 2009
  12. RodJo

    RodJo Member

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    I have used Blizzak's in the past and thought they were great on ice. The Michelin X-Ice Xi2 winter tires look like a good option, with good traction and low rolling resistance. Here is the Tire Rack comparison review from last year: Michelin X-Ice Xi2 Introductory Drive

    Has anyone tried them?
     
    #12 RodJo, Sep 25, 2009
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    If you're talking about an AS tyre replacement, these are the ones that G2 owners typically replace the Integritys with:

    - Nokian WR/WRG2
    - Michelin Harmony
    - Michelin Energy line (any of those under the Energy line are LRR)
    - Goodyear Assurance ComforTred
    - Goodyear Assurance TripleTred (doesn't come in 185/65R15 so change to a diff. tyre spec)
    - Michelin HydroEdge (mainly for wet traction.. i.e. a rainy area)
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Sep 25, 2009
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