I have gone through my original tires in a year and a half with tread down to 2/32 - so need to buy new tires asap! I live at Lake Tahoe where we have heavy snow and mountain driving in the winter. Which would be the best tires to purchase for my 2008 Prius. I can buy snow tires or all season tires. Safety more important than cost. Help please! Here are my top choices so far - please comment on pros and cons, positive and negative experiences and best place to purchase: GoodYear Assurance Triple Treds 195/60 R15 Michelin - HydroEdge®P185/65R15 86T Nokian WR G2
Based on the Consumer Reports November 2009 issue tire tests, if you want an all-season tire with the best snow handling and ice braking, then hands-down the tire to get is the Hankook Optimo H727. The Hankook Optimo 727 is among the highest rated all-season tires in general. And for snow handling and ice braking, it rates higher than the Nokian WRG2 that a lot of people rave about. In fact, it rates as well or higher in snow handling and ice braking than most of the WINTER tires tested by Consumer Reports. Plus they only cost about $75 to $85 per tire, depending on where you get them from. Here are the reviews, recommendations and Ratings Charts for Consumer Reports November 2009 issue tire tests. I'd look it over carefully if you're considering new all-season or winter tires -- it's the best and most comprehensive tire tests available now: Consumer_Reports_Nov._2009_Tire_Tests-1.doc
Yeah that's what I'm curious cause the WRG2 is pretty darn good and a winter tyre from Nokian can easily beat the WRG2. I went with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R winter tyre. P.S. there's no Executive package in the US.
Or you can get an agressive tire for winter and mount them on stock or steel wheels and run a nice summer tire for the rest of the year. Tahoe is great, you don't have snow for 9 months of the year like some places. I was just up there last weekend!
It's not a must, but since safety is more important than cost for you, I'd switch tires for summer/winter. I use Nokian RSi's on an extra set of Prius rims for winter driving in my 2007. Great tire.
I just purchased a set of Michelin X-Ice Xi2 and some new rims. If you put much faith in Consumer Reports, they are top rated this year. In Canada, Michelin also has a $50 rebate. Paul
Definitely go for snow tires. It's only a slight pain to change them out between seasons and they are totally worth it around here. I've had the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Rsi on my Prius for 3 winters and I've loved them. They're great in the snow, slush and even in the deep unplowed snow. Last year I lived in a hilly neighborhood that was last on the list to get plowed and I never got stuck. And in 3 seasons I've only had to chain up once! (and that's because CalTrans made me put them on going over Brockway) They make Tahoe living with 2WD super comfortable for me and they get such great mileage that I even left them on the car all summer long. I was hoping they would make it one more winter but after the last storm I'm realizing they just aren't performing as well any more. So now I'm hoping to replace them with the new Hakka R, but not sure where to find them. Can anyone recommend a place or website with good deals on Nokian's now? Pray for snow....
Hi Just thought I would add some personal experiance and insite. I have two generation 2 Pri, my wife was scared to drive the car in the winter with the falken tires we had on the car so I got a second set of rims for her 06 and put on a set of blizaks this was in 2007, well the white stuff came down one night and when I got done work that evening I had a very hard drive home with my 04 prius when I got home I pulled into the top of my drive and stopped, tryed to pull back up, no good, stuck, just then a friend of mine showed up on his rino 4 wheeler and ask to come in my house to warm up, well I offered him a beer but I was out so we agreed we would drive to a local store about 1/10 mile away. So we went to my car and pulled it down to the front of my garage where my kids had cleaned off the snow and got a run for it, no good, the hydroedges would not go, about 5 inches and a grade so I said lets take the wifes car, he got histarical, and said its the same car! I said I put snow tires on it, he continued to be histarical but soon we both found out just how good studless snow tires are, like dry roads running with these tires, so good I got a set for my 04 that night off of the tire rack. never go without these kind of tires again, I also put the mich xi2 on my mothers sable, and thats all my parents talk about in the winter. you can't go wrong. I now run with bridgestone 960as pole positions in the summer, great tires, but its time for a new set and I was considering 205's instead of 185 and 195's anyone use 205's on a prius? going to get some new pole positions in the spring. thanks Jim
HydroEdges are rain tyres (imo). They seem to be better for dealing with areas that get lots of rain. The channels in the tyres push water out of the way quite effectively.
Had the triple edge for the past couple of years and have not been that enthused. Use my 2006 (90K) for work, so all season in Milwaukee. Tempted with the Nokian WRg2, but will also be looking now at the Michelin or the Hankook. thanks. Hated the Integras that were OE. BTW, I had to replace the water pump today/tomorrow. The extended warranty I got through prius chat covered it all!!
I like having the best of both worlds: a good high performance summer tire that is safe in the rain, and a dedicated winter tire, preferably studded Since I spread wear among 8 tires instead of 4, there really isn't any extra cost to having dedicated tires for the season
