Got new '11 Four with solar roof package. Looking at the tires, they are Goodyear Assurance tires, labeled on the tire as "M+S P195/65R15". In my experience, "M+S" in the tire world often means Mud + Snow. Wonder why Toyota would put mud & snow tires on cars being shipped to and sold/delivered in Hawaii?
It never rains on dirt in Hawaii? There really is no mud allowed on the islands? How is that enforced? More seriously, were you hoping that Toyota would go through the EPA certifcation with a special tire just for Hawaii? BTW, every GoodYear tire Tirerack even sells in my Prius's size is rated M+S. (In your size they do sell one non M+S GoodYear tire out of ten tire choices)
It looks like, according to searching tires on TireRack, M+S is used to identify an "all season" tire, not specifically mud and snow. There's also touring tires, which wouldn't bear this symbol.
I got Goodyear Assurance tires on my Prius also. They are really nice tires and have low rolling resistance. They may have achieved all-season status, but believe me they are not real mud and snow tires. I have a separate set of tire for use during the winter.
Well, there is dirt in Hawaii but I don't usually drive my Prius through the pineapple or sugar cane fields or hunting trails. I'd have thought that we'd have gotten more of an all season tire better suited for dry, hard pavement. Oh well, they probably won't last too long and I can change to a tire more to my liking and with MUCH less tread slap, aka road noise.
