Michelin Energy Tires/who is using them

Same experience here, I love the Michelins.

 

Will be getting them in a couple of months.

 

They don't make them in the size I need (215/45/17) so I'll be purchasing the Michelin Primacy MXM4 which is a LRR high treadwear tire.

I've yet to see a negative report for the Energy Saver A/S.

 

Goodyear Assurance Fuel-Max are proving to be an excellent choice for the money too. Mine have 4,500 miles on them and I would definitely recommend checking them out.
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They are cheaper than the Energy Saver A/S and their traction/treadwear rating is higher too.

 

That's still uncertain due to the timing. Spring has been rather illusive. In fact, it was only 43°F just two days ago. So, I don't have a solid basis of comparison to "normal" for comparing with. Though, I did get to try them in the snow... very nice.

But despite the cold and tire break-in, I didn't observe a MPG hit. So, I'm thinking I'll end up seeing a small increase over the factory tires and much longer treadwear.
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yes great tires! have ~5K on them so far we purchased 4 but I only mounted 2 fronts, rears waiting in storage. MPG improved by 2-4MPG.

I tried 44PSI but they don't grip as well went back to 42 front/38 rear. It does not hurt MPG but grips and handles alot better good luck

 

I will be buying Michelins when the time comes. They're the best brand tire I've ever driven on (and it's not because I grew up in a house with Bibendum figurines all over the place..well, maybe a little).

 

What do you mean they don't grip at that pressure?

 

I have 2 sets of Bridgestone Ecopia 100's on 07 & 09. Daughters have those cars now. They cost more but are very good in rain and rated tops (in rain) for High MPG Tires by Tire Rack. Got 1st set in 08 and they are still soft and rolling great. Bought them untested at that time. Costco deal sounds great for a great tire. I reccomend 42f and 40r psi for any tire on a Prius. Difference in psi for front to back is to enhance understear which makes our car behave better in all conditions. 2lb more in front tires regardless.

 

From playing with pressure on Gen III front should be no more then 40-42 PSI and rear 36-38. Above that grip will deteriorate. Granted exact pressure depends on tire wear, brand, load, gauge calibration, etc but what is the point to trade safety for MPG?

On Michelin Energy Saver A/S with soft sidewalls 42 front/38 rear on empty works the best, on OEM Avids 40/36, YMMV

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...oting/93721-psi-tires-rated-higher-psi-2.html

 

Thanks for the links although they don't directly apply to modern tires or apply less to modern tires.

My question was directed towards the type of testing you have done to come to this conclusion (they grip less at higher pressures). I am not fond of half-cocked anecdotal information. I was looking for something more substantial so that we can all be better informed.

Here is an example of tire wear on the OEM Integrity tire at high pressures over 35k miles.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...24-integritys-over-35k-miles-50-psi-pics.html

Nokian i3 tires at high pressure at 20k miles.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...g/63223-20k-miles-nokian-i3-tires-50-psi.html

Grip has never suffered in such a way as to make me want to change the pressure. I tend to corner very hard and high pressure assist in better handling. Ask any autocross racer.

 

i was told today by a tire dealer they had stopped making them because of tire problems does anyone know if this is true? read my recent experence at the where did my mileage go thanks

 

Something to consider: you have Gen II and mine is Gen III with wider tires.. ~7% wider. 42PSI in Gen III would be equivalent of 45PSI in Gen II.

Also what suspension mods do you have besides lowering springs in yours? Mine has rear stabilizer and STB on stock springs.

With 42/40 I can make 4-wheel drift, with 44/40 going through the same corner front looses first and car understeers.

With respect to "they don't directly apply to modern tires" why do you guys keep repeating it?

Tire construction did not change drastically since 2005 when Bridgestone published the study (which the picture is taken out of). It is not that they used non-radial tires bias-ply tires in that study, I know they make bias-ply for motorcycles but I doubt they make any of those for cars nowdays.

 

Unless you carry passengers or load all the time, try 42/38. Lowering rear helps with X-wind stability good luck

 

Which makes my point stronger. Although with the 215/45/17s you'd have to push pretty damn hard to lose traction.

Mine also has a rear bar. STB provide minimal increase in handling.

You 4 wheel drift in that car? Seriously? I find it hard to believe that a 2psi difference really makes that huge of a difference. But stranger things have happened on the track.

We keep repeating it because we have experience to back up our claims. I've posted two links for you showing my experience with high pressure and wear with 2 different tires. My Kumho 17" tires exhibit the same uniform wear despite being at max psi. I'm not saying Bridgestone is wrong but in the case of the Prius the information you posted doesn't make much of a difference. How many tires have you been through on your Prius?

 

These days most street motorcycle tires are radials. My 1999 streetbike came with them. The sidewalls are very short so the contact patch doesn't move around too much when steering.

I suspect that the reason that higher pressures don't cause uneven wear is that the tread area is extremely stiff on modern car radial tires. So when you raise pressures the sidewall flex is simply reduced, the tread does not distort.

I also suspect that tire manufacturers don't test the effect of higher pressures on wear patterns because the problem with 99% of tires is UNDER inflation, not OVER. So they may stick with the old bias-ply reality shown in the Bridgestone diagram.

 

Michelin Energy Savers A/S are really soft.. bicycle tires aside much softer then anything I had seen; on par with softest motorcycle front tires. And not only sidewalls the belt also. That is probably why it is more sensitive to overinflation then other tires?