Installed Lexus CT200h 17" wheels and 205/50/17 tires

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iPhone ?

 

soo true.. i've used all iphones and ipads. but what am i rocking in my hand now? galaxy nexus and nexus 7 (on my dash and at the house) ios is dead.. boring and after jobs died.. its not going anywhere.. LOL only device interests me now are androids. g note 10.1 as a tab and g note 2 thats coming out.. or amybe asus padphone.

 

U DO NOT F8L on this subject... thank you for ur help. i drive 35k + a year (i did 100k in 30 months with my honda civic hybrid (yuck i so regret that i bought that car over prius 2nd gen... gave me 35-38 MPG average). i need to recalculate dollar for dollar on this matter.

 

It is true that one trip on each tire doesn't make for the best of comparisons, but it would seem they offer similar FE, especially considering the larger tire is reporting lower fuel economy.

Still, which tire do you prefer? That would be the more telling answer.

 

I took the dealership's "Buy 3 get the 4th for $1" to Discount Tire and they matched the deal (plus I get the other things like lifetime road hazard, free rotation, etc.). For things to work in the Discount Tire system, it means the effective price of the MXM4s comes down to about $150 per tire, and then they discounted other services in order to get the price to $655 out the door (installed, with taxes and applicable disposal fee). They also have a deal with a local service shop for a $59 alignment.

I'm going to miss the high-MPGs of the OEM Toyos, but that's all I'll ever miss about those tires. I can't even think of driving another winter on them, and I'm glad to get some better tires on my car.

 

Thanks, F8L. I'm concerned about the FE loss -- don't know why, given the fact I should have a safer, quieter and more comfortable ride.

 

Finally had the Primacys installed today. Here are a couple of things I recall as my immediate reactions:

1. Where did all of that wind noise come from? I'm not accustomed to hearing the wind noise above the sound of the tires.
2. Who put a new stereo in my car? (And why can I turn the volume down?)
3. Who widened the turns? In my first turn from a 45mph road to another 45mph road, driving at about 32mph going into the turn, I made my usual turn and just about flipped the car. The tires grabbed the road in a manner to which I've not been accustomed. Wow!
4. Who made all the roads go uphill? Big MPG hit. I took a quick 33 mile run on a course I've taken many times before, and there was a very noticeable drop in fuel economy. Just earlier in the week I ran the same course with this car on the old Toyos, and the RT was above 70 MPGs. This trip was 53.5. Ambient temps were about the same; traffic about the same; SOC about the same.

In any event, I think it is clear to me the tires are quieter and MUCH better at holding the car just where it should be. "On a rail" comes to mind.

Fuel economy is going to be a difficult loss for me, and time will only tell how much of a loss. The tires are still at 35psi all around. I'll change that soon and take it up to the mid 40s to find a comfort zone for me.

 

Please keep us posted as the tires break in. I am interested to replace my Toyo Proxes A20s with the Michelin Primacy MXM4s, probaly 3 years down the road. I do about 20K per year.

I have nothing to compare them agsinst but I feel the Toyos are good for MPG, and have good handling and grip, but suck at ride comfort and noise. Going from 33/32 PSI to 44/42 PSI did not significantly increase noise or reduce comfort, but increased MPG. Traction feels about the same but I do not auto cross in the Prius.

 

I drive about 18,000 miles per year, so I should break these tires in fairly quickly. I'll let folks know what happens with MPGs and more.

I just pumped up the Primacys to 43/41 and ran them for a few days. The ride comfort may have dropped, but it really wasn't noticeable to me. The road noise seems to have increased, but it is still so far below the Toyos it isn't funny.

The biggest changes have to do with handling and wet weather. The Michelins are amazing. As far as dry handling is concerned, they are so far above the Toyos it seems as though I switched from plastic to rubber. In wet weather, the Primacys blow the Toyos out of the water -- literally. I can't say there is a slight change, because it is an enormous improvement. I was quite concerned about skidding and losing traction in the Toyos. The Primacys don't seem to notice whether the pavement is wet or dry.

 

***deleted original post...accidentally posted in this thread that I was reading earlier instead of the intended one***

 

Ha! Sorry, I meant to to post that on the "aftermarket rims" thread. Unintentional hijacking, so feel free to remove my post if any moderators see this...

BTW, thanks for all the data and research you've done F8L. Even though you went back and forth on the whole 17" issue, I still went with it after being reassured by your comments.

 

Mike