Replacing 17" tires

Hi there, I am pretty much on the same boat to replace 4 tires on my Prius and also considering 205/50r17 size. I searched on Tirerack and screen capped 3 images to compare 3 brands: Continental PureContacts LS, Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus, and Bridgestone Ecopia EP442 Plus, all 3 in V-rated. Consumer survey rates EP442+ very low and they are more expensive too!



I think I am going with Continental. Does anyone has experience with these? Any real life stories and comments to add to other than Tireracks stats? I certainly would like to hear more about these tires from Prius owners.

Thanks in advance!

 

I went with Michelin Primacy mxm4, just this spring. They're very smooth and quiet, but taking significant mpg hit right now, hopefully coming back with time.

 

^ I just put some new rubber on mine as well (I got sick of replacing hard to find Toyo tires after one was fatally damaged last week). Non LRR tire, but better in every single other way than what just came off the car.

Seeing the hit, although part of that is AC usage lately. Hoping to come back a little more, even if I never get back to the eco-tire's level.

 

Why V-rated tires on this car? Seems like overkill. H-rated are the most this car would ever need from a performance perspective.

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus are nice tires, quiet and smooth, we had them on a Honda Civic.

 

Because Tirerack for some reason, sells the Cinturato and EP422+ cheaper in V-rated form.

 

That would make sense then. I have found that off-sizes are cheaper as well. Stock tires on my MX-5 are 205-45/17. Move up to the 215-45/17 and they were $20 cheaper per tire. I put the larger tires on and it corrected my speedometer error, so that's a double bonus.

 

I need to replace my 17" tires too and what do you guys think of the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max?

 

If you want maximum fuel economy you may want to go with EP422+, users rate it low because most regular drivers prefer riding comfort/low noise, good grip/traction, long lasting tread wear, and care less about the LRR/fuel economy factor.

Of course, this is merely my own opinion, may not reflect what's going on out in the real world.

 

I'm looking at Costco right now and their deal for the EP422+ is $166.99/tire vs the Premiere A/S (current wheels - not great mileage) are $161.99/tire but have a fat rebate ($130 total). Decisions...

 

The premier can't do worse for mpg than my primacy. Or can they. Who knows.

They have been climbing out of the basement, a bit, the last 2~3 tanks. Hey, almost into winter mpg now.

 

The things most regular drivers prefer are what we all prefer. The LRR/fuel economy is never quantified - no rolling resistance numbers are presented, and I have never seen controlled testing of various tires back to back to determine the exact rolling resistance differences between brands. Each of the various brands puts some label on their tires to establish their "greenness". There is "Michelin Total Performance", Continental "EcoPlus+ Technology", Yokoma "BluEarth", "Michelin Green X", Bridgestone "Eco-Product", Hankook "Kontrol Technology", Goodyear "Fuel Max."

From the Tire Rack description, it sure sounds great. But without actual data, it's just marketing hype.

"Tires with an eco-focus are designed to conserve natural resources through methods such as improved fuel economy, long tread life and environmentally-conscious manufacturing techniques."​

In exchange for promised eco-ness, we end up having to forego every other good quality of a tire.

 

Michelin also says "Green-X", FWIW (heavy emphasis on the last phrase).

 

I totally agree with you on the eco focus tires. All those labels Green-X, Eco Plus, Fuel Max etc are tags being added on to promote such product without an industry standardized test. Yes a Michelin tire with GreenX label may have more of an eco-friendly design/material in comparison to other Michelin tires, but who can tell which brand's "Eco Focus" tires are better or worse than another brand?

Tirerack data can only give us dry/wet/snow performance, comfort/noise, tread wear ratings etc, no LRR rating LOL Another reliable source I have read here on PriusChat is Bridgestone EP442 "GENERALLY" gives better MPG vs other brand, if your only focus is fuel economy. (now don't tell me if PriusChat members are lying to me LOL)

Therefore, as mentioned before, I am going with Continental PureContact, not because it has a "Eco" label on it and can save me a few mpg, but because of it's dry grip and comfort rating, and of course, better price.

 

Only one more day to make that decision. Yes they have such a fat rebate if you catch it in the right moment. I would had gone with Costco if they allow installing a different tire size than originally equipped. If you don't mind losing some mpg, Michelin Premier rides very quiet and comfortable.

Are you telling me you are still in the mpg hole and regretting your decision?

 

I"m going to be going with the Premiere just because I have them already and know what to expect and its cheap.

 

Looking at my spreadsheet, I think it's coming around, slowly.