I have a 2012 two Prius that needs new tires, I currently have Michelin Defenders and have been very happy with them. I'm considering buying them again, just want to see what other Prius owners are buying. My main concern is a quiet, smooth ride and how many miles I will get out of them. Well also the best tire for the money. Currently live in NC. Only occasionally dealing with ice and snow.
i have the energy savers, very quiet and smooth, but i have read they don't last as long as defenders. i only have about 20,000 miles on them so far, and they look fine.
How many miles on your current Defenders? If you are happy with the performance, mileage, price, and longevity, you should stick with them. I have read a lot of good reviews here on Defenders. Only thing is that they are priced premium even with some discount and rebates. I also have hard time believing 80K miles tread life they advertise. I need a new set of all-season tires for my PRIME soon, and watching for sales on tires. I will have to put my winter tires soon, so I do have time to shop around to get the best deal until next spring. I have read good reports on Yokohama Avid Ascend GT. They cost 2/3 of Defenders but may have better wet road handling and mileage. It is on the top of my short list currently.
I suspect it's all smoke-and-mirrors, but Michelin has (slightly) renamed the Defenders, to Defender T+H, revised the rolling resistance description from "Green-X" to "Total Performance", and reduced the treadwear guarantee, by maybe 10K miles? Again, I'd suspect it's more--or-less the same tire, they're just messin' with us, lol. Oh, and Costco has a Michelin iteration, the X-Tour, that is supposedly the same tire, just rebadged, and maybe $10 cheaper.
Good for you. Getting 65K out of warranted 80K, you got about 80%. I assume you received ~20% discount from your next purchase? Yeah, the tread warranty is mainly a marketing gimmick, but sometimes it pays to make a claim.
I'm going to say if you are happy with the tires you have had? Go ahead and get them again. A lot of times people make a change, just for the "fun" of making a change. There are a lot of good tires, and good options. But if you make a change, then there is a chance you'll end up with a tire you don't like as well. If you're happy with what you've had? Then I'd buy again. Also Michelin Defenders do have a good reputation, so it would be keeping a tire brand and tire that is reviewed well.
