1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Michelin Tires?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Vic1234, Dec 11, 2020.

Tags:
  1. Vic1234

    Vic1234 Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2018
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    MA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a 2010 base model. I was told Michelin tires are the best. Which kind of Michelin should I buy? I saw they have a few makes... I see the Defender T H and Cross Climate are high rated... ty
     
  2. StarCaller

    StarCaller Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2014
    1,256
    706
    0
    Location:
    Cedar Crest, NM, USA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I'm pretty happy with the MICHELIN ENERGY SAVER A/S

    [​IMG]
     
    DogDaze, Vic1234 and bisco like this.
  3. Stangar

    Stangar Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2011
    174
    174
    0
    Location:
    Palmdale, CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Truly, I agonized over tire selection for months and read everything. The tread pattern on the new Michelin Energy Savers is much different now.
    I purchased the Michelin Primacy A/S from Costco and am ecstatic. Great tire, great ride, great on sale price and no mpg loss. Costco orders direct from factory for real “new” tires. Before install you may want to check the construction date on the sidewall. Lots of 2+ year old tires in those warehouses but, not at Costco.
     
  4. StarCaller

    StarCaller Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2014
    1,256
    706
    0
    Location:
    Cedar Crest, NM, USA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    only the thread pattern of the non A/S changed /

    [​IMG]
     
  5. spudnut

    spudnut Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2016
    145
    158
    0
    Location:
    Idaho Falls/Pocatello, ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    After getting 47K miles out of my IceX's, left on year round but religiously rotated every 5 K, I bought another set. I would NOT have made it home last night without them! IF you're in snow country, check them out.
     
    MexicanChip and Vic1234 like this.
  6. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,173
    4,078
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Since driving terrain, fuel efficiency & budget is not a factor, just the most expensive Michelin.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,132
    50,047
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i love my michelin energy saver a/s, but i drive like an old lady, and do not have to go out in bad weather.

    at 30k, they are still like brand new. their best attributes are low noise, soft ride, good dry weather handling and mpg equal to the cheap oem's.

    unfortunately, tires are always a compromise, and you have to pick a model that best suits your needs.

    tire rack does a good job of covering this. are you a commuter who has to tackle whatever weather is thrown at you?
    do you need good handling/braking/traction?

    do you rack up miles and want longevity?

    so many things to consider.
     
    MexicanChip likes this.
  8. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2010
    4,297
    2,348
    33
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Snows aside...Michelin Defenders...hands down.
     
  9. spudnut

    spudnut Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2016
    145
    158
    0
    Location:
    Idaho Falls/Pocatello, ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I did some very slick and icy driving late yesterday, on steep terrain, and at one point came across a big 4x4 and later a Subaru. They both seemed surprised to see a Prius back where I was, like mouth hanging open surprised, I never even spun a tire. Both my AWD's left at home, as the PIP saved me a few bucks in gas plus is the more comfortable ride, with a better sound system. I run 38-40 psi in the winter, v. my usual 43-45.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,671
    39,221
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    What tires?
     
    DogDaze likes this.
  11. StarCaller

    StarCaller Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2014
    1,256
    706
    0
    Location:
    Cedar Crest, NM, USA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Two
     
    DogDaze and Mendel Leisk like this.
  12. WolfpackBill

    WolfpackBill Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    349
    500
    6
    Location:
    Lexington, NC
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    I have the Michelin CrossClimate +. MPG suffered even after putting on over 1,000 miles on them now. It could be a combination of cooler weather and new tires? But I've gone from ~48mpg on my normal drive to work down to ~40mpg. Substantial loss in mpg, but I got these tires as the weather started turning cooler and heat was required.

    HOWEVER, the ride and the grip from these tires have dramatically improved!! They are about as quiet my old Bridgestone Ecopia 422 Plus.

    We have occasional wintry weather here and these tires are rated for snow duty. We will see how this pans out. The car most likely will not see snow as I will drive my wife's CR-V as it has AWD and good Michelin LTX tires.
     
    MexicanChip and Vic1234 like this.
  13. solrunner

    solrunner Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2014
    114
    37
    0
    Location:
    Reston, VA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The Michelin defenders are noticeably quieter and more comfortable than Bridgestone ecopia. Noticeable 1-3 drop in mpg and subjectively feels like I have to push a bit harder to accelerate. Worth it for me to have a quieter ride, less road noise.

    I remember when I rolled out of the dealer on these new tires they felt “plush”.
     
    Vic1234 and Mendel Leisk like this.
  14. Vic1234

    Vic1234 Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2018
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    MA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm in Massachusetts...plenty of snow storms and ice. The current tiresI have are Yamaha... IceX is smooth and good on MPG?
    I was told Michelin are the best by a friend with a Cadillac...said he never had to replace them...

    38-40 for front, how about the back? I put them up a couple notches always.

    I'm in Massachusetts...plenty of snow storms and ice. I was told Michelin are the best by a friend with a Cadillac...said he never had to replace them. What's another cheaper tire that does well in ice, snow, good on MPG, and lasts?

    I get a lot of snow and Ice. IceX has good reviews on Town Fair tire. Can you keep them on all year? smooth? MPG? last long as other? ty
     
    #14 Vic1234, Dec 21, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 21, 2020
  15. Eric34

    Eric34 New Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2020
    11
    11
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I used 4 sets of defenders they all wore out about 36-44k so nowhere near 90k as Michelin promises. Finally I switched to Hankook Kinergy PT also has 90K wear warranty. Better heat resistance (A) so far at 15 K miles they still look new. I noticed better breaking on wet road, less road noise and more Cushy on the road. Cornering is fine too with a little more rolling feeling than Michelin’s. Having said all that Michelin’s has Better grip at quick exeleration situations. While excelerating I have never lost traction with Michelin’s yet I can not say the same for Kinergy PT. I guess that is the trade off for choosing longer lasting tires.
     
    MexicanChip likes this.
  16. tony_2018

    tony_2018 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2019
    205
    61
    0
    Location:
    78717
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    PO swears by Michelin, I haven't swapped them out so I'd second Michelin.
     
  17. Zlakin

    Zlakin New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2022
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Michelin is one of, if not the best, tire company out there. There are two popular tires from this brand that is Michelin Premier vs Primacy. Both tires performed reliably well on all fronts and had fairly even road feedback. The MXM4 slightly lags behind when it comes to traction and cornering. However, the disparity was barely noticeable.