Please share wisdom on replacing my tires... 91v vs 90w, and why? (Prius V 5 2012)

Higher weight rating (specs) is OK but you might loose a fuel economy

higher rated tires usually last longer but usually are heavier also.

The loss of speed rating to 149mph is inconsequential

 

Tires with the same size have two load ratings: SL and XL. 91 vs 90 suggests to me that tire manufacturers improved the load capacity of the SL a tiny bit. I would not be surprised if most (if not all) SL being sold have 91. The XL of this size is 95. You can find tire loading charts online based on pressure and for a long part of the graph the two tires 91 vs 95, will have the same load capacity. In the highest PSI area is where the load carrying capacity is greater for the 95 spec tire, usually beyond recommended by Auto Manufacturers (in this case Toyota).

UTQG: ### (letter(s)) (letter)



The higher the ###, the longer the tread will last, relatively.

Letter(s) AA highest traction

Letter A highest temperature rating

Your car came with W speed rated tires which are high performance/high top speed capability tires. Yes the V 149 MPH top speed may never be achieved in any “mortal/normal” Prii yet alone 168 MPH for W, but the construction is different so the tires “act” differently at normal speeds. You’ll get more responsive handling with the W vs the V.

I actually moved up to size 225/50WR17, per recommendation here. (I can’t remember the member’s ID otherwise I’d share as I am happy with making the switch as well). Yes we may have lost a little MPG. I keep the same pressures as recommended 33 PSI front 32 PSI rear…

Once I found a good alignment place I always go there. Sadly sometimes they are hard to find. Try to get an alignment as soon as possible with the new tires.

 

Regarding brands and pricing, it is quite difficult to say get this brand and this model tire. Each brand usually has a broad range of choices. Some brands such as Michelin have built a reputation of making excellent tires. Does it sound French to you? Yes, world headquarters is in France. Does the country of domicile matter to you? (GoodYear is USA). What characteristics are important for you, long lasting, better performance dry, better performance rainy, better performance snow/winter? Usually there are trade offs. Tires with higher cost may have better engineering and do better at more aspects than cheaper ones, (you get what you pay for).

Get your priorities in order and then go to http://www.tirerack.com and/or http://www.tires.com and use their selector to search for what you want….

 

We use Continental 225/50R17 98V rated tires and saw no degradation in MPG. The v tracks better with the 225s.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I have been thinking yesterday was Saturday and today is Sunday. Gulp.

(If there’s a worldwide conflict coming, I hope Germany is on our side this time, home of Continental)…

 

Speed rating differences in your choices are insignificant. All season tires will ride better and have lower road noise but you will lose 2-5 mpg.

You can make any tire give more mpg by increasing the tire pressure 5-8 psi. This will hurt the ride some and too much pressure over recommended will start causing more rattles etc.

You can't go wrong with Michelin. Tire life on my Prii have always been 80-100k miles. That alone can save you the cost of a second replacement set over a period of time. So the higher cost of the best is mitigated. They also hold balance well.

Costco and Sams Club have Michelin sales every other month. Plus you get free rotations and repairs. Discount Tires often is close in price. Costco is my choice but if you have one of these close by, use them. Only after you price check with an out the door quote.

Rotations are important. You can lose 1/3 to 1/2 of a tires life if you don't rotate, ideally every 5-10k miles.

 

Discount Tire/America’s Tire has no problem matching Costco or Sam’s Club pricing, as far as I’m aware…

 

Costco and Sams often have sales on four tires that effectively give you $150 on their already competitive prices. Sometimes buy three get one free with free installation especially around holidays. When you buy long life tires you have the luxury of waiting a month or even longer. The best Costco deal I got was a few years ago on New Years day when you ordered online. Maybe $300 off.

 

I'll give an example of the M-S spec which is also know to some as the snowflate spec since there is usually a snowflake tattooed somewhere on the sidewall of an M-S tire. My example also includes the weight rating to compare with your 90 and 91 rating.
I was fortunate to find a set of Michelin Defender LTS M-S XL 99T 205 65r 15s (discontinued making that size) that are slightly wider, with a half inch larger diameter than the OEM spec for some of the regular Gen 4 Prius trims and the Prime plus / le trims. The tires are sold as Light Truck and SUV tires which explains the higher weight capacity of the 99T rating.
I like the tires in all 4 seasons and they work just as well in the winter as our other set of 195 65 15 Nokian Nordman 7s which are rated 95T.

And for comparison the Michelin Defender T+H 195 65r 15 91T which have the OEM size weight rating...
It looks like there is also a new model of the Michelin Defender T+H that is rated 91H

Tire shopping these days sure isn't like how it used to be.

One member that had some great threads about wheels and tires was rob43 one example is
GET YOUR DEDICATED SNOW TIRES NOW !!! | Page 14 | PriusChat

 

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/understanding-speed-ratings-load-indexes-and-service-descriptions

 

If you save replacing the tires one or more times PLUS you are not paying dealer prices for rotations, the effective price of the michelins are far less than $70. The whole idea of a $45 membership at Costco or Sams is to save money by buying quality and quantity. If the math puzzles you sent me a message.

 

You're probably looking at the Kumho LX Platinum KU27 at $78.93 per tire. With UTQG 500 A A and W speed rating I'd pounce on them before they sell out.

Tire Central (San Gabriel) is one of the best alignment places around this side of LA. (I know the west side is quite a ways away). As for repair work I do all repairs as much as I can, but haven't had much trouble with only 33,7xx mi on our v...