Help me decide on Costco tires?

I am on my second set of Michelin Defender tires on my 2011 Prius (140k miles). I like them very much. I will be buying a new set before next winter.

 

Ecopia will save you a fortune in gas mileage over their lifespan. They are low rolling resistance (LRR) tires and are designed for high mpg cars like Prius.

 

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Northern California 2015 Prius owner here who also prefers quiet tires. Here's my view on your question.

The "category" of tire you are looking for is called "Grand Touring." Tires in this category emphasize ride quality and noise over benefits like speed/cornering (Performance), gas mileage, winter/foul weather grip (snow tires).

There are many good tires in this category. I chose Bridgestone Turanza Serenity for my last set and will likely buy Turanza Quiettrack for my next set. I find it helpful to be honest with myself about the tradeoffs on tires when selecting a final tire. I prioritize quiet and am willing to compromise miles per gallon (Prius already does much in this area). I'll prioritize longevity over price as 60-80K tires will be the last I ever purchase for this car. While I'm mostly driving in sunny weather, I'm not going to ignore the value of grip/traction/foul weather as these outliers are important from time to time.

Costco has many tires that will server you well. But you're jonesing to make a great decision. So my recommendation is to think about a broader range of tire features rather than just choosing quietest. Turanza Quiettrack was where I settled, but could pick something else if Costco has a different brand/tire on sale when I show up.

 

I am also about to purchase new tires in NorCal
I have been using Michelins energy savers but alas they are discontinued

the Prius is so loud I am also prioritizing quietness over mpg

google searches for the quietest 15 inch tires have not yielded very many good results

 

Considering just noise and mpg for these three Costco tires, do I have this right?

Bridgestone Tursnza Quiettrack: quietest, least mpg
Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus: noisiest, best mpg
Mischelin Defender T+H: in the middle on both counts

Thanks....

 

The Defenders are way better than the Ecopias. I've had both.

 

The Ecopias or the Michelin Energy Savers if you want to consistently get 50mpg. Those are Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires designed for high MPG vehicles.

I know people who ended up with consistently below 40 MPG because they bought "the most safe" tire from Costco. I remember saying to one friend who I helped by a Gen2 Prius, "Your MPG problem is because you didn't listen to my advice on tires, but don't worry, in 60K miles you'll be able to fix it..."

Of course that's an expensive mistake to make as gas prices are heading back towards $5 per gallon again.

 

Costco is for people who do not know much as far as tires go.

Check on Amazon for better deals.

 

Bridgestone turranzas are definitely the best

 

If you’re considering Michelin Defenders at Costco they also usually have another Michelin, apparently a rebadged Defender, for about $10 USD less (per tire), with the name X-Tour A/S:

Costco Michelin X-Tour vs Michelin Defender T+H | PriusChat

If you don’t like green valve caps save your old ones before you go on.

If you’re purchasing directional, check the arrows before you drive off; they’re zero for two with me, can’t seem to get it right. Different Costco’s too.

 

I'm very appreciative of the comments here and the assembled "Prius wisdom" of the members,
but so far nobody addressed my questions:

I'm willing to give up some mpg to gain a little less noise, but don't want to drop from 50mpg with my current Energy Savers to say 40mpg.
So leaving the Ecopias out of the discussion, can anyone comment on the mpg of the Quiettrack vs the Defenders?

Thanks, El Mucho...

 

I don't think you'll see a 20% drop in mpg between these tires. That's huge. I didn't see any significant difference between the Defenders and the Ecopias, but the ride quietness and ride quality were much improved.

 

I don't have a tire recommendation but I would say to also cross-shop at Discount Tire / America's Tire. (not to be confused with "American Tire Depot"). I've had much better experience and wait times with America's Tire compared to Costco, and searching online will probably tell you the same.

 

Are they Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires?

 

I agree... I was skeptical about buying tires online and I'd never buy from Amazon, but there's some great prices online if you're willing to do the research and always buy online now. Black Friday being one of the best times of year to buy them.

And most mom&pop tire shops will mount and balance for $100ish if you just bring the wheels and tires in without the cars, which is easy if you have two sets of wheels

Of course, most people are buying the full tire shop service with regular rotations and free flat repair when they buy tires, so I get it.

 

I went with the Defenders at Costco. MPG is only slightly reduced from the old Energy Savers. Ride is softer, and a lot quieter