OEM tires- Unsafe with tread remaining

Goodyear Integritys are borderline. I don't have a Prius yet, but I drove those on the Ford-out-of-Focus that I had back in 2000. Not fun as soon as you move away from dry pavement.

When we get our Prius, I plan to take it into Discount Tire for tire trade-in. Per my research, there is what seems to be a very decent tire out there that is not as expensive as Michelins (which IMHO are overpriced) and it comes in 185/65HR15 and that is a BFGoodrich's Traction T/A tire.

Its made of Silica compound too, which is supposed to have better rolling resistance characteristics than non-Silica tires (= better MPG to some degree).

Anyone tried them? I never had BFG tires on anything.

 

I once bought a set of BFGs for my Acura Intergra. They were the worst tires I have ever owned! They lasted about 20k miles and wore unevenly. The air pressure was correct and the alignment right on. Maybe I got some lemons, but I will not purchase BFGs again. You might consider Goodyear comfort tread. I have read about them on previous posts and most Prius owners seem to like them. Good luck!

 

I’m beginning to believe that I am the only one who is satisfied with the OEM Goodyear Integrity tires. I have about 20,000 miles on mine and they show very little wear. I have rotated them every 5000 miles, keep them inflated to 40/38 and have driven on wet roads at least 2/3 of the miles with no handling problems. (It is a little known fact that it does rain occasionally here in the Pacific Northwest.)

I even have another set of Goodyear Integrity tires with about 40 miles on them that I bought from a PriusChat member about a year ago that will replace the original set when needed.

I am not sure just what kind of performance Evan is talking about but I find the OEM tires more than adequate for normal day to day driving under all conditions. Just like any other car part they do require some maintenance, just rotate them regularly and maintain the inflation and you should not have any problems.

 

I too have kept the Integrities now approaching 30,000 miles. Regular rotation (5000). Frequent checks at 36/34 inflation (Boston has beaucoups potholes...can't go higher w/o losing dentures).

They look fine...haven't taken a measure to them but there is still adequate tread on them, and wear is even. I planned on replacing after the next 5000 miles, but even that was based on a lot of reading complaints here and elsewhere. Could be placebo.

Mileage is 54mpg or so in moderate weather, Fusco driving style.

My only complaint is noise. They are loud tires on the highway.

I'm not enough of a cowboy or bad-weather driver to judge them when pushed. There are a lot of posts around suggesting that they do poorly in rain, snow and slush. But it's hard for me to tell. Generally, I avoid driving in such conditions if I can.

It's true that the traction control makes for a delicate drive in the Prius in deep snow --above 8 inches on the ground--....but there seems to be a consensus that a better tire --in winter at least-- might ameliorate this problem. But it's hard to separate this from better driving habits -- a smooth, slow acceleration approach with the Prius will probably make it up the hill to that garage...and I'm not sure the tire makes a difference.

The driver is usually the most important factor. But I have read enough reviews to know that those who change tires often report a big difference in performance.

For what's it worth, I was leaning toward GY Comfortreds for the next set, primarily to reduce noise. But I don't want to lose that 54mpg!

 

I beleive you... the thing is - as you can see with Goodyear too - Integrities are iffy, but you are recommending comfort treads. Same could be with BFGs right?

I am more interested in experiences with that exact tire. Tirerack owner reviews rate them really well.

 

Wait, the Integrities are OEM? I was supposed to get extended life (100k mile/6 year) tires with my car, but we have the Intergrity tires. And the dealer we bought from is 400 miles away. Now what do I do? :/

 

You probably got a warranty. I have a 5 year 60K warranty on the tires, including road hazard.

 

Ray Moore wrote:
>>>
The wear is even across all four tires. I knew that some would think that that was the issue, so I was careful to include it in my post. The issue with these tires is in the design. The rain grooves are not deep enough to last the life of the tire. Look at the tires on your Prius and you will see what I mean. The guy that fixed my flat pointed it out to me and said it is common to many tire designs. This is why tires slowly beecome less sure footed in the rain over time. This is not an uneven tire wear issue.
>>>>

During my son's soccer game today, I took another look, and you and Evan are right. Although all my tires are even and have a lot of tread left (at 30,000), those outer rings of tread are worn down more. I wish I could remember what they look like new....how about a newbie out there.

Then I went around the parking lot comparing....even on worn tires, the outer ring was not more worn than the other rings of tread on other cars. Maybe I will indeed switch them out when I go in for 30,000 service

 

Ray thanks for the hard numbers on the depth comparison.

 

Question about tires.

We are waiting for delivery of a new Prius. Can we pay extra to get better-than-standard tires at delivery? Like the mentioned Michelin Hyrdroedge or Goodyear Comfortred.

Would it cost less that way than replacing the standard tires right away?

I'm big on having the very best tires!

Thanks.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"dgmandkm\";p=\"84705\")</div>

you'd have to work that out at the dealer. Tell them you want a certain tire and see what cost is added to the price of the car. Know before hand what a tire dealer would charge you for a new set with a new set as a trade in. Armed with that info you can make an honest assessment of the dealers price. And don't be afraid to beat on him if he's miles off. Tell him straight out you have the numbers and if he want's to deal your prepared and he'll probably accommodate your request.

 

Jay:

You noted that you did not take a mileage hit on the Harmonys. Consumer Reports latest tests give the Harmony an Excellent on rolling resistance. But I am wondering how they handle under normal conditions. If the handling is good, the 80K warranty makes these a good alternative to the Hydroedges.

Rick

 

If by "handle" you mean cornering, they are every bit the equal of the Integrity if not a tad better. Steering response seemed a bit smoother to me, very linear. My fuel economy appeared to be unchanged as well.