Tire replacement question

the Integrity's are LRR, but they really are a crap tire unless you are on dry pavement 100 % of the time. Goodyear has a new line of tire they call FUEL MAX, and it is available in the Assurance Comfort tread. Goodyear Tires | Car And Minivan Tires | Assurance Fuel Max

You can buy them at a reasonable price (currently $79) at http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Assurance+Fuel+Max&partnum=865TR5AFM&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&place=3&speed_rating=S&speed_rating=T&speed_rating=U&speed_rating=H&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y)&minSpeedRating=S
so far they have gotten good reviews.

 

The Integrity is considered a low rolling resistance tire. But there are many others. The hard part is trying to find accurate rolling resistance info. Several years ago, California was supposed to test and publish the rolling resistance of over 100 tires commonly sold in California. But I think it remains unpublished, and the project may have been abandoned.

Here's a list compiled by Wikipedia:

"Available tires

Some tires available in 2003 ranked by coefficient from lowest (least wasteful), according to the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences"]United States National Academy of Sciences[/ame] [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_Research_Board"]Transportation Research Board[/ame] Special Report 286[4] and the March 2003 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Seal"]Green Seal[/ame] report on the topic[6].

• 0.00615 Bridgestone B381 P185/70R14
• 0.00650 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin"]Michelin[/ame] SYMMETRY P225/60R16
• 0.00683 Michelin TIGER PAW AWP P225/60R16
• 0.00700 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 113S P265/70R17
• 0.00709 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFGoodrich"]BFGoodrich[/ame] RUGGED TRAIL T/A P285/70R17
• 0.00754 Michelin LTX A/S P255/65R17
• 0.00758 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear"]Goodyear[/ame] INTEGRITY (OE) P225/60R16
• 0.00760 Bridgestone INSIGNIA SE 200 89S P195/65R15
• 0.00767 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFGoodrich"]BFGoodrich[/ame] RUGGED TRAIL T/A P245/65R17
• 0.00780 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Tire"]Continental[/ame] Ameri-G4S WS P235/75R15
• 0.00795 Michelin TPAW TOURING TR/SR P215/70R16
• 0.00810 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 104S P235/70R16
• 0.00813 Goodyear Invicta GL 235/75R15
• 0.00825 Continental ContiTouring Contact CH95 P205/55R16
• 0.00829 Michelin CROSS TERRAIN SUV P255/75R17
• 0.00833 Michelin PILOT PRIMACY 275/50R19
• 0.00850 Michelin ENERGY LX4 P225/60R16
• 0.00854 Michelin PILOT LTX P265/70R17
• 0.00855 Michelin ENERGY MXV4 PLUS 235/65R17

Here is a list of Consumer Report's tires that achieved their best rolling resistance rating. The tires at the top of the list are rated higher overall.

• Highly rated:
  • All Season
  • Michelin X Radial
  • Michelin Agility Touring
  • Michelin Harmony
  • Toyo 800 Ultra
  • Sumitomo HTR T4
• Middle rank
  • Performance All Season
  • Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus
  • Continental ContiPremierContact H
• Least benefit
  • All Season Ultra High Performance
  • General Exclaim UHP
  • Continental ContiExtremeContact

Below are the light duty tires (as reported by Consumer reports) achieving their best rolling resistance rating. Again, higher overall rated tires are closer to the top of the list.

• All-season
• Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684
• Michelin Cross Terrain
• Continental ContiTrac SUV
• BFGoodrich Radial Long Trail T/A

Followed by:

• All-terrain
• Continental ContiTrac TR"

Manufacturers are also continuing to specifically develope low rolling resistance tires. Among the newest purportedly low rolling resistance tires are the Bridgestone Ecopia 100 which may be the standard equipment tire on the new 2010 Prius, and the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.

Personally, I care much more about handling and braking performance of tires in all conditions. But if I were to get new tires (I have Goodyear TripleTreds which are great handling tires and very good in terms of rolling resistance) that have been tested to handle well and have excellent rolling resistance, I would consider getting the Michelin X Radial all season tire, which is available at clubs like Costco. It's Consumer Reports' second highest rated passenger all season tire (TripleTreds are first) and its rolling resistance is rated excellent.

Good luck.

 

well if you switch to almost any other tire from the Integrity your handling will most definitely improve, greatly too as well as getting improved braking. I would be willing to bet that their Fuel Max line uses the same rubber compound that the Integrity's use but with the better traction design of the Comfort Tread. I think you will get about the same MPG with them in other words, but with improvements (after the tire break in period).
When I had the integrity tires they were like driving on ski's if the road was even just barely damp after they had about 25,000 miles on them even though they had lots of tread left.

 

The Assurance Fuel Max has the exact same tread pattern as the current Assurance (not the Assurance ComforTred). But yes the Assurance Fuel Max should outperform the Integrity in every single category, and probably slightly outperform the Integrity in rolling resistance too. I think Goodyear itself rates the Fuel Max higher than the Integrity in every category. And it only costs a few dollars more.

 

I installed Michelin MXV4+ "Energy Saving" tires when my Integrity tires wore out. They were much better in all aspects and had a lower rolling resistance in the winter but somewhat higher in the summer than the GYs. When the Michelins wore out (55k miles later), I installed Nokian WR tires which were even better in all aspects. You should look seriously at the new Nokian WRg2 tires wich are available locally here in CT for about $125 each installed. They will improve your MPG while providing great traction in all weather conditions (for about 50k miles).

JeffD

 

I'm getting the Assurance Fuel Max put on Saturday. I'll let you know how they compare with Integrity's. Personally I would have tried anything else.

 

Have any of you found tire stores that *don't* use adhesive balance weights?

 

Each time I have change tires in three different shops, they used hammer-on weights.

JeffD

 

FWIW, here's how Goodyear compared the Assurance Fuel Max to the Integrity:

Goodyear Tires | Car And Minivan Tires | Compare Tires

 

On our nice alloy wheels? That's f!!cked up. What do they think adhesive weights are for? Jeez, ya gotta watch people like a hawk.

 

OK for what its worth ... The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires are the greatest thing I've done to my Prius. Its like a whole new car. Better handling, ride, fuel economy and less noise to boot. Particularly in the rain much better handling and fuel economy. And this with standard 35/33 PSI. :rockon:

I can't wait for warmer temps. Now mind you the only tires I have to compare them to are the Integrity's and the Michelin X-Ice snows and my Daughter's Goodrich Blizzacks. As you can tell I'm kinda psych'd. Very pleased.

P.S. Make sure they don't stick you with the regular Assurance. The Fuel Max has a small gas gage on the side. And they are P-metric radials to boot so you can pump more than 44 PSI.

 

I'm pretty happy with the Finnish "Nokian i3". My post about them.

I may try the Fuel Max tires when these wear out though.