Do I really need "special" tires

Good to know, I was actually considering these. Do you know how they compare to the FuelMax tires? Also, did the $530 include balancing and a factory alignment?

 

45.7 MPG doesn't seem that high? What MPGs do you get from the OEM Integrity tires vs. the Nokian WRg2? Thanks!

 

Doesn't matter WHAT mileage you get out of the OEM Integrities..... They are junk! Worn out @ less than 30k Prius's eat tires, weeelll.... the dealer ate this set, plus an alignment. Service manager agreed, Prius's do eat tires, it a well known fact according to him.

 

First, $530 included tires, mounting and balancing, but no alignment.

Second, I don't drive to maximize MPG and live in the cold north so my MPG is barely average for a Prius. The attached spreadsheet details my experience with three tires so far (5 years and 147.5k miles). My MPG is higher now than it was for the first 3.5 years,

JeffD

 

Yeah, I think I will go ahead and buy the WRG2's. I don't want to go through the hassel of changing out tires as well as buying both new tires and winter tires. Any good sites to find them at the cheapest price? And what size would I need? Thx!

 

Tom,

The online site to use is: Nokian Tires - Winter Tires, Snow Tires and much more from the Tire Factory but I found mine locally at a better price so check around. Tell them that you are on PC for a discount.

JeffD

Note that there are two "Tirefactories" on the web. This one is ".net", the other one is ".com"

 

Thanks this helps. I suppose the text "5/7/2007" in the chart should be "5/7/2009"?

 

Thanks, I will send them an email to get a quote. The tire size is 185 right?

 

For the 2004-2009 basic Prius the size is 185/65R15. I always buy H-rated versions (Nokian also sells "S" rated tires) and avoid the "run-flat" models as they have higher rolling resistance (Thicker rubber in the sidewalls).

JeffD

 

Nice to know. What's the difference between S and H?

 

S is the OE speed rating (there are also T-rated tires as well as expensive performance tire ratings). H is a higher speed rating that requires a stronger tire (which is why I go for the better tire). There is only about a $5 premium per tire for meeting the "H" speed rating.

JeffD

 

I called today and they quoted me at $130 per tire with free shipping. You think there will be any better deal than that? I don't even know of any places in my area that even sell Nokians.

Also, any places you know of that would be good for balancing, factory alignment, and installing them and what is a typical price for something like this?

BTW, I'm an Civil Engineering student. If you don't mind me asking, what type of engineering do you teach?

 

Change dealers, you don't need to go to con artists who abuse your trust to get into your wallet. The Prius is easy on tires. I have 40,000 miles on my stock tires and still have fairly good tread left. I have had them rotated, for free, by Les Schwab Tire Co., about every 5k miles. In fact, I am waiting for them to wear out so I can buy better tires, like the newer Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread. I also plan to buy gas shocks, for better control. Your front end may be out of alignment a bit. I plan to buy the Eibach alignment kits for the Prius as they provide a far better range of adjustment and hold the adjustment better than stock and are inexpensive.

 

My '07 Touring with the same tires have 45,543 miles on them and still look good. The key is proper alignment and inflation. It is too late for the set you have but make sure whatever tires you get, get it aligned! There was a Toyota Service Bulletin about this issue, but was a "fix upon complaint" item, so many poorly aligned Pri were driving about erasing the tread on the front tires.

I plan to have the Alignment checked by the dealer (so they are on notice) on my new '10 when it arrives in a few days:rockon:

Lee

 

Should I get the factory alignment straight from a toyota dealership or will Goodyear or Town Fair Tire do it cheaper? Also, what would it typically cost to get a factory alignment and balance and installation on a new set of already purchased tires?

 

Sorry to DP, but I am planning on getting the tires this weekend, so any advice on the above would be terrific. Thank you!

 

The OEM Goodyears that come with the Prius are anything but special. Anything round and black will work. It took my Prius over 67,000 miles to eat my tires. I guess it just wasn't hungry. They still had tread on them too, so it must have been just a snack . Your mileage may vary.

My BFG (non-special) tires don't show any wear in nearly 20,000 miles, either.

 

i bought my 02 gen 1 used in 05 - it had a newish set of Cooper something or other. I kept the air pressure at 38 then, and the tread wore pretty fast and they started leaking air at 20K miles, through the sidewalls, where they started to split. So i replaced them with Michelin Harmonies that i run at 41 psi. 45K miles and they look to have near 100% of the tread AND they hold their pressure well. i will be selling this car when my 2010 prius 4 solar/nav arrives, and the tires will be a plus, even at 45K

 

Since your car is now old so it need new Tyre i think you should change every thing of the car.

 

if you are talking to me, you are right, and I am changing to a 2010 Prius 4 with solar nav, which my dealer now estimates will be mine in July