Been looking at the Michelin X at Costco but they and dealer say too much rolling resistance so go to Michelin MXV or Hydro Edge. Dealer in WC has sale on MXV and dunlop signature which he says are as good and $120 cheaper for 4. Is there any concensus as to which is the best tire? what about the idea that you need a "special" tire to handle the extra weight of the Prius batteries? Help!
Consumer Reports rates the rolling resistance of the Michelin X Radial as "Excellent" -- its highest rating. CR also says that the Michelin X Radial has a lower rolling resistance than the HydroEdge which CR rates as "Very Good". Consumer Reports Ratings Passenger All Season Tires.doc I'd trust Consumer Reports' ratings on this issue over those of your tire dealer or even Michelin.
I'm looking for new tires for my 2007...have 35,000 miles o the original tires. Did you purchase tires? What did you end up with and are you happy? thanks.
I just put Bridgestone Ecopia tires on my 2007 and I am very happy with them. Just put 850 miles on a trip to Colorado. Mountain driving and some bad roads. I got 55 mpg and the tires are great handling , very quiet and are made specifically for the Prius. Available at a Firestone dealer. jag in Texas.
I needed to replace my original Goodyear tires on my 2007 Prius. They got 40,000 miles and I was happy with them. Our mpg was typically 53-56 mpg over this time. We live in the coastal area of California near Santa Cruz with work 40 miles away. This means over some hills, occasional mountains, mostly rolling hills in this area. I just purchased Bridgestone Ecopia EP-100, made specifically for low rolling resistance tires for hybrids. While it is too early to give a definitive statement, after a couple hundred miles the mpg is the same (we never reset it with the tires, so it's been hovering at 54.4 mpg since last reset 2 months ago). The ride is good (only dry/coastal weather so far). More later.
I had a set of Michelin Hydroedge tires that were great in the rain. My current set is Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread. I got hit in my mileage, but when I drive in snow, it's like having a four wheel drive vehicle. I, too, live in the Santa Cruz area. I guess your choice depends on what your conditions are, what your priorities are, etc. I do spend a good deal of winter time up by Donner Summit, so I like the tires I have now. But I'm guessing I lost 3 to 4 mpg compared to the original tires. I crashed my car into a ditch avoiding a deer about ten days ago. So far, the body shop estimate is over $7000. I'm thinking the insurance company may total the car. It's a 2004 with over 150,000 miles, (with carpool lane stickers) so we'll see what they say.
Just put Falken ZIEX ZE912 on both our cars, what a difference. MUCH quieter, with better handling. Put on 195/60/15 and the speedo reads the same using the highway patrol speed signs in the area. So far with 4 tanks of gas mileage is the same. Carl
