I own a 2006 Pruis and need to purchase replacement tires. I have typically purchased replacement tires at Discount Tire. I am also a Costco Club member. My dealer has recommended Nokian tires from the dealer but at $595 all in seem to be quite a bit more expensive than other options. I live in a climate with some snow. I am interested in replacement tire experiences providing the best value and performance for the price. i
Please define performance. For me, performance is low rolling resistence and low cost. I am willing to compromise on wet and dry traction, cornering, ride, road noise as well as tread life. My ultimate performance tire is the OEM Goodyear Integrity. I get them slightly used for about $20 each.
I just purchased a 2004 Prius and had to replace the tires, as the front were "underinflated" and wore out. I purchased Michelin Hydro Edge with GreenX technology. These are sweet tires. I pumped them up to 44 lbs (many threads here about keep them at max pressure). Very smooth, quiet, great traction and handling in all road conditions. Avg. MPG up to 47.8 from 44.5 with the old GY Integrity tires. $564 incl. shipping + road hazard warranty from TheTireRack.com plus $ 187 for mounting, balancing, etc. from a recommended Tire Rack installer. A bit pricy, but 90K treadwear warranty. So far, so good. :rockon:
Integretys are "fair" in snow and "fair" in road noise. I bought one set of four on ebay and two sets of four on this site in the "for sale" forum.
I just bought the Fuel Max from Goodyear and the psi is 51 so the rolling is great. Very nice tires and the price was $420 out the door at a local dealer here.
Nokian WRg2 tires are a good choice for climate like yours (snow/ice), but your dealer may be over charging you. I bought mine (185/65HR15) from a local tire dealer in CT for about $500 installed. Note that there are both "T" and "H" rated versions. I prefer the H even though the "T" version is $5 to $10 less expensive per tire. JeffD
Unfortunately snow performance and road noise tend to go hand-in-hand. My wife's Goodyear Triple Treads are quite good in the snow but they hum. (Not enough to bother her, fortunately. And I mean New England snow.) If you truly want the best of both worlds then look for reasonably well-rated but quiet tire for three-season use and get a set of dedicated snow tires for winter. Over the life of the car it costs about the same money, plus you get winter traction than no all-season can match. (Even a very good one like the Nokian or the Triple Tread.)
my 3 favorite snow tires are: michelin x-ice yokohama ice guards bridgestone blizzak snow tires can't handle the heat of extended summer drives on the expressway, I only use them on cars where I also have nicer large rims & performance tires for the summertime
