Best tires for the Prius?

This is all you need to read. Although I wish the Nokian i3 or the newer version were tested.

When Round and Black Becomes Lean and Green

 

Just got new tires for my 2008 Prius. Had 53,000 on my stock Goodyear Intergrity. It was going bald on the inside (bad alignment) and picked up two screws on one tire. Costco was having a sale on Bridgestone Ecopias (buy 4 and get $70 off). Timing was right (actually I had to wait 2 days for the coupon to kick in, but upon asking the Costco tire guy, he said he would honor it a day early) so I pulled the trigger.

With the stock Integritys I got 51mpg, the Ecopias I get 47mpg. The Ecopias are rated to go 65,000 miles. They feel much grippier and quieter than the Integritys, but I'm bummed about the gas mileage.

I ended up getting an alignment at Firestone. They were running a friends and family special for a lifetime alignment for $129, regularly $168. It turns out my front caster was way off, thus causing the uneven wear. On the highway, it still pulls to the left. I may take it in again to have it re-aligned when I get my tires rotated in 5000 miles.

By the way I run 42psi front and 40psi rear. Do you think that's causing the lower MPG? I would love to get back to 51mpg like before.

 

I think that is your problem right there. They are new tires and require a break in before you will experience the real MPG avg. that the new tires will provide. I wouldn't worry about it until you have a 1,000miles or more on them.

 

thank you much for the link!

 

My pleasure. It is a good article.

 

I have a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 205-60-15. I'm pretty happy with them. They are decent in the rain, dry handling is very good. Never seen snow, but they are All Season rated. I ran the stock Integrities 67,000 and they still had tread, I just didn't like them. I had a set of BFG G-Force Sports (205-60-15) for 35,000 miles. I love the BFG handling (not all season), but they cost me a 10 mpg hit. The Michelins are much better.
MPGs with Integrities: 51
BFGs: 40-42
Michelins: 45-46

I got them at America's Tire (Same as Discount Tires) for $104.

 

Since when do tires need to be broken in to see gas mileage improvements?

 

Since forever.

 

How's that? I could see them being broke in for proper traction and handling, but not for fuel mileage.

 

A newer tire has not cured yet so you will experience changes in chemistry that can increase rolling resistance.

A newer tire has more tread thus creating more tread squirm and more wasted energy. After a thousand miles or so the tires have lost some of the extra tread and better conformed to driving patterns instead of a mold.

A newer tire has more tread which increases overall diameter of the tire and thus turns less revolutions than the same tire after a few thousands miles.

An older tire is less flexible than a newer one and you are likely to experience less tread squirm and sidewall flex. Flexing wastes energy.

An older tire dries out and loses it's ability to grip as well as a newer tire (that has lost its mold release compound) and thus road friction is decreased and rolling resistance is increased.


There are probably other reasons but this should be enough. Besides, every bit of anecdotal information on this forum and indeed the internet in general provides evidence that broken in tires get better MPG than new ones.

 

Original tires on my Prius (?brand) got about 35K mi, which was OK. Went to Lesschwab and they put on Toyo Eclipse 70K tires for about $550, which was OK. They handle well in the rain. BUT, my mileage dropped from about 45mpg to about 35 mpg even with max allowable air pressure. Schwab was very willing to switch to another tire but had no idea what other tires would get better mileage. Toyota says they are "tire agnostic" and don't know what the original tires would have been.

 

The original tires were Goodyear Integrity...crappy tires.

 

I'm in need of new tires soon and will go with either the Michelin Primacy MXV4 or the Yokohama AVID Touring-S in stock 185 65 15 size. I hope they are both good for mileage in California.

 

I have Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 205-60 15, and I'm pretty happy with them. My average mpg dropped to around 45 mpgs, but I also retired (no pun) and instead of 90% freeway, now its more like 30% freeway, so I'm OK with the mileage drop. They handle well wet and dry, and are quieter than my last ones, BFG G-Force Sports, also in 205 60 15 size. Either tire is better than the OEM Goodyears, in everything except MPGs. The BFGs were really noisy, but stick like road glue.

 

Michelen X-Radials ride MUCH softer than the MXV, or Primacy, radials. The X-Radial is by far the best blend of handling, ride, noise, tire life and MPG(no drop, at all). I had the MXV, Primacy, Goodrich, and "Integrities-aka CRAP".
Get them at Costco. Free lifetime balancing and rotations, plus free repair. Wait for $70 of a set of 4 Michelin sale (on now til 2-27).

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I pulled the trigger and went with the Michelin Primacy MXV4 in 185 65/15. I've driven about 300 miles so far the the MPGs have decreased some (around 2 mpg).

 

This would only apply if the tire you purchased came directly to you after being manufactured. Unfortunately, tires often sit in the warehouse for years before being shipped to a tire store and may site just as long at that store. Luckily though the tires I purchased last week have a manufacture date of December 2010.

 

I bought a set of Michellin Hydroedges (195/65/15's) for my 2005 last year. They're quiet, still have a ton of life left, & I'm very happy with them. Got an amazing deal on them too, I think through tirerack.com.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of heat cycling but tires that have sat for long periods could differ as well.