decisions on new tires

Lets not forget the price per
gallon of gas is an important
factor.

With gas probably going to hit
$5 to $6/ gallon, an increase of
2-3 MPG is going to pay for the
extra price of a tire quite quickly.

We have Michelin Energy Saver
tires on our Prius, size 195X65X15.

The gave us a least an honest 2 to maybe
three MPG. We have nearly 35,000 miles on
them and we should get at least another 25-35, thousand
miles before they wear out.

The tires are inflated to 44 PSI in all 4 (max sidewall Press.)
They are quiet, smooth running, and worth the extra $20.00
more per tire.

Yes, the same fact applied today as yesterday,
you get what you pay for....

alfon

 

Very interesting spreadsheet. If anyone else keeps this level of detail it would be interesting to follow-up on F8L's point about total cost of ownership compared across various brands.

Your Integrity and WRs didn't make it to 50K miles which is aligned with their relatively low treadware rating (460 and 420). I'm somewhat surprised that the MXV4s didn't last longer given their 620 treadware rating.

I'm at 70K miles on my Pirelli's (treadware=760) and I have read about people easily getting over 80K with Hydroedges (treadware=800).
Do any of the higher treadware tires pay for themselves or is LRR the bigger factor?

 

I agree and the revolutions/mile idea never crossed my mind but there could be subtle differences that really add up over 60k miles.

Here are data for some of the LRR tires I have been checking out:

Continental ContiProContact with EcoPlus $74
UTQG: 600 A B
TreadDepth: 10/32
Revs/Mile: 848
Warranty: 80,000

Bridgestone EP100 $73 (53.5mpg as tested)
UTQG: 400 A B
TreadDepth: 10/32
Revs/Mile: 857
Warranty: 50,000

Michelin Energy Saver A/S $115 (53.8mpg as tested)
UTQG: 480 A B
TreadDepth: 9/32
Revs/Mile: 851
Warranty: 65,000

Yokohama dB Super E-Spec $109 (52.8mpg as tested)
UTQG: 460 A A
TreadDepth: 10/32
Revs/Mile: 848
Warranty: None lol

Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max $87 (51.60mpg as tested)
UTQG: 580 A A
TreadDepth: 10/32
Revs/Mile: 855
Warranty: 65,000

Agreed but if the EP100 gets the same or better MPG than the Energy Saver A/S then the savings due to increased MPG is a wash and you still paid more for the Michelins. The only factor left that redeem the Energy Savers is treadwear life. If they last much longer than the EP100 then you have a case. Since we cannot compare treadwear ratings across brands, adding this factor into the equation is very difficult.

Treadwear rating is difficult to compare across brands and as such it is hard to really say for sure how long a tire will last. I think a tire's warranty is a better gauge of longevity.

I think unless you find a really cheap tire that performs well and has a VERY long lifespan, the LRR factor will win out. This is assuming the LRR tire is also fairly cheap at less than $80 per tire.

 

I have about 10,000 smooth miles on Yokohama YK520's, they are quiet and seem to be wearing OK so far.

 

Has anyone tried on 22"??? The tire just came out from Goodyear - and is only used on one car...

 

I decided a few months ago my next set would be the Michelin Energy Savers. Unfortunately, nobody seems to have them in the stock size for a Gen II and there's no telling when Michelin will do another production run. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations on where I might procure the Michelin Energy Saver A/S in the 185/65/15 stock size? If they're impossible to find, I'm back to square one.

 

Just looking at your options at tirerack, you are right about michelin Energy Saver availability. I would not be loyal to a brand that is not even available. How about Bridgestone EP422? There are several other LRR options too:

Tire Search Results

 

For the most economical choice given the unavailability of the Energy Saver A/S I would look into the Fuel Saver Max and the Continental Pro Contact with ecopia plus. Even the Kumho listed in the above link is probably a decent choice but I expect it to be louder thank the others. The warranty ratings suggest these tires will last longer thank the Ecopias.

 

This is an update on the Michelin Harmony tires that I installed about nine months ago. To date they have traveled 13,029 miles. The original tread depth was 11/32". Current tread depth is 10/32". At that rate of treadwear, if I run the tires down to 3/32" they will last over 100,000 miles. 100,000 miles is a realistic expectation, as I have seen Harmony's last that long on a Corolla. The tires run smooth, are quiet and have excellent traction in dry, wet, snow and ice conditions. Only negative is about a 0.5 to 1.0 mpg reduction over the OEM Yokohama tires, which I do not consider significant.

 

Thanks for the update.

We are approaching 50,000 miles on our Michelin Energy Saver tires, 195x65x15. All four are inflated to 44 PSI of Costco nitrogen, where we purchased the tires.

I believe I was the first one to buy the energy saver tires on this forum.

I noticed an immediate 2-3 mpg over the stock Yoko Avid tires, even though they were well broken in with 10,000 miles.

I believe I will get at least another 10,000 to maybe 20,000 miles of legal wear out of these tires.

With the increase in mpg I have saved $144.00 in fuel cost based on $3.75 / gallon gas, with 50,000 miles and increase of mpg's from 50 to 52 mpg with the Michelin Energy tires.

I may be wrong, but I believe I am ahead with these tires, with the extra benefit of them being a rather quiet tire.

alfon

 

It's too bad you cannot purchase them anywhere.

 

Hi All,
Has anybody tried the Michelin Primacy MXM4 on the 17" wheel? I'd be happy to hear about your experiences. My car came with the Michelin Pilot MXM4 tires, and are doing great after 32k miles. Though it looks like the Pilot tires may be on close-out in some places. Any idea if the Primacy is going to replace the Pilot?

Thanks!

 

Yes I do and yes the Primacy is loosely considered the replacement for the Pilot. Click the link in my sig for a review. Despite the mpg drop I really like them.

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I thought you did a nice write up on the Primacy tires.

 

Thanks. The whole point is to help others make they best decision they can.

AfterPutting a few thousand miles on them I would categorize them as smooth, quiet and nimble. They cannot hold a hard corner quite as well as the Kumho ecsta ASX but they have more than enough grip for spirited driving. I just wanted a smooth tire that was comfortable to drive and Michelin delivered.

I just noticed your are from Renton. These tires are rated for excellent wet braking distance so I think they will be perfect for your climate. Especially with all the rude nutjobs on the roads up there. I lived in Marysville and Everett for 2 years.

 

I'm definitely looking for quiet, the other two characteristics you mentioned are bonus features.
I don't have a long commute, but I will enjoy driving into town with the added confidence of the improved wet braking. I noticed on the Michelin web site that they even rate them higher than the Pilots (in almost all categories) that they seem to be replacing. And they have them for sale at Costco, so that's another plus for me.
Thanks for the information!

 

Glad I could help you out.