Low Rolling Resistance replacement tires: Current List

Hmm. Good reason.

 

The reason i am going with them is purely based on recommendations frm one of my friend (not a prius owner).... I am exploring the michelin A/S Defender for now since they look fairly priced and highly recommended in this forum.

 

Say if i decide to go with 225/40/17 then what are my options.? I am open to suggestions as of now since i can get the rims i am looking for in 17" size....

 

Aaah i,typed a 225... My intention was 215... Its getting late i guess... Thanks for the reply.... I have shortlisted 4 tires which i will post tomorrow and if you can tell which one is better, that would be great... Thanks for the reply F8L..i appreciate it

 

Reading all this model names, only M Energy Saver sounds familiar, that seals also in Europe, but what does A/S mean, all season?
Germans have a very good habit of testing everything, and from your writing and different tests, I would say that Continental came up with very good compromise. Do you get ContiEcoContact 5 in US, from tests here it has the lowest rolling resistance (kraftstoffverbrauch), sadly it wasn't tested in Prius size but it is available for 195/65R15:


ADAC Test - Sommerreifen 2012 - 165/70 R14



Continental Tires -ContiEcoContact™ 5

Will see what this new labeling in Europe will bring, I hope that not all tires will be labeled A for fuel consumption.

 

So far we have close to 2,000 miles on the Bridgeston Ecopia EP422 tires, 195x65x15 size.
Yesterday my wife and I took a trip up to Cabelas in Lacey Washington and we returned home with an indicated
average mpg of 56.5. Speed ranged to city speeds up to 70 + MPH on Interstate 5 in Washington.

Calculated mpg would be 53-54 mpg. I believe the same trip on the Michelin Energy Saver would
have achieved indicated 57-59 mpg for the same type of driving. But they were well broken in with
over 60,000 miles.

One thing for sure they appear to be more fuel efficient than the original Yoko Avid tires.

I still have about two weeks to go as I have a 30 day money back guarantee
on the tires, if I don't like them I just may go back to the Michelin Energy Saver
AS tires.

 

Ok, so here are my choices that I have shortlisted.
1) Bridgestone Ecopia EP422
2) Michelin Primacy MXM4
3) Continental ContiProContact
4) Yokohoma Advan S.4.

Now there are some tires that I like but i am not considering them. Again, my choice is All Season Performance with good handling and traction. I dont like the stock Yokohoma because the only thing good about them is MPG. A Quiet Tire with good handling and traction would be great.. MPG is a plus but I avg only around 45-46 in my 2010 Prius (I am always on the gas pedal) i can still live with a small drop... Thanks

 

Have you considered the new Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus? By the numbers, it looks like a good LRR with low road noise.

 

I'm really intrigued by this tire as well. A review I read compared it favorably to the Michelin Primacy MXV4:

Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Test - Motor Trend
I like the fact that it comes in the 205/50/17 as well. I would love to see how fuel economy compares to the dedicated "Eco" tires. Maybe the smaller contact patch will make up?

 

I just talked to a sales guy at Discount Tire about the three tires noted in the two post above. Interestingly, the guy believed the Ecopia would be both longer lasting and quieter than the Turanza Serenity Plus -- as well as better as an LLR tire for economy. I told him this didn't make much sense to me. He told me he had just gone through a driving comparison with the Serenity Plus tires and thought they were great tires, but he believed the Ecopias would be a better fit in terms of noise, wear and fuel economy. Of course, he felt the Michelins would be the tire to pick among the three, unless my number one interest would be MPGs (in which case the Ecopias would be his choice).

I know F8L's recommendation is going to be the Primacy's, but I'm interested in a general reaction to the salesman's statements. (Also, the quoted prices among the three tires didn't show enough dollar difference to cause me to choose one over the other.)

BTW, I would rate safety, noise, fuel economy and wear in that order, as my interests.

 

Very helpful, F8L. Thanks.

I'm a pretty defensive driver and safety is important to me. I'm wondering whether driving 59,000 miles on the Toyos has been throwing caution to the wind, at least in comparison to these three tires. If I can get similar fuel economy out of the Ecopias, yet have a step up in safety and control, as well as a decrease in road noise, perhaps that is the tire for me. I'm not a slalom driver, and I don't play Formula 1 racer in a morning commute. I want to go somewhere in safety and reasonable comfort and quiet, all while getting 50 MPGs. If my best bet on these counts is the Ecopia, as opposed to the Primacy or the Serenity Plus (which suggests incontinence safety), you may have given me just the right assistance.

 

I think you were clear enough. What you are reading is my musings about each of these tires being significantly better than my Toyos and that if the Ecopia is better in all ways and is still a high FE tire, then it may be the tire for me. I haven't felt unsafe driving the Toyos -- just a bit annoyed at the noise. If the Ecopias will give me a safer drive, better performance, and similar fuel economy (as compared to the Toyos), then they may be right. If I can get the Michelins at a lower price, I'd only walk away if I was going to lose 4 MPGs.

(You seemed to move between the MXM4 and MXV4 -- just a typo? I think the Vs are for higher sidewall tires, right?)