Low Rolling Resistance replacement tires: Current List

The Continental ARE good tires! Very good fuel mileage, but, they are noisey.
Excellant in the rain! And lasted 80,000 miles....
I have the Ecopia now, and they are very good also, not near as noisey.
I was fortunate and got them from walfarts clearence for $80 each.

 

You are correct about the economy of LRR tires. But, cheap tires have other quality issues besides not being LRR. If one is willing to spend ~$100/tire anyway, then choosing an LRR that gives fuel economy as well as other desirable tire characteristics would be fine. Picking a tire is always a compromise. One always has to trade one characteristic for another opposite characteristic. By definition, you can't have the best LRR tire that also gives you the best grip. So it is a matter of prioritizing what trait of the tire characteristic is more important. If the cost is the most and only consideration, then yeah, go with the cheapest non-name that sells for ~$50/tire.

 

Here are the Continental TrueContact at 75,000 miles and 6 years. These have been at 44 psi (sidewall max for the T speed rated) their whole life, and 51.8 mpg over that span:






I'm going to replace them at the end of the summer with the same tire in 91H.

 

They've lasted what they were supposed to last. I liked mine.
Except for the noise. If I had an amp for my podcasts, I wouldn't have noticed the noise.

 

Wow 6 years on those Continentals! I'll be looking at those when I got replace my Nano's on my 21 Prius. My wife's 17 Prius had those Nano's but there were almost bald at just 24,000 miles so I'll not be buying those things. We even got a flat on the Nano's, which was the end of them, and thankful I was with her and her car has a spare tire. My 21 Prius did not come with a spare tire so I bought one and it's in the back, just in case.

 

Anyone used hankook kinergy st?
How was the mpg?

 

My ’05 G2 is currently running on Continental ControlContac Tour A/S Plus ECO/something; +/- 1-yr old, 2-3 psi over. I’m getting an ave. of 60-mpg. I bought these tires using a coupla filters as for choice ... mainly good name and best price. They were on sale at the time and I got a very nice rebate to go along. My great mpg “could” be helped by these tires but I’m thinking that it’s moreso because I drive like a grandmother and this car is tuned/tweaked right to the edge. Back in my days of being a snotty punk kid with a cool muscle car I never got any kinda good mileage. I’m much older and wiser now.

I’m of the belief that it takes a long serious look to actually see any difference in the cost basis of LLR tires over the life of the tire. Sure ... I could be wrong.

 

Anyone have any suggestions for currently available tires for desert and mountain driving in southern California?
I drive about 12,000 miles per year in my gen 3, rarely in wet conditions and never in snow,
My usual independent retailer doesn't carry Michelin but has a relatively wide selection of other brands mentioned in the thread. I bought the car with Kumhos on it and I've put about 40,000 on those. I've never ridden in another Prius so I have nothing to compare as far as noise, handling, ride, etc.
TIA

 

I did like my Yokohama Avid Ascends - quiet and handled well. They did age prematurely, replaced at 40K. I kept them inflated to at least 35 psi, usually 37/35, but the outer edges wore prematurely - lots of tread in the middle, the outer edges almost to the cord. If I'd inflated them to 39/39 or higher, I wonder how they would have held up.

I'm back to Michelin Defenders - they were my first tire after the OEMs.

 

Thanks for the reply!
I just got a quote on Bridgestones and Hankooks.
I wish the independent dealer I use carried Michelin but he does have Yokohama.
With the amount of driving on sketchy surfaces in the mountains and desert that I do, I'm starting to think I should just get another set of Kumhos. I don't know how many miles were on them when I bought the car but I've put 42K on them, inflated at 37/35, rotated every 6-10K (in these uncertain times) and the wear is even on all 4.

 

Costco has Michelin at $150 off for 4 tires right now if you have that available in your area.

 

Thanks for the heads up!
Sounds like a good deal - but Costco is off-limits for me til the plague is over and my indy guy doesn't carry Michelins unfortunately.
i guess I'll just go with Kumhos again. They've done what I've needed them to do in the mountains so I can't compalin,

 

There’s plenty who do. But yeah I know: a reliable tire place you trust is worth a lot.

 

Has anyone tried the Waterfall Eco tires available at Walmart? How was the MPGs on these tires?

 

Asking how was the MPG is not serious testing.
All drivers are different and get different MPG, as seen on Fuelly .

I'm hoping to find some independent testing on LRR tires.
Tire Rack only tests brands they sell.
Consumer Report has not done any current testing.

In the long run, it may not be a big deal when you factor in cost of tire and amount of possible fuel savings.

And with the price of fuel so variable.....
Just go EV!

 

Cheap tires tend to be loud tires. That said, how are the Douglas tires?

 

Jan 2023 - Looks like Michelin does not make the Energy Saver A/S in the Gen3 size of 195/65-15 any longer. I really liked that tire. I would really like to stick with Michelins as the past two sets of Goodyears were loud after rotating them. The Goodyears were fine at first and went to crap after the rotations and only got worse with age. I dont want to lose a bunch of MPH with the replacements. I see that Michelin has a Defender T-H and a Primacy.

Anyone willing to share their thoughts on a good quality tire that will not kill the fuel mileage?

 

I've got the defender T&H on my 2014, and am happy. It takes 3000-4000 miles for them to break in, but now I'm getting 49 mpg city and 47-48 highway. Not bad for 175K miles.

I had the OEM Yokohamas - slippery and wore out in 35K miles.
Michelin Defender (not the new T&H) loved them, great winter traction.
Yokohama Avid Ascend - loved them, too - but the treads wore prematurely on the sides. They want to be >35 psi
Now on Defender T&H. I'll sacrifice an MPG or two for winter traction in the rain and snow.

 

Douglas tires at Walmart are made by Goodyear. $52 for 195/60r15

 

Not to beat a dead horse..... I have read thru MANY threads. 2015 240k 195 65 15 tire size. Needing tires seeing if anything new has come to the market. Currently have Ecopia 422+. Still getting a lil over 53 mpg because these guys are worn out! I have looked at Tire Rack looks the same as it did. Any better tires for MPG?