Michelin Defender tires report

Tire shops that I spoke with were candid, said Green X were discontinued and T+H are now the equivalent replacement. I didn’t believe them because green x weren’t discontinued, I still see them available on tire shop websites. The correct information is, only the 820 green x were discontinued, the other green x models w/lower rated tread life are still available.

 

hmmm...., most recent review on discounttire /
makes me wonder if I should really switch from the ENERGY SAVER A/S
in no way I want to sacrifice my fuel mileage /

 

Have to take tire shop reviewers with a grain of salt. They’re going from 1-2 mm tread to fresh 10 mm tread. You’ll lose mpgs when new tires are put on; more tread means more tire weight to rotate so let some of the tread melt off first. 3 factors that I decide on when buying new tires: weight, treadwear number and mileage warranty. Low rolling resistance is a broad spectrum of tires, it’s like $29 running shoes. I’ve ran with $29, they’re good for a mile run but after 2 miles your in major pain.

 

ONE review? You'll never make 100% of the people happy.
And they were on a Generation 2 Prius. Any reviews from a Generation 3?

 

Just a few hundred miles on my new T+H s. Went from 195 to 185s (didn't want to argue with Costco policy). Speedo is 2mph off again. Mileage is down 4mpg. $453 otd. Hassle free. The ride is soooo much more comfortable at the lower pressure...will be adding some back soon.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

And gen 2 epa mpg ratings are 48 city mpg. If you have a turd gen and use their 48 city mpg as baseline comparison, thats an apples and orange comparison so their review might not be worth a fruit.

 

Glad your still gettin better than EPA specs Our tires and vehicles mileage are similar; I have 151,000 miles on the engine and 35,000 miles on the new Defenders. Image below came from my commute back from work today. ICE stays on 95% of the time.

 

How much where are they showing?

 

They look new... Not even close to the wear bars. Thanks!

 

This post has been very helpful. I have a 2021 Prius XLE that came with Toyo Nanoenergy tires. I averaged 53 MPG. I drive about 1,100 miles a week, about 50% in the mountains. While getting gas I noticed the cords were visible so I went to a tire shop and bought a set of Yokohama Tournante tires. They did not have the Energy Savers or Ecopias. I was assured they were fuel efficient. My MPG has dropped to 45. 6-8 MPG might not sound like a lot but given the miles I drive, @ 55,000 a year it is around $600 in extra gas.

Toyota recommended the Michelin Defenders. The Michelin Energy Savers have been discontinued. I've had the Yokohamas a month and I'm seriously considering getting a set of Defenders and selling the Yoko's. I will say the Yoko's are smooth and very quiet. I like the tire but I can tell the gas engine runs a lot. I feel like I'm pushing the puddle down to keep it rolling. I noticed right away when I'd let off the gas the car would start to slow down. The car never did that with the Toyo Nanoenergy tires. I would have never guessed tires would make this big of a difference on fuel economy.

It sounds like I would be happy with the ride of the Defenders and my fuel mileage might return to the 50's again.

 

I've had 2 sets of Defenders now on my 2014, with Avid Ascends in between. I felt like I got better mileage on the Ascends, but the Defenders were MUCH better in the wet, for a 1-2 mpg penalty. I'll take that hit for better wet handling, as I commute over a mountain pass to work.

 

I LOVED the Energy Savers; I own a driving school, with a fleet of 6 vehicles to train new drivers. I buy tires like crazy, which means I've tried all kinds of brands and types. This has made me into a "tire snob" on my personal vehicles (I have 5 of them too!). When they discontinued the Energy Savers, a part of me died inside. HOWEVER, the Defenders have been phenomenal. I note very little mpg hit. And the performance & ride make up vastly for any mpg hit. Especially here in Michigan with our very vocal 4 seasons of weather

You cant beat them. Check your local Wholesale Clubs (Sams Club, Costco, BJ's) for great deals. If you do not have a membership, FINE, some clubs offer a 1 day free pass. Get your tires that way.

 

I believe Costco's Michelin X-Tour is a rebadged Defender.

 

You are correct as far as I am aware. Costco, as well as some other box stores get their own tires from Michelin, There is a different mold/stamp used for the sidewalls, but other than that the difference in them is negligible. Part of the cost savings comes from purchasing power that these stores have.

 

I have read that the rubber compound Is also slightly different, not the latest tech in the Costco rebadged version. Probably makes no difference.


iPhone ?

 

I would like to comment on my recent experience with the Michelin Defenders. I have a 2019 Prius Prime Advanced with 30,000 miles now. I got a flat with my Dunlap OEM tires which came on the vehicle when I bought it new. The flat tire was unrepairable so I bought a brand new set of Michelin Defenders after reading all the hype and reviews on various web pages. The Defender is a good tire, but on the Prius, I do not believe it's an appropriate application. The Defender is manufactured with a very hard rubber to get you the high mileage durability rating. That durability comes at a price. I drove on the Defenders from Pleasanton California to Sacramento going through Tracy. Unbearable interior cabin noise over rough sections of roadway on that trip. The Defenders picked up and amplified every imperfection on the road also resulting in a harsh ride. Also experienced slight loss in MPG. So after 800 miles, I returned the tires to Big-O where I purchased them using Michelin's 60-day guarantee. I now have the Toyo Nano Energy OEM tires on the car. I'm now back to the quiet comfortable ride and the mpg the Prius was designed to achieve. Not worth messing with other tire brands on the Prius only to be disappointed.