Michelin Hydroedge with Green X 195/60 Impressions

My original Integrity tires had 26K miles on them. They were more than half worn, which wasn't too bad. The problem was that they hydroplaned like crazy and overall had terrible traction. I had to be very careful to keep the traction control from kicking in often. They felt borderline dangerous in the rain.

I was looking at new tires and decided (with helpful input from Boo) to go with the Hydroedges with Green X.

I have also driven a 2010 which has the 195/65 size tires. The new model handles better and I think the tire size (width) has a fair bit to do with that. I had read many posts on here which also mentioned that the 195 width improves handling, so I decided to go with 195/60 tires.

The size will affect the speedometer accuracy a bit. My GPS indicates a 2MPH over-read at 60, and 3MPH at 70MPH. I hadn't compared the accuracy to my GPS before the tires, but from what I've read here, the speedo was probably over-reading by at least 1MPH, so the tires increased that by 1 - 2MPH.

I really do think the extra width makes a substantial difference in handling. The easiest way to describe it is that the car feels like a larger and heavier car now. It overall feels noticeably more stable and solid, especially on corners. The steering also feels a little heavier, which I like. Noticeable braking improvement. Ride is very smooth with 38/36 inflation. I may increase it a bit later.

The tires are a bit louder, but I am comparing them to tires that were quite worn down.

In regards to mileage, so far it is a 4 - 5MPG decrease. I think a lot of that has to do with comparing old tires to new tires. Even though my old tires had tread left, they looked bald compared to the tread on the hydroedges. I remember when the Prius was first bought, overall mileage was closer to 45 and increased to 50 over time, most likely due to the tires wearing down. Even though the Michelins are 90K tread-wear tires, I expect the mileage to increase after they are broken in, and will probably be looking at around a 2MPG hit by then.

Initial impressions are positive and I feel like I made a good choice with the increased width. If you have 185 tires and get a chance to drive a Prius with 195's, I think you'll be quite impressed with the difference the wider tire makes.

Now I'm looking forward to checking out the rain performance!

 

When the speedometer reads 60, I'm actually going 58 (according to my GPS).

 

I did get them from Tire Rack. I wasn't able to find anywhere else that had the Green X version in stock for a lower price. There is also a $70 mail in rebate.

 

I kept them inflated @ 37/35.

I'm glad they're gone and being recycled.

 

Very interesting! I may have to look into getting one eventually. It would be nice if the speedometer was spot on.

Just to clarify... Are you saying that the setting will change the displayed speed only on the scangauge, or the dash speedometer as well?

 

A small update after putting 300 miles on the new tires. Average MPG is currently 47 (before new tires, avg was 49-50). Tires stick very well. Not exaggerating when I say that the car handles better with wider tires. It does. Depending on the road surface, there is some audible noise, but that's probably to be expected with long tread life tires. Not overly loud, but not quiet. There does seem to be some breaking-in taking place. They feel smoother riding than they did at first.

I think I'm going to be quite happy with these tires!

 

Like Willie said, pretty much everyone who has gone from 185/65 to 195/60 tires has noticed improved handling, regardless of the brand of tire. And it makes sense. A wider tire gives you more tread contact with the road surface, which improves braking distance and handling. This is true for most any car, but more so for the Prius because the 185/65 tires are quite narrow for a vehicle of this size. They are usually used on very small compact cars, not 3,000 pound cars.

I'm very pleased that I went with the wider size. It's definitely the best change I've made to the car, and the mileage hit is nearly non existent (currently averaging 48 MPG).