I am looking for new tires for my 2010 prius with 85K miles on it. I was all set to get Bridgestone EcopiasEP20 or EP422 and the reputable tire store was recommending Continental PureContact or TrueContact. I am looking for a quiet tire that gets decent mileage and can handle wet roads well. Any thoughts?
Look at the customer reviews for each of those tires on Tire Rack. They break down each review into categories (e.g. ride, noise, etc.). They also have fair prices that many reputable tire chains will match. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
i just put on michelin energy saver a/s. fabulous, the prius has never been quieter. it's like a library.
The Conti's are good tires, but will not give the MPG's that the Bridgestone's will give you. Some say the Bridgestone's get noisy as they age, but I believe that is a given with most tires. +1 on the Michelin Energy Saver A/S. Had a set of those on our old Gen II Prius. Very good tire IMO. Smooth ride, excellent MPG. If you are running 17" rims, consider the Michelin Primacy MXM4. I have these on our current Gen III Prius. Came new when we bought the car. Recently replaced them with the same thing and are happy with the ride, MPG, and quietness. The 17" tires do ride a little stiffer than the 15" due to the low profile. Lastly, I too recommend checking out Tirerack's website. Lot's of info there tires and reviews also.
my 5 came with 17" Bridgestone's -- we never achieved the MPG with the Michelins LRR tires. The OE tire went 90k before I replaced them .. car is now at 160k+ on the Michelins.
One factor is how long you expect to keep the car. The Michelin Defender is rated at 90,000 miles compared to the Energy Saver A/S 65,000 and gets better ratings for traction and quietness at TireRack. It is also a little cheaper. The long term cost, taking into account the somewhat worse mpg with the Defender, is probably similar. If you like to see the highest possible mpg, the Energy Saver wins.
Thanks everyone. I heard that Michelin Energy Savers are not for winter. I live near DC where the roads are not always well treated and can get icy. Are the Mich. premiers good prius tires? I have 15" 195's for my car. Current tires are a non-factor as they have been poor.
Decisions are a lot easier if you have separate snow tires on rims. Asking any all-season to also serve as a winter tire as well involves a lot of compromise.
I have Nokian Entyre 2 on my 2010 Prius. They are all season but have superior winter performance, especially in snow (that's Nokian's stock in trade). They claim low rolling resistance, and seem to give same MPG as the Fuel Max Assurance tires they replaced. Rated 700AA, which predicts long tread life. Been happy with them, and installed at Mavis tire they were $110 each.
I take a somewhat different approach than most posters here about Prius tire choice. Most feel you buy a Prius to maximize your gas mileage, so it's logical to choose your tires only from the subcategory of Low Rolling Resistance tires engineered with some performance compromises to further the goal of maximum gas mileage. I take the opposite view: The whole car is engineered so effectively for great gas mileage, it compromises other worthwhile goals like handling, braking and interior quietness that can all be helped through tire choice. So I chose General Altimax tires for our 2010 Prius 5 (17" wheel – obviously most Prii have 15" wheels, hence different tire choices). They're not top-rated for either longest life or best gas mileage, although not disastrous in either regard. They ARE highly rated for quietness and rain/snow performance, where I felt the car needed the help. So far I'm delighted with the Generals' performance in those regards -- I like the idea of my wife not getting killed in nasty urban traffic -- and I think 46 miles a gallon is pretty acceptable fuel economy under the circumstances. I'll put up with it somehow.
