Sam's Club $60 Michelin Sale 8/24 - 9/30

Unless you're a really aggressive driver willing to trade mileage for handling, I hunch you may find the 205s too wide. Do you know what the Revolutions Per Mile are for your listed choices? To keep your speedometer and odometer accurate, it's important to keep this relatively close to original (I think it's 855, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

I just had my Michelin Hydroedges installed at Costco yesterday.
I put 195/60/15 tires on.
When we got home, DH put air in them to bring them up to 40/38.
They are very nice

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohioflash @ Aug 27 2007, 10:15 AM) [snapback]502766[/snapback]</div>

"CAN" and "SHOULD" are often two different things.
Can you? Probably.
Should you? NO. Why would you want to? <_<

*2007 Prius???? Just how many miles you have on those tires? Do you "NEED" new tires?

Costco also has the Michellin tire $60 off until 9/2. . . Plus you get the free nitrogen . . . and you don't have to be seen at Sam's Club. :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohioflash @ Aug 27 2007, 11:12 AM) [snapback]502802[/snapback]</div>

First of all, if you have hydroplaned twice in the past month . . . SLOW DOWN!!!! Any tire will hydroplane, but yes, some are better than others. I never had a hydroplaning problem with the OEM tires . . . especially with only 10,000 miles on them.

Costco also has the same Installation Package coverage. BUT, you get free nitrogen too. I'm not sure if Sam's does nitrogen.

An Installation Charge of $10.00 per tire is included in the price. This includes:

Mounting
Lifetime balancing
Lifetime rotation
Lifetime flat repair
Lifetime air pressure checks
New rubber valve stem
Costco Wholesale's road hazard warranty
http://www.costco.com/Tires/Product.aspx?I...T&Width=185

Having closer stores is better, but me personally, I avoid Walmart/Sam's like the plague. Costco's return policy, warranties, and customer service is legendary. I personally would go for the drive.

 

The Costco sale in my area (Northern Calif.) is $80 off.

I'm thinking of trying the Primacy MXV4 instead of the X Radial DT in a 195/60/15 size. Has anyone tried the Primacy?

 

I too am looking for replacement tires for my '05 at Sam's Club. Noise and safety are my top considerations for this car. I had HydroEdge's on my previous buggy ('96 Camry XLE) and was unhappy with both noise and ride. I eventually replaced them with the MXV4 which proved more to my liking.

I'd like to know from other '05ers what they have tried that is 1) low on noise and vibration and 2) handles well on snow and ice especially if they replaced with the same size.

 

Have you checked with your Sam's to see if they will install the size you are thinking about? I've never been able to get Sam's Club to install other than the OEM size tires on my cars.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 27 2007, 03:52 PM) [snapback]502848[/snapback]</div>

Ummm, the OEM's that came with my 2004 were always bad on wet roads, and I lucked into a reimbursed roadtrip for work and a sale on TripleTreds so at 25,000 miles I scrapped them.

The new TT tires didn't slide all over the place in the rain like the OEMs, and I could pull out into traffic without the tires slipping ON DRY ROADS causing the traction control to kick in. Life was much better. As they have worn, the grip is less and some bad things are happening, but not as bad as the OEMs were when they were new.

Slow down? SURE, everyone could drive at 2MPH all the time, to be sure the tires gripped the road no matter the conditions. Life doesn't really work that way, and poor tires performing well for one person should not be used as an example of how all people should use those tires.

I will count on replacing my next new Prius' tires at purchase unless the reports show the tires aren't junk anymore, but maybe this time give Michelin a shot...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL Buckeye @ Aug 29 2007, 06:57 AM) [snapback]503727[/snapback]</div>

There is no Sam's in my area, so I shop at Costco. I haven't asked my local Costco yet if they will install the 195/60/15. Information on their website says that one should never install a smaller size.

I thought of a way to probably finesse the local people if they don't want to install the larger size. I can order the size I want online. Once the local people have the tires on hand, they will quite probably install them rather than send them back and refund my money. I haven't tried this yet, but the design of the Costco website is such that I would probably have to lie about what kind of car I have. For example, the 2005 Toyota Corolla GT uses 195/60/15 tires.

Ideally, my local people will be reasonable and sell me the oversize tire.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(plantz @ Aug 28 2007, 10:58 PM) [snapback]503658[/snapback]</div>

Same in Southern California.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 27 2007, 12:52 PM) [snapback]502848[/snapback]</div>

Not everyone lives in sunny California.
I hydroplaned twice with the OEM tires... and they are now history.
At 7000 miles, I now have Michelin Hydroedges, because where I live, it RAINS.

Sometimes it is the driving conditions, not actually the driver.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(plantz @ Aug 29 2007, 08:08 AM) [snapback]503760[/snapback]</div>

Costco will only sell a size that is within 3% of the OEM.

So, I went from 185/65/15 to 195/60/15, which is less than 2% difference. Costco had no trouble doing this for me. They have a calculator for it. HOWEVER, you can't check this online, you have to go into their shop and ask.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Aug 29 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]503899[/snapback]</div>

Sometimes it seems like everyone lives here, especially on the highway.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Aug 29 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]503899[/snapback]</div>

Thank you for your comments.

I plan to order them tomorrow. There are two Costcos near me, and I don't think either one has the Primacy 195/60/15 in stock. So I can buy them on sale, but they won't arrive until next week and I can get them installed when the shop isn't so busy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Aug 29 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]503899[/snapback]</div>

If my math is correct, the 185/65/15 has a diameter of 62.15 cm (=24.47 in) and the 195/60/15 has a diameter of 61.50 cm (=24.21 in). So the 195/60/15 is 1.05% smaller in diameter.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Aug 29 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]503899[/snapback]</div>

I lived in Western Washington State for three years, so I too know about driving in rain.
Funny thing, with all the benefits of living in California, forgoing the physics of hydroplaning on a wet road is not one of them.
Slowing down ALWAYS works.

How many of the people who give up perfectly serviceable tires do so JUST so they can drive faster in the rain? :huh: That doesn't sound any safer to me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohioflash @ Aug 27 2007, 12:15 PM) [snapback]502766[/snapback]</div>

$80 per tire is way more than I would pay for tires. For the last 3 years I've been getting my tires from www.edgeracing.com for my VW TDI Wagon. I buy a Falken Ziex 512 high performance all-season tire in the stock size: 195/65/15. The last set cost me $188.08 including shipping and the local tire shop put them on and changed the valve stems for $50. The Falkens have very good traction on dry pavement, good traction in rain, and decent grip in snow. They last about 35K miles (I'm on my 3rd set). The mpg didn't drop compared to the stock Michelin Energy low-rolling resistance tires that come one the VW. When the Prius needs tires it will get a set of Ziex tires to replace the cheap and greasy Kumho's that it currently wears.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 29 2007, 03:25 PM) [snapback]503943[/snapback]</div>

I guess we disagree on what makes a good tire. To me mileage/life while important is trumped by grip / handling. The tire is the only thing that connects your vehicle to the road. No matter how good your ABS system is, if your tire co-efficient of friction is low your vehicle takes longer to stop and slides off the road sooner.

To me tire adhesion is a matter of safety and any tire that has a hard enough rubber compound to go 90K miles does not have enough adhesion to the road. Not to mention 90K miles at 15K miles per year is 6 years. In 6 years time the tire compound will harden even more and have even less adhesion. The tire blocks will start to crack and separate. The sidewalls will start to crack from flexing and dry-rot.

The Ziex 512 is rated for 60K miles but I replace them when the outer edges get worn to the wear bars. I do this for safety and wet weather traction. (The VW has soft springs which allow lots of body roll in corners. This weights and wears the outside edge of the tire while the center tread is still OK)