Still another tire thread

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syclone @ Jul 13 2006, 07:10 PM) [snapback]285881[/snapback]</div>

I've been very happy with our size 195/65 r15 Continental ContiProContact tires on our 2006 Prius. All the sizes you mention will fit the stock wheels. There has been absolutely no rubbing or interference at full lock turns or bumps.

Going with these larger tires has improved speedometer accuracy. Our 195/65R15 tires do have a 1/4 inch large radius than the OEM size. The speedometer and odometer read 2% faster than the GPS and milemarkers on new OEM size tires. As the tires wear and lose 1/4" in radius, I expect the speedometer to read 4% faster than reality if using fully worn OEM tires. On new 195/65-15 tires, my speedometer and odometer read 1% slow. As the tires wear and lose 2% of their radius, I expect the speedometer to move towards reading 1% fast on fully worn 195/95R15 tires.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syclone @ Jul 13 2006, 07:10 PM) [snapback]285881[/snapback]</div>

Syclone,

I switched to 205/60 r15 Falken 512 and I am very happy. They leave plenty of room for the wheel wells. Enough room for me to install TRD Sportivo suspension which lowers my car by 3/4 inch and have clearance to spare.

They cost $43 each plus shipping from http://www.edgeracing.com/2005/Toyota/Prius/ and they fit my 2006 just fine. They are great in the wet and good in the snow but best on dry pavement. They made all the buffetting from trucks and crosswinds go away much better than the BT plate. Car drove solid as a rock with the stock suspension, but even better cornering after my TRD Sportivo suspension was added. The only problem is that they lowered my mileage by 3 or 4 MPG, but safety and a good handling car is worth more than a gallon or two of gas a month even at $3.00 a gallon.

Tommy Kahn

 

ii'm a big hydroedge fan. bought the orginal size. maybe a small decrease in mpg, but the quiet and handling worthwhile .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Jul 15 2006, 08:38 PM) [snapback]286980[/snapback]</div>

I too replaced the horrible OEM Integrity tires with Michelin Hydroedges on my Prius recently. It is too soon to judge the mileage impact (though it does seem down a bit), but the handling and noise factor are FAR superior.

 

Just had the 195/65 HydroEdges (HE) put on last night (with a total of 146 miles on the odometer) - I guess I won't be able to do a comparison with the OEMs. I've run Michelins on all my cars for more than thirty years, and admit to be a bit of a Michelin bigot. I doubt you'll find a better combination of quiet, ride, treadwear, and wet/dry grip than the HE. Michelin states upfront that they aren't the absolute best for snow, though they're supposed to still be pretty good.

The OEM tires are rated at 855 revolutions per mile. According to the Michelin website, the 185/65 HE is rated at 856 revs/mi, and the 195/65s are rated at 842 revs/mi. Going with the slightly wider tires with the same aspect ratio will dink the speedometer by about a mile per hour at 60 (you'll actually be going a tiny bit over 61). I think the slightly larger footprint will give just that much more adhesion possibility in the wet, so that's why I went with them (plus the studly factor of the massively wide tires ).

 

Yes the 205/60R15 will fit with no clearance problems and the 6 inch rim width of the stock wheels is correct for that tire size. I have been using them for about 5K miles now. I originally thought there was no mileage penalty but I now think that I have taken a 2 or 3 MPG hit in town, freeway mileage seems unchanged.

Be careful of the revolutions per mile and try to get close to the stock 855. The 205/60R15 tires I bought are 847 and they actually corrected the speedometer, it was about 2 MPH fast at 70 MPH, now it is about right (checked against a GPS receiver).

I have no brand name loyalty and I think any number of good tires from Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Toyo and others are more than satisfactory. I buy all season performance tires because I care more about handling and stopping ability than I do about a soft ride.