Tires: Hankook H727 vs Michelin Energy Saver A/S in Connecticut

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by priusrat, Jun 7, 2012.

  1. priusrat

    priusrat Junior Member

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    It's time to replace the original tires on my Prius II 2010. I'm torn between the Hankook H727 and the Michelin Energy Saver A/S. I have Hankook 727s on my Sienna, love them. I don't bother with snow tires, so I'm drawn to the reportedly excellent performance of the Hankooks in snow. They reportedly wear well, too, and I know they're pretty quiet. BUT... the Michelin Energy Saver A/S supposedly will give better mileage. The Hankooks cost about 20% less than the Michelins, with respective rebates factored in. I drive about 20K/yr, mix of highway and streets. It's cold here in CT usually 6 months/yr. We can have anything from two to twenty two snowstorms/winter - usually a dozen or so. I try to avoid driving in snow if possible, but am not afraid to do so if necessary. I don't drive aggressively, don't drive at speeds that require "road gripping performance tires". I do sometimes drive up to 85 mph on the highway. I've seen reports on Priuschat that drivers really didn't lose much mileage over the original tires when going to the Hankook 727s. I'm assuming that the Michelins would increase my mileage a bit. Any advice?
     
    #1 priusrat, Jun 7, 2012
  2. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Performance wise, they are likely to be similar. The Energy Saver A/S will be the better tire for fuel economy. I have seen about a 8% increase compared to new OE tires.
     
    #2 The Critic, Jun 7, 2012
  3. priusrat

    priusrat Junior Member

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    Eight percent!! WOW!! I was figuring it would be about 2% improvement with the Michelins. How long have you had them? Did you take into account a change in season (cold to warm weather?) Or are the Michelins really that much better?
     
    #3 priusrat, Jun 7, 2012
  4. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Almost 6k now. There's a big long thread on this matter in the fuel economy section somewhere. I ran the OE tires from 6/2011 to about 11/2011. Then I had a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4 for four months after that. Here in the Monterey area, it stays around 60F year round anyway, but the OE tire were used from summer until fall so I think it is a fair comparison.

    F8L and I swapped tires for about 1000 miles and I'm sure he'll be here to comment soon as well. I believe he saw 3-4 mpg better with the Energy Saver A/S as well. However, do note that the Energy Saver A/S are a bit below average for handling and steering feel - but I have heard similar complaints about the H727.

    Also, I calculated that the Energy Saver A/S are about $490 installed with the current Costco promotion, not sure if you had taken that into account.
     
    #4 The Critic, Jun 7, 2012
  5. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I agree with The Critic.

    The H727s may have better snow traction than the Energy Saver A/S but the ES AS will thoroughly trounce the H727 is fuel economy. Neither tire rates well for handling and steering feel.

    Your situation is a tough one because of the frequent snow or cold weather. For safety reasons I will refrain from suggesting either and instead recommend two sets of wheels so you can run dedicated snow tires in the winter. This is the safest option because cold temps below 40F will drastically decrease stopping distance of all-season tires no designed for winter. Even if you never drive in snow, winter tires are recommended for cold temperatures because their compound is designed to stay pliable in freezing temps.
     
    #5 F8L, Jun 7, 2012
  6. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    CR ranks the H727 4/5 in snow and the Energy Saver A/S 2/5. The Michelin Primacy MXV4 is 3/5. The only LRR tire with decent snow performance is the Continental ProContact EcoPlus, but that is not a super LRR tire.

    CR has not tested the Michelin Defender or the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, but I would expect the Defender to deliver decent snow performance based on its tread design. I would give this tire a serious consideration if long life is a concern, and fuel economy is not the top priority.
     
    #6 The Critic, Jun 8, 2012
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  7. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Just saw a thread in the other sect - Energy Saver A/S are being discontinued. So, you should buy a set of Defenders to ensure a plentiful supply of replacement tires in the event of an unrepairable flat.
     
    #7 The Critic, Jun 8, 2012
  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Aye, if it is true then I agree. Except, the Defender is not listed in that size right now. Are they delisting it to try and phase out the ES A/S???
     
    #8 F8L, Jun 8, 2012
  9. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    I was never aware of that happening. The part # for the Defender in 195/65-15 is #93957.
     
    #9 The Critic, Jun 8, 2012
  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    But go look it up. They do not list it on their website nor tirerack.com or discount tire.com. It's weird.
     
    #10 F8L, Jun 8, 2012
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