Prius Tires?

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
I owned a Prius and replaced the Good Year Integrity with the Good Year Assurance and was very pleased with them.


Funny you mention this Johnny. I replaced the Ingegrity's on my wifes RX-300 with G/Y Assurance Comfort Treads. Love'em for her vehicle and no noticable MPG drop as I have read that others are experiencing.
Were yours Comfort Treads? I ask, because my neighbor recently bought a new RAV4 and it came G/Y Assurance but, nowhere on the tire did it say Comfort Treads like our does, we both looked at the sidewall, and nothing although, the tread is identical. His may have been the new "H" rated Assurance!
My buddy was looking at the G/Y Assurance Fuel Max but there are hihger rated tires in that catigory(on TR)

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Something LRR would be a good idea.

Goodyear Assurance FuelMax
Michelin Energy Saver A/S
Bridgestone Ecopia

If fuel efficiency is not a concern, that I would go with Michelin Primacy MXV4.


Yes, these are the type of tires that he is looking at and MPG is a top priority which is the reason for the Prius. If there is a person that can get the estimated EPA Fuel Economy rating out of a Prius, it's my buddy. He drives slooooooooooooow! And even he says that he can't quite get the top MPG out of the Prius.

Thank You All, for your comments and recomendations. I'll post again when he makes his choice. Alot will be based on price.

 

[Johnny]

Yes, mine did state Comfort Tread on the tires.

 

[CharBaby]

Thanks!

 

[nthach]

I'd get the Michelin Energy Saver A/S or the Hydroedges if it was me. The Bridgestone Ecopia EP100s and Goodyear Assurance FuelMax aren't bad choices either.

 

[PandaBear]

If you want low rolling resistance, the most efficient ones is Goodyear Invicta, I had them and my opinion is to stay away due to it being a safety hazard, even a Chinese T rated tire would be better and cheaper.

If you want handling or safety, search Tirerack and see what you like the most in terms of traction and comfort. One that I found works well is Sumitomo HTR 200 and increase the tire pressure about 2-3 psi. This has good handling (enough for a Prius) and fuel economy.

By the way, they are not made in USA, but much better made in Japan.

 

[CharBaby]

Panda,
Yes, he is searching TR. He also wants tires for foul wheather as well. Snow/ice traction is a must! Many new choices today from Michelin, Yokohama, Good/Year, Kumho etc. When all is said and done, he will end up with a great tire for a great price to be sure.

 

[FordFocus]

"If you want low rolling resistance, the most efficient ones is Goodyear Invicta"
FALSE! Just take a look at TR testing of fuel efficient tires.

 

[FordFocus]

Go with Michelin Energy Savers or Hydroedges with Green X

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: FordFocus

FALSE! Just take a look at TR testing of fuel efficient tires.


Do you even know what you are talking about? Invicta is the extreme of fuel efficient tire that TR does not carry. It is even more efficient and less traction than Bridgestone Potenza RE92 (OEM), Michelin Energy MXV4 (OEM), or Goodyear Integrity (OEM).

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-fuel-economy/33929-best-tires-goodyear-invicta.html

Quote:
The original tires were old and beginning to separate and crack. Explorations into the internet revealed that most EV users put one type of tire on their cars for best mileage and range, Goodyear Invicta GLR's. These tires were developed in response to a request from Honda, which needed to recover a 4 MPG shortfall in gas mileage when they introduced the automatic transmission model of the Civic 1200. In an electric vehicle, range and mileage are purported to increase 25-30% with the use of these tires. My preliminary tests do show a mileage increase, but even more noticeable is that the car seems more willing to accelerate and has better top speed. Current draw is lower at any given speed, and the motor runs cooler as well. As Goodyear has discontinued production of the Invicta GLR series, I had to locate a set in Florida and have them UPS'ed here at additional cost.

 

[Bruce T]

I just bought the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 for a Civic Hybrid. The local tire dealer said the Michelin Energy Saver A/S wasn't meeting tread wear claims and were often out of round.

Here is the Tire Rack test of LRR tires from Aug 2009:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=121

 

[FordFocus]

The local tire dealer said the Michelin Energy Saver A/S wasn't meeting tread wear claims and were often out of round.

Huh? Energy savers don't have a mileage waranty. I have them and they are as round as a tire gets. They also Road Force balanced very good.

 

[Bruce T]

My dealer could be wrong about the Michelin Energy Saver A/S, since I don't have any experience with this tire.

Unfortunately, I do have experience with the Dunlop SP31 A/S, which developed serious tread/sidewall cracks by 23,000 miles, but were gently driven and properly maintained (rotate, balance, alignment, and tire pressure).