Does ANY tire get better mileage than originals?

[hill]

Originally Posted by Ichiro

ouch... i actually agree with racer's point of view, basically, but I would have been a bit more diplomatic about it

in any case, I think the Pirelli P3000's have very low rolling resistance too.

So ... a Prius driver wants low rolling resistance tires. Let's see ... odds are, that means their top concern is high MPG's. Thus, they won't be slamming the hammer, and diving into the corners at an idiot's speed ... or being concerned whether they can pull 2 horizontal G's through the turns. Thus, for that driver's mind set, WHO CARES if your tires aren't glued to the road ... when you aren't going to be running the Indy 500 anyway. Get it? Consider the OP's question.

To the OP, see page 5:

http://greenseal.org/resources/repor...resistance.pdf

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by tumbleweed

I have been keeping a pretty close check on fuel mileage for quite a few years now. With 4 different vehicles and 8 to 10 sets of tires I have found:

1. If I buy the same size and same general type of tire I can tell no difference in mileage, other factors being equal of course.

2. The tires I have owned which were rated as energy efficient tires (Michelin MXV4) were very good tires but no more energy efficient than comparable tires that were not "energy efficient". But that's just what I noticed, others may have seen an improvement.

3. Tire pressure makes a big difference, the higher the better, just don't exceed the maximum cold pressure listed on the sidewall (44 psi or 51 psi) for passenger car tires.

4. Wider tires may cut your mileage a bit, I replaced the 185/65-15 tires on my '05 Prius with 205/60-15 tires which had the same circumference and revs per mile. I may have lost 1 or 2 mpg at the most. I considered the improved stopping and handling to be worth it.

5. A good place to check out and compare different tires by most manufacturers is the Tire Rack web site.

Were the Michelin MXV4 tyres also wider than stock?

My advice is to look for tyres using silica compound in the tread as it improves rolling resistance and grip.
Michelin Energy XM1+ are supposed to be very good, I have the Energy XM1 on my car at about 40PSI and get 4.3L/100km without trying all that hard and the XM1+ according to Michelin are even better. That is more grip and lower rolling resistance. I'm almost due for tyres at about 100,000km which is good on our roads and will be fitting XM1+ to my car. If you buy expensive tyres to reduce what you spend on fuel you may never recover the aditional cost, but you get what you pay for so you will probably get a better safer tyre if you spend a little more. Note that narrower tyres roll easier but may have less grip. Standard fitment on all Prius here is 195 60R 15 and that is what I will fit in future.

I would never put more pressure than the maximum on the sidewall of the tyre. I also believe wheel weight has a very small affect on fuel consumption and Prius wheels are already very light. Buying lighter wheels only for lower fuel consumption wouldn't be money well spent. How ever if you buy them for looks, that is up to you but don't expect the wheels to ever pay for themselves in fuel savings. Just my opinion mind you.

[Ichiro]

Originally Posted by hill

So ... a Prius driver wants low rolling resistance tires. Let's see ... odds are, that means their top concern is high MPG's. Thus, they won't be slamming the hammer, and diving into the corners at an idiot's speed ... or being concerned whether they can pull 2 horizontal G's through the turns. Thus, for that driver's mind set, WHO CARES if your tires aren't glued to the road ... when you aren't going to be running the Indy 500 anyway. Get it? Consider the OP's question.

To the OP, see page 5:

http://greenseal.org/resources/repor...resistance.pdf

Wow, you are a bit too tightly wound ... i suggest more fiber in your diet!

[tumbleweed]

Originally Posted by patsparks

Were the Michelin MXV4 tyres also wider than stock?

No they were the same size but it would be fair to add that I did not try them on my Prius, they were on a Honda Accord. However with the exception of some special techniques, such as pulse-and-glide, what improves mileage on one car will usually work on others as well.

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by tumbleweed

No they were the same size but it would be fair to add that I did not try them on my Prius, they were on a Honda Accord. However with the exception of some special techniques, such as pulse-and-glide, what improves mileage on one car will usually work on others as well.

Pulse and glide works on most cars, I used it when I had the Camry but it is much harder and there are some minor safety concerns. I improved my consumption from 9.0L/100km normal driving to 7.0L/100km pulse and glide then a milder economy driving method was settled on for about 8.0L/100km until I sold it.

[Walker1]

Originally Posted by cary1952

Can we try this again please?

Good luck! I posted on this issue about 4 mos. ago when my '06 was ready for 4 tires @ 30,000 miles. I got NO answers that answered my question just like you are.

I said to heck with it and bought the stock tires again @ Sam's Club. I had no trouble or problems with the stock tires, but I felt 30K miles sucks for longevity. My only concern is MPG as I have no other issues.

It took about 1100 mile to break in the new skins & get back to 54.5 MPG. I am quite satisfied.

[bbald123]

Originally Posted by patsparks

<snip>

I would never put more pressure than the maximum on the sidewall of the tyre. I also believe wheel weight has a very small affect on fuel consumption and Prius wheels are already very light. Buying lighter wheels only for lower fuel consumption wouldn't be money well spent. How ever if you buy them for looks, that is up to you but don't expect the wheels to ever pay for themselves in fuel savings. Just my opinion mind you.

In fact, lighter wheels may be a net negative if you do a large percentage of highway miles. Angular momentum can be good if your speed deltas are small.

[micheal]

Originally Posted by Walker1

Good luck! I posted on this issue about 4 mos. ago when my '06 was ready for 4 tires @ 30,000 miles. I got NO answers that answered my question just like you are.

I said to heck with it and bought the stock tires again @ Sam's Club. I had no trouble or problems with the stock tires, but I felt 30K miles sucks for longevity. My only concern is MPG as I have no other issues.

It took about 1100 mile to break in the new skins & get back to 54.5 MPG. I am quite satisfied.

The OP has gotten several informative posts about possible tires and tips about tires. In the end, tires have a much smaller impact on MPG than driving style and conditions do. I have had Goodyear Comforttreads for a about 2 years, but it's hard to tell how they have/haven't affected mpg, since I modified techniques since then.

[Sheepdog]

my second set of tires likely will be the Mich X radials of some model. highly rated and very good for mpg

[mcmurray]

I am about to get my first replacement set at 97000kms and 2 and a half years (got to be happy with that).

In Australia the original equipment is Michelin Energy XV1 and I have found that they are originally made in Germany whereas the other 'local' Michelin Energy models MXV8 and XM1 come from Thailand or thereabouts and according to my tire dealer do not last as long as the German manufactured tire. The German XV1 is AUD$200 fitted whereas the XM1 is about AUD$140 fitted.

I have also been told that the V-rated tires (XV1 and MXV8) are lighter than the H-rated XM1 and is therefore likely to have the lower rolling-resistance. With the MXV8 at AUD$188 I think I shall go with the XV1 again and see if I can get another 100000kms (65000 miles?).