Tire Upgrade

[longbow]

Thanks Boo! I just put my 3rd set of TripleTreds on the '08. I have 85,000 miles on it since 2/14/08. While the tires seem to last for only half of the advertised tred life, they are a great tire for wet and snow. Since I travel 1000 miles a week throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I need that capability.

So far I have only 1 missed one day due to weather. 12 inches of heavy wet snow put everyone in the garage for the day. I was one of the few cars on the road for a 14 inch snowfall in Green Bay last winter.

The 40k per set is not what I would like, but for me I require the traction for work. I'll take that trade-off any time.

Originally Posted by Boo

Consumer Reports has conducted new tire tests, and the results are published in its November 2009 issue.

The types of tires tested were:

- All-Season (S & T speed ratings)

- Performance All-Season (H speed rating)

- Performance All-Season (V speed rating)

- Winter

Scans of the Ratings charts are attached below in a Word file because my computer skills are too limited to insert the charts directly and more clearly into this post (so, zoom in or blow up the view if and as necessary):

Attached Files: Consumer_Reports_Nov._2009_Tire_Tests-1.doc

[BaSYNji]

I just put 195/60's on my 2007 Prius (Toyo Torevo LS Tourevo LS Premium Touring Radial | Exclusively From Les Schwab Tire Centers). They really do grip the road much better than the oem tires. And these tires are much more quiet than the prior ones too. Great investment in the car!

[The Critic]

Just installed a set of Cooper CS4 Tourings (T-Rated) in the 185/65-15 size.

No change in fuel economy so far, but if anything, it's a little better. I am running 40/38 inflation pressures. The price was $350 out-the-door after rebate including a complete rebuild of all four TPMS valve sensors.

[jfogal]

Hi Three60guy. I see you purchased Comfortred's for you 2006 Prius. I am considering getting Comfortreds for my 2007 Prius and was wondering how they worked out for you. What size did you get and would you guy them again.

[chinna]

I got Hankook Optimo H727 195/60 R15 installed on my Prius based on CR recent testing(Check the link below with comparisons). This is one best tire covering all categories Including the Goodyear TT, and Michelin HydroEdge. HydroEdge are little better in Tread life but worse in snow and ice braking as well as ride and noise.

These are available at Tire Factory and Sears. So far I really like these, very comfy, and quiet.

Check out this thread about details.
Michalin Primacy vs Hankook Optimo tires

[KCobby]

Originally Posted by The Critic

Just installed a set of Cooper CS4 Tourings (T-Rated) in the 185/65-15 size.

No change in fuel economy so far, but if anything, it's a little better. I am running 40/38 inflation pressures. The price was $350 out-the-door after rebate including a complete rebuild of all four TPMS valve sensors.

Got the same CS-4 Tourings (and same size) as the local garage was offering a good deal and rebate on them. Sounds like you got the same deal. Plus, I think they're supposed to be good for 80,000 miles. We'll see!

I'm at just over 3,000 miles with them (42/40 psi) and they've been a pleasant surprise. I was reluctant since I hadn't seen much of a review on them here. But they handled some terrible rain over a few hundred miles in PA without any handling issues at all. They routinely travel the awful NYC roadways without issue and the road noise is relatively low. Hard to compare unless you swap out and run over the same stretch of road, but I'm happy with these for now. The mileage right off the bat was good and I'm consistently getting in the high 40's or low 50's.

FWIW...

[syncmaster]

I have a 2006 prius with 82k miles.
I dumped the OEM tires after the first 15k miles because they were reaaly bad on traction.
I got triple tread and they were alot better with traction but pretty exspensive.
I just bought general tire ultimax HP, they cost $72.00 installed.
They are just as good as triple tread.
if you are looking for good traction tires for the prius give these a try.
here is the link to the ratings:
General Altimax HP

[nyprius]

I started this post after doing extensive research on how to best upgrade the Prius OEM tire. As you can see, I chose the 195/60 TT's. They are great tires. But after about 50,000 miles, they had become noisy and the tread was down to the wear bars.

I wanted to replace them with a quieter, non-directional, symmetrical tire. This way I could rotate them to the other side of the car if necessary.

I had great luck with Toyo tires in the past. As a result, I installed Toyo Extensa 205/60/R15. The TT's cornered better on dry pavement. But the Extensas are much quieter and the ride is much smoother. With the TT's is seemed that I felt every bump in the road. The Extensa's go over most things with little sound or jarring. The side tread blocks vary in size so that harmonics don't build up and cause noise, especially on the freeway. The noise level between these and the TT's is like day and night.

They also handle well on dry and wet pavement. I think they'll do as well as the TT's or better in snow.

The 205/60 is about .3 inches taller than the 185/65. That means it will extend about .15 inches more into the wheel well, which is not an issue. As discussed, the Prius is designed for a 195 tire. So the true OEM size is 195 width. The 205/60 is .4 inches wider than the 195/60. That means it extends into the wheel well an additional .2 inches, which also is not a problem.

Many other Prius owners put 205/60 on. No one has reported wheel rubbing. After driving on the tires for 1,000 miles the mileage is about 2 mpg lower than with the OEM tires. That might improve as the tires break in more. The 205/60 Extensa's handle much better than the OEM Integrities. They also provide a very comfortable, quiet ride.

I don't mind losing 2 mpg to get these benefits. In my experience mileage is much more affected by driving style than tire type. When I set the cruise control on 65 mph, I get 47 mpg or better. When I set it on 75 mph, I get about 42 mpg.

[XTOY]

I put the 195/60 TT’s on a week ago. On dry pavement, the car sticks to the road like glue. The car seemed to be as stable in sharp turns as when going straight.

THANKS for the informative analysis.

I own a 2008 PRIUS w/40,230 miles (Napa, CA). After my 40M checkup I was informed that I needed new tires. I was hoping to stretch out an additional 5M miles, but with winter coming on and rainy season I decided to purchase new ones. The AMERICA Tires Rep confirmed your research indicating that the 195/60R15 tire size was optimum for the PRIUS. He quoted me a price on the Michelin 195/60R15 at $114@ or $627.24 for a set of 4 including the Road Hazard Certificate.

I then went to COSTCO and asked their tire dept. rep for a price comparison. He then informed me that Michelin —within the last three months— has just designed a special tire for the PRIUS. It is a 185/65R15 86T ENERGY SAVER A/S tire at $121.99@. [MODEL No.: 31703] However, until Oct. 25, 2009 COSTCOs on the West Coast are have a special $70 OFF on any set of 4 Michelin & Goodyear tires. So I went ahead and purchased these for a total of $526.00.

According to the Michelin website: The ENERGY SAVER tire is supposed to be:

• Up 8% more fuel-efficient than standard tires to save you money.
• Stops up to 8 feed shorter for added safety.
• Reduces C02 emissions as much as planting 40 trees [I don't know how they figured this fact???

~Josh

[MLT2004]

Just to add to the thread, just put on the Falken ZE-912 195/60HR15. Have a 2008 and always wondered why my wet traction was bad until I found this thread. Factory had 32,000 and actually, far from worn out. Can't tell you about mpg yet, but in the short drive home, oh my, quieter, better handling, more comfortable ride. Not sure where they set the air pressure yet, anyone have a recommendation? Won't have to worry about snow here in Tampa, FL.

I'll report back later. Oh, yea, Tires Plus has a special. Buy 3, get 4.