need help with replacement tires

Most here that have mounted the Defenders state the MPG drops and then comes back after several thousand miles. The tread compound is harder than most LRR type tires, but it is still considered a LRR type tire.

If you are looking for the best MPG go with the Michelin Energy Saver A/S or the Bridgestone Ecopia 422

The OEM Goodyear Integrity is not a good tire even though it came standard on the Prius. The wet traction is bad especially once they have some wear on them. They too are LRR type tires.

 

The tire dealer will sell you a set of rubber o-rings as part of a sensor rebuild. That will allow the sensors to continue to work for as long as the batteries last (they should last another 2-3 years). When the batteries quit you will need new units at a cost of $100-$200. Since the batteries are not replaceable.

 

The rebuild is $5 to $10 for each tire not much more than they charge for a valve stem in a non-TPMS tire. The TPMS sensor is there thanks to the US Gov who thinks is will save 5-10 lives each year.

 

F8L posted a list here on PC which is about two years old now. It contains a wealth of information there. It is beginning to be outdated, but is still a valuable resource. Here is the link. Low Rolling Resistance replacement tires: Current List | PriusChat

As stated above, the TPMS system is not a big deal. Chances are you won't have a problem with that. Some folks refuse the rebuild kits. There have been occasions where the sensors got damaged during tire replacement. When that happens, new ones have to be installed and the ID numbers have to be registered to the Prius. Most tire shops can handle that for you. If you have any doubts about the system, discuss that with the place who will be installing the tires for you before any work is done.

It is a good idea to use the stick on weights rather than the old style weights. The old style weights will cause corrosion on the rims over time. Again, most tires shops can help you with that. Discuss that also before you have any work done.

The two tires I recommended are what most are recommending here now for those who are looking for a good LRR type tire that are all season. I have the Michelin Energy Saver A/S mounted on our Prius. I like them a lot and consider them a good investment.

Best of luck to you and I hope this info helps.

 

I am ready to replace the tires on my 2010 Prius, which came with Goodyear Assurance'. My tire dealer strongly recommends the Continental PureContact with EcoPLus. Using the TireRack comparison tool that tire rates much higher in virtually every category including the Goodyear Assurance which rates among the lowest, than any other LLR tire. The dealer points out that with a more "aggressive" tread, mpg will suffer using the Continental. He couldn't say by how much. Can any one estimate or from experience say how much reduction in mpg will occur?

 

kiteness,

There are a few good LRR tires available today that fit the Prius. Without knowing which tire size your Prius uses, it can at times be difficult to recommend a particular tire.

The Conti you mentioned is a LRR type tire. There are other brands available that seem to perform a little better concerning MPG. If you are looking for a "all season" tire I would recommend you consider the Bridgestone Ecopia 422 or the Michelin Energy A/S over the Conti's. The Michelin Energy Saver A/S is not available in all sizes, so if you find you can't get the right size, then I would recommend the Bridgestone's.

Concerning your question about MPG variation. It seems that on a average the normal driver will see anywhere from a three (3) to six (6) MPG difference from non LRR tires versus LRR tires. Remember that your mileage will vary due to your driving habits, terrain, and other factors.

For the record, I mounted a set of the Michelin's that I recommended above on our Prius. Previously the tires that were on the car were the OEM Goodyear Integrity. I noted a dramatic change in ride, traction, handling, and best of all a increase in MPG. I keep a running average on fuelly.com and have set up two fuelly's in my signature to demonstrate the difference in the MPG. The first one is the overall average which did read 48.1 It has risen since I changed the tires. The second one is just the MPG that the Prius is giving since I installed the new Michelin's.

Any LRR tire is better than a non LRR tire. Try to find one you like that is affordable to your budget. I don't think you will be disappointed. Finally, if you haven't looked at the post F8L did that is linked above, take the time to study that link. It will give you a wealth of information concerning tires for the Prius.

Best of luck to you!

 

Thanks!

 

A few months ago I put on "Yokohama AVID Ascend" tires. They are so nice! Amazingly quiet. Previously I had Bridgestone tires from Costco. These tires are noticably quieter. They handle well and have a very long tread warrenty. I highly recommend them. I ordered them from discounttiredirect.com.

 

Read this thread on the defenders. My mileage was killed with them.

Michelin Defenders poor MPG | PriusChat

 

I am looking at the Bridgestone Ecopia EP 422 mentioned in previous posts as replacements on my 2005 Prius but the consumer reviews on various tire sites seen to vary quite widely- some love them, some hate them. Would like to hear from anyone who has put at least 20,000 miles on a set of these tires as to what their experience has been. Would also appreciate any other suggestions -- want 185/65/15, don't want to spend as much money as Michelin Defenders as I don't expect to keep this car for more than another 20,000 miles but I don't want cheap tires either. I want fuel efficient tires but would like to cut the road noise if possible. Need to have decent braking in wet weather as winters are rainy.
H

 

Regarding consumer reviews on TireRack.com, filter on Toyota as a brand, to make it easier to find comments from Prius owners. I believe you will find the Prius owner reviews are generally favorable.

My 2004 has ~44K miles on the Ecopia EP422 tires and I am satisfied with them. The tread depth is now 4/32" so I just ordered another set of four from Costco - since that retailer is offering a $70 price reduction promotion on all Bridgestone tires through tomorrow. Net price incl. installation, AZ sales tax etc. is $385.

At tread depth of 4/32", the tires are 75% worn so if you extrapolate, my current set of EP422 would cover 59K miles when the tread depth is worn to 2/32", the legal limit. However I prefer to change my tires out sooner.

 

I got Michelin Defender's, and just like dorunron said - mileage dropped at first, then after a few thousand miles it came back up again. Was getting 47mpg, now getting 49mpg - I figure that's within the margin of error, but it's either the same or went. **Definitely** better than the original Goodyear Integrity tire, just like dorunron said.

 

Thirded on the +1 for Defender/Defender XT. Didn't really notice a marked difference in MPG from the first 1,000mi to the 2nd 1,000, but if there was it was probably so slight it got swallowed by the margin of error.

Recently replaced GLDYLKS (2005 Prius, Driftwood Pearl, weird package combo (Package #3, but with Fogs and HID) that was "just right" ) (R.I.P.) that had the winter tire/wheel combo on it; impact bent a wheel, so we let them go since they were (technically) older than the Defender XT's on the factory 15's, which were new in March. Now we've got Michelin X-Ice Xi3's on the new-to-us RDRDNHD (2009 Prius (Base), Barcelona Red, Package #1; cute, but simple). So far, MPG is 5-6MPG better than the nearly-worn-out Bridgestone Ecopia EP422's that were on it, and it's almost as good as when the Defenders were on GLDYLKS. We'll find out in April whether the Hybrid battery in GLDYLKS was going bad or not, based on how RDRDNHD does with the Defenders.

 

Recently purchased Kumho Solus KR21s all around for my daughter's Gen II. Although it's not an LRR tire, what sold me was the purported wet traction characteristics, the 85K warranty and the low price. Discount Tire has them for $78 each and had a $100 rebate/discount on 4. The ride and the road noise I'm sure won't compare to the Michelins, but my greatest concern is the wet handling - not the mileage, noise or ride.

 

My Prius has Yoko Avid Envigors, but they aren't even going to last 30k miles. I think this is partly due to my aggressive driving habits, and as such, I am not all too interested in fuel economy as I am performance and grip.

I was just wondering if you guys would recommend the Energy Saver A/S or the Defenders for handling?

 

I don't know about the Energy savers. The Defenders I have on my Prius are an excellent tire for handling.