Energy Saver A/S 68T impressions

Alrighty. I just ordered a set of Energy Saver A/S 68T. They should arrive Friday or Saturday. I'll be posting my impression and improvements over the Pirelli P4.

Here are some lumps of salt that should go with this thread:
1) I don't hypermile.
2) I'm a pretty aggressive driver. Other cars are '91 Lotus Elan and '05 Lotus Elise. My '08 Prius (IV) replaced a lost '99 BMW E39 wagon 5spd. You get the picture.

My impressions of the P4. LOUD. For a tire which handles not so well, it's awfully loud. I've never made the tires howl because the body roll of the Prius stops me from getting that far. . .or maybe the road noise is just louder than the howling.
Last year, I drove the Prius 37k miles. Best calculated tank was 49 (my attempt at hypermiling) and the worst was 39.5 (5F-45F) NM/Colorado winter on holiday. Average is 43. I have tire pressures at 46/42 cold. And since I live in Houston, TX, the a/c is on (usually LO) 80% of the year. I generally check the tire pressures every 3-4 tanks. I'm getting approximately 440mi/tank.

What I think I can expect from the ES A/S? I think fuel economy will go up. I think the road noise will improve dramatically (how could it get any worse?!). Road holding and comfort will probably go up as well.

As for cost, Discount price matched Costco at $572 walk-out. They claim their warranty is the same as Costco's road hazard, so I didn't get the "certificates."

 

From everyone's experience here (F8L's input especially), I think I made the right choice. Frankly, I couldn't wait to ditch the P4. After I get the tires, I'll get an alignment. I had real bad wear on the driver's front. Not sure if this is because of a crummy tire or if it's a bad alignment. In either case, an alignment will put everything back at reset.

 

Got the tires. Drove them fo rabout 40mi before I got an alignment done. Have driven them less than 50mi. My impressions thus far.

ES A/S compared to the P4:
- Noticeably quieter usually.
-What tire noise there was is a much higher pitch.
-On some surfaces, it's actually significantly louder
-Much more compliant over potholes. Yes, I drove through a shallow one and did not feel the jarring that was so prevalent in the P4.
-FE improved immediately. The computer was telling me I was doing high 40s almost immediately. I haven't driven enough to be definitive, but I expect a mpg bump, even with my lead foot.
-Grippier than the P4. The P4 wasn't exactly a star, but the ES A/S is a little bit better.

Overall, I think the ES A/S is a more compliant tire. The better grip is probably from the improved rubber compound. . .introduced in 2006, the P4s are dinosaurs.

 

First tank came out to 50.1mpg. That's a 6.8mpg bump. Because it's getting cooler in Houston, the a/c's been off a lot of the time. That may have something to do with it as well. After a few tanks, we'll have a better idea.

Tires are still running very well. I'm noticing how much quieter than the P4s these tires are. Wet traction is pretty good as well thought I didn't try to push it. Overall, I'm still happy with the purchase. I'll update mostly MPG as the mileage goes along.

 

When I first got her, I noticed the tires were noisy. At first, I thought it was all car. Then a friend reminded me they were Pirellis, not exactly known for quietness. Listening more carefully, I noticed the noise was largely tire hum. That was 37k miles ago. So, I'm reasonably certain it's the tire. And as I understand, every few years, tire compounds change, usually an improvement. I'm not real surprised the Michelins are quieter (Michelins are known to be quiet tires, giving a little in grip for greater comfort).

As for mpg, I'm going to sit on a few tanks before I make a final judgment. Not-summer is here which means the mpg eating a/c is not on all the time. Come summer (April), we'll see how the mpg is when the air is on all the time.

Meanwhile, I'll still post up mpg as it progresses. So far, I'm very happy with the tires.

Dorunron, do not know if you're a gearhead or not, but every first Saturday morning, there is Cars and Coffee in NW Houston. It's a great place to see some cool metal (the really cool stuff is plastic and c/f). If you're up for it, I'll pick you up in the Elise, and we can hump it up there.

 

With temp change and the heat almost always on as well as the compressor, 39.2mpg. Did not get a chance to reinflate the tires. 42.5/41psi hot in 64deg ambient.

 

46.249mpg. A/C was always on in automatic mode with recirc, not fresh air. Also, air was sometimes below 40psi due to temp changes. Good if not impressive.

On second thought, perhaps there's more to this mpg discrepancy. When I added air to the tires, I was in the 30s in the last tank. On this tank, I was in the mid to high 40s because the temp increased 30 degrees for most of the tank. I think that temp range had a lot to do with the 6.5mpg difference.

 

40.841mpg. Ambient temps have been low, in the high 30s to low 50s. Yes, I know, low temp is relative.

I'm comfortable concluding that heat generation chews up mpg more than a/c.

 

49.2 Some a/c. Ambient temps between 28F-76F.

 

55.37 with a/c and heat rarely on. Best tank yet. Ambient temps 36F - 75F. Typically driven with air on, but no a/c and sometimes some moderate heat.

 

I cut the insulation pipes a year ago for my trip to CO. I'm sure they made a big difference since the temp was rarely above freezing in the mountains!

 

37.2 mpg. Worst tank yet. Best tank followed by worst tank. Little difference in temp and driving. Stupid accordion bladder!

Most recent tank was 45.12 mpg. That sounds about right.

 

46.18. Some a/c. Some heat. Tires at 42/38 at 40F.