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Replaced Ecopia OEM tires with Continental TrueContact

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by mathlal, Jul 9, 2014.

  1. mathlal

    mathlal Junior Member

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    Hey guys !

    I replaced my 15" OEM Ecopia tires with Continental TrueContact.

    My feeling is that the Continental is superior at every level ... except fuel economy !

    Way more comfortable (rough road up here in Québec), quieter and way better grip !

    I had them on 2 days before leaving for our annual summer trip of 2500 km (1550 miles).

    Last year, I ended up with an average of 5.0 l/100km (47 MPG) with a mix of highway/freeway/villages and this year with the new tires: 5.5 l/100km (42.8 MPG) with a global average speed of 88 km/h (54 MPH) even though I had the cruise control set between 110-120 km/h (68-75 MPH) whenever I could.

    Tires inflated at 3 psi over the recommended pressure.

    Overall, I'm happy !
     
    #1 mathlal, Jul 9, 2014
  2. robertk328

    robertk328 Member

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    Pretty big drop there, maybe other issues contributed to it? Only you can decide if how they feel is worth the difference. Would probably drive me crazy! ;) Enjoy your new tires!
     
    #2 robertk328, Jul 10, 2014
  3. Anthro

    Anthro old member

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    Thanks Mathlal. Please keep us posted on them, especially on whether the mileage stays the same or improves.

    Thanks again!
     
    #3 Anthro, Jul 14, 2014
  4. mathlal

    mathlal Junior Member

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    UPDATE #1

    Coming back from vacation, first tank in normal/city driving for us (aka 85% city driving) I hit the same 5.5 l/100km (42.8 MPG).

    Looking at Fuelly, the average for my last 10 regular/city driving fill-ups give me 5.2 l/100km (45.2 MPG).

    So ± a 2.5 MPG drop.

    Again, just for the better handling in corners and wet weather traction, it's way worth it for me ... enough to order the rear sway bar :eek:)

    ---

    Note that I drive consciously in NORMAL more (I was a POWER mode adept for months but the wife noted that it was a bit to jerky on start-ups (i.e. from red lights), going back to NORMAL mode, I must say she was right.)

    Having said that I drive with traffic, no pulse and glide for me.

    Cheers !
     
    #4 mathlal, Jul 14, 2014
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  5. mathlal

    mathlal Junior Member

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    UPDATE #2

    Went camping last weekend fully loaded, here's what I got:

    - Tire pressure: 4 psi above recommended
    - Speed: Between 90-100 km/h (56-62 MPH)
    - Round trip: 265 km (165 Miles) half highway, half hilly/twisty road
    - Fuel economy: 6.13 l/100km (38.4 MPG)



    [​IMG]
     
    #5 mathlal, Aug 8, 2014
    wjtracy likes this.
  6. mrstop

    mrstop PWR Mode

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    WOW. Fully loaded and then some. 38.4 MPG doesn't sound too bad with all the gear you have hanging off the top and out back.
     
    #6 mrstop, Aug 8, 2014
  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I am probably going to try those too.
    Hard to find but TireRack.com has them.
     
    #7 wjtracy, Aug 8, 2014
  8. cipsaz187

    cipsaz187 Member

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    At what mileage did you replace the tires?
     
    #8 cipsaz187, Aug 8, 2014
  9. mathlal

    mathlal Junior Member

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    Around 53 000 km (33 000 miles) but I do have a winter set.
     
    #9 mathlal, Aug 8, 2014
  10. Dxtreme

    Dxtreme New Member

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    I'm looking forward to buy a set of Continental TrueContact too. My stock Ecopia set is bald on the outer edge after just 32000 miles. I manage to squeeze another 11000 miles out of the set after 2 rotations and left the bald tires at the rear. I hope the TrueContact is good for snow though. Haven't seen any review on snow driving yet.
    Any more update on MPG, mathlal?
     
    #10 Dxtreme, Oct 1, 2014
  11. mathlal

    mathlal Junior Member

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    Dxtreme,

    I live in Quebec so winter tire set is a must, I won't comment on the TruContact in snow.

    My last tank was 5.42 l/100km or 43.4 MPG which is average considering my global average over 60 000 km (37 000 miles) is 5.8 l/100km or 40.6 MPG including 2 winters.

    Note also that I installed a Thule roof rack with 2 bike racks since August.
     
    #11 mathlal, Oct 1, 2014
  12. Dxtreme

    Dxtreme New Member

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    Thank you for the update, mathlal!
    My nearly bald tires yield above 60 MPG for now, so probably I will expect a below 50 MPG for the TrueContact set. Ouch! :cry:
     
    #12 Dxtreme, Oct 1, 2014
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The "Ecopia" tire oft mentioned above is likely Ecopia EP20. This is a stock tire choice by Toyota, for good reasons. They're hard to beat for mpg. Decent rolling too, a little noisy when worn is all.

    Michelin Energy Saver A/S is the only one to get much better I think, and they're often out of stock, and a fair bit pricier.
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Oct 1, 2014
  14. Dxtreme

    Dxtreme New Member

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    Yep, it's the EP20. The sidewall is a little too soft I think. Every time I cornered, I could feel the car squirmed a little bit which is annoying. I read about the TrueContact that has much better handling capacity though, and also cheaper at 300$ for a set of 4! Scored!
    Check the review on tirerack for the TrueContact.
     
    #14 Dxtreme, Oct 1, 2014
  15. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Where will you plan to get the TrueContacts? TireRack.com seems to be the only place I see them offered.
     
    #15 wjtracy, Oct 1, 2014
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