Which Michelin tire

I cannot comment on the X or A/S tires but I can tell you that I just recently installed the Primacy MXV4 tires on my 2010. This tire is listed with high ratings on fuel efficiency. Consumer Reports has this tire rated as one of the highest fuel efficient tires. I immediately have taken a 4 mpg hit with these tires.

With the weather cooling off my mpg is slowly starting to increase again so it is hard for me to tell how much increase is from weather and how much from the tires breaking in.

I now have about 3500 miles on these tires and was expecting a little more of an increase than what I am seeing.

So, I am not sure what kind of mpg decrease you will see on a non-LRR tire.

 

I put the Michelin X from Costco on the wife's Gen II and agree on the projected 2-3 mpg loss. They also give the car a floating feeling when run at stock pressures. 39/37 psi is much better and they do greatly improve the handling at that pressure. The wife likes the light feeling of the steering with the X's. The tires sidewalls will start to crack after 5 to 6 years (depends if they are in the sun during the day) and will need to be replaced then. So you need to factor that into your evaluation if you don't put more than 10 to 12k a year on the car.

 

Me too. They're a good deal. And rebates that are mail-in, with all that entails, at other places, are deducted at the till, and your sales tax is reduced accordingly. My only issue is the Costco membership hassle.

I wouldn't put too much faith in the tread life warranties: I've had Michelins get down to the wear bar at 50% of the treadware warranty. Took advantage of it: got replacements for 1/2 cost.

 

Tough call. Because tires require a break in period it's is tough to determine what the actual effects on mpg are until after driven for a few thousand miles. My Primacy MXM4 s seemed to have taken a couple thousand to finally break in and my mpg to creap back up even if it's was only a couple mpg.

I think it would be helpful if more people posted a full review of their tire purchase and update it after a few thousand miles. It may help others in the future.

 

I would go with the Energy Savers. I have never heard anyone speak a bad word about these tires. Some have had trouble getting the 185 size how-ever. Hal

 

I have the Michelin Destiny(s) which are America's Tire version of the Michelin X radial. I would say that 2 -3 mpg less than the OEM tires is a pretty good approximation. I run them at 42/40 psi. I think the handling improvement is worth the mpg loss compared to the OEM tires.

 

What style is that tire? Michelin X Radial? and is the other style Exalto

 

Has anyone else tried the Michelin Energy XM2? It appears to be their latest and greatest LRR offering here in Australia. This is one that I'm considering for my next change, but I haven't priced them yet.

MICHELIN Energy XM2 - PassengerCar - www.michelin.com.au

 

Hi uart,

I had xm1s and they were am excellent tyre on my '91 Camry. The XM2s are reported to be a good tyre by friends who have them. I went a little upmarket and bought the Primacy LCs. They are driven hard over high speed freeway and country dirt rds and I am approaching 60,000 kms with probaly 10 -20 left. great in the wet and dry and they are LRR.

PS they cost about $580 at Bob Jane.

 

You can get A/S from Tirerack they have local installers.

yes A/S would give you 2-3MPG comparing to OEMs on Gen3, and it looks they will go at least 60K (OEM Avids went ~45K before they wore to indicators).

One thing to consider is how much you drive? long lasting tires are great, but if you don't drive much 5yo tire isn't gonna grip, even if you have 50% left.

 

I'm still looking for an alternative to the OE Integrity that gives the same rolling resistance
(mpg) without sacrificing treadwear and all-season handling.

I've read a lot of negative things about the Integrity, but my only gripe with them after a few years on a set is you can't rotate them because they get noisy from the camber change. And tire noise is pronounced on a quiet car like the Prius.A couple of weeks ago, I unrotated my tires back to the original (after about a thousand miles), and the car rides quiet and smooth again. My advice is to NOT rotate tires on a Prius. Just wear 'em out and replace 'em.

For moderate climates and driving in non-snow conditions, I think the Integrity offers the best value--at least for my Prius II. Quiet, wears well, good mpg, low price. Stick with the OE tires, in my view, unless you have special needs (driving in lots of snow, for example). Toyota picked those tires for a good reason. They must be ideal for the Prius--especially mileage.

If you want tires with a better grip, be prepared to sacrifice gas mileage. It's a tradeoff.

 

PriusSport
I like the Integrity tires as well but if you want a really good tire try the GoodYear Assurance Fuel Max. Pump to 51 lbs., good tread life, roll like crazy, And do well in snow and ice and are very quiet on pavement. Hal

 

I didn't realize you were talking about the Energy Saver A/S. If you can get it then go for it. it's one of the best tires you can buy for the Prius. Unfortunately most places are out of stock and have been for some time.

Short of buying the A/S I would probably get the Hydroedge. Great fuel economy and super long tread life.

 

Hey $580 ($145 per tire) is pretty reasonable for Australian prices!

I got a quote about two months back for about $135 for the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100's. If I can get the XM2's for around $145 I'd definitely give them a try.

 

That may be because they haven't been available for all that long. However, I HAVE spoken a BAD WORD about Energy A/S (see post 3), where I said:

My previous tires were Primacy MXV4 and they were pretty good - but done in by a nail in the shoulder on one tire, forcing replacement.

 

I installed the Energy Saver and they are terrific. Low noise, low rolling friction, great ride. I bought them locally, but they had to order them and there were very few available throughout the US. (not sure if that was just within the company or available anywhere). The only caution is they are not said to be great in snow.

 

Wait till you get 30K miles or so on them - then not so quiet!