Low Rolling Resistance replacement tires: Current List

Nope, I have the Michelin ES. I have a set of 195/65R15 ES A/S & a set of ES summer tires in a 205/55R16 size. I got this tank with the 15 size on.

 

I would get the ES. I have a set & I have no issues with them on dry pavement or wet. I live in WA so I see plenty of wet roads. If you encounter snow I would get a set of winter tires as no A/S tire will come close to a winter tire below 45F & in the snow. I have a set of Michelin IceX2 winter tires that I use that were great last winter.

 

I switched out the Oem tires for defenders and saw a drop on my 2012 Prius. I then took those back and got the energy savers. The defenders were stuck at 49 mpg or a little less and I immediately went up to 57 with the energy savers. Got 64 mpg on the last tank and have stayed there for the past 800 miles.

 

Purchased at Costco both times. Rotate every 7,500 miles at Costco which is free service for tire purchase.

Also I keep and have kept all 4 tires at max sidewall pressure which is
44 PSI. This will obtain the best wear and mpg's over the life of the tires from
my personal observations.

 

That's a significant difference! What sort of climate are you driving in and how do you find the traction and handling of the Energy Savers?

 

I think you might have found the perfect solution! Get the ES A/S then buy winter tires when I need them.
How much does a set of winter tires cost? Oh right... I would need an extra set of wheels. Now that could get expensive. Maybe I need to stay with the Primacy!!

 

Well, it all might be a moot point anyway. The Costco I went to doesn't have the Energy Savers and first she told me that if I order them I can get them within 24 hours. But then she checked and said the distributor doesn't have them and it could take 18 weeks to get them - which of course would put me outside of my return period! She checked the other Costcos in the area (not sure how many she checked, because there are a lot) and found one set in Fredericksburg, which is about 70 miles from my house and nowhere near where I work, so I probably won't be able to get there in time to before they got sold if I wanted to.

So now it will probably boil down to whether it's worth swapping the Primacy for the Defender. The people at Costco keep saying that the Defender is better for my car, but I guess that's just because they are the recommended tire. But is the fuel efficiency any better than the Primacy? Is there any reason why the Primacy really is "not right" for my car?

 

Right.

BTW, I haven't been driving my long distance commute the past couple of days - just a few miles pottering around town and to the Metro station. I'm getting 45+, so it's looking better. Maybe they do just need breaking in, as you say. Next week I'll be back to my long commute, so I'll see how they do. I hope they are better than what I got on Monday.

The more I read about the Defenders, the less they seem like a better option.

 

PriusRos , maybe you could get the COSTCO with the E/S save them for you . Could use your credit card over the phone . That's if you dare . Wonder if you could pay for those at local Costco and have them installed at the other when the time permits ?

 

Q

Hmm...that's a thought....thanks.

 

I had the same quandry, Defender or ES and went with the Defender because of the longer tread life. My mpg loss is at 4 after 6k miles. I've read that some get in the 70k mile range with the ES and better mileage than the Defender. I now know which tire I will get next...definitely the ES. I think the greatest safety factor is the nut behind the wheel and I don't drive on the edge like I'm in a NASCAR race.

 

Let us know if you follow through on this . Good luck .

 

I apologize if this question has been answered ad nauseam in one form or another! I have had Michelin HydroEdge tires for the last 70,000 miles and they're at the end of their life. I LOVE them...and they seem to be discontinued. Any advice on something very similar for replacement? I live in a rural area that gets a lot of rain and has poorly graded roads, meaning wet weather handling is very important for me...and I also drive on gravel a fair amount (hence the fact that my current tires aren't going to make the promised 90,000 miles), so I need sturdy long-life tread and decent traction. Then, of course, there's efficiency and the fact that I'm on a bit of a budget. I don't ask for much, I know.

Does the Wonder Tire I describe exist? Has anyone else who used to use (and like) the HydroEdge found something that makes you just as happy--or happier? I've read that the Michelin Primacy is great, but it doesn't seem to come in 185/65/R15. It doesn't sound like the Energy Saver will have the wet handling I need. The parts guy at my dealership doesn't seem to know much about tire comparisons.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

According to Consumer Reports, the Energy Saver A/S rating for wet braking is "very good", which is the same for the Primacy and the Defender. However, it rates only "fair" for ice braking, while the other two both rate "very good." Does the Defender come in your size?

I'm looking for the Wonder Tire too. I think I had put the HydroEdge on my 2006 Prius but I didn't keep the car for long after I put on the new tires so I don't remember much about them. All I remember was they were so much better than the OEMs that came with that car - they were horrible. I don't remember a change in gas mileage, maybe 1 or 2 mpg drop. The OEMs on the 2010 were fairly decent but had started to wear out in less than $40K miles, which is why I replaced them.

 

Well, I called that location and they said that they have them in stock but they are on hold for someone else.

It looks more and more like I'm going to stay with my Primacies. From everything I've read they do seem to be a good tire but I do hope the fuel efficiency improves.