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Tires, Tires, Tires

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by GumDoc, Jun 12, 2013.

  1. GumDoc

    GumDoc New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2013
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hi All: I have a 2012 Prius Four with a sunroof. Can I say, I am loving it. I just replaced my OEM Yokohama tires with Michelin Defenders. I had a hard time deciding which to get. Got them at Sam's - Michelin having a good deal all over the place the price was $487 out the door. I had a hard time because Costco pushed Bridgestone Ecopia but it had a weaker snow rating and since I put on 20,000 miles per year they finally recommended Defenders. Michelin Energy Saver A/S was hard to find and had a weaker snow rating. I am loving the ride with Defenders only 20 miles on them so far and my MPG from the onboard computer dropped a lot. I was averaging 45 and now am at 33. To say the least I am p)55ed so far over mileage because the ride and noise is way better than the Yokos and I am hoping not to take advantage of the 30 day guarantee. Not sure if I made the right move. Lots of posts on here about lost mpg when new, and when defenders are put on. I was getting 65mpg hwy on my once a week commute to my satellite in summer going 55mpg. I loved laughing at all the people passing me getting 12mpg LOL. I have made the roundtrip on less than 2 gal of gas. With the wind at my back I sometimes got 70mpg. I am worried I will be disappointed when I make the commute tomorrow and will keep you posted. I bought the Defenders because Consumer Report rated them LRR high and winter traction high since I live in Central IL. Costco is too far away for refilling with nitrogen and road hazard coverage. FYI, in 13months of ownership I put 21,000+ miles on first set of tires and it was time to replace them by the penny test and the official meter at the tire dealer.
     
    #1 GumDoc, Jun 12, 2013
  2. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    South Carolina
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    Other Non-Hybrid
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    It's been documented many times here on PC about the Defender's lack of ability to achieve high mpg's vs better LRR tires out there. I think the Bridgestone EP422's would have been a good choice for you, and you would not have suffered any drop in mpg's. You would have had a better ride than the standard Yoko's but not as good as the Defenders.
     
    #2 jhinsc, Jun 12, 2013
  3. hubmacfan

    hubmacfan Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2013
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    Location:
    Hattiesburg, Mississippi
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hope you didn't pay extra for nitrogen. You get it in regular air for free.
     
    #3 hubmacfan, Jun 12, 2013
  4. alfon

    alfon Senior Member

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    Location:
    seaside, oregon
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I am on my second set of Michelin Energy Saver AS tires, 195x65x15. They are, in my opinion and by over 85,000 miles of use, the best mpg tire you can buy, at least here in the U.S. My first set I obtained nearly 70,000 miles and perfect wear on all 4 tires with all four inflated to max sidewall pressure of 44 PSI..
     
    #4 alfon, Jun 13, 2013
  5. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Rockville, MD
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four

    I bought Michelin Energy Savers recently, after returning the Michelin Primacy tires that I had first bought. The ES are really giving me great mpg. But they were really hard to find ... I located one set at a Costco 70 miles from me - the first time I called they said they were reserved for another customer. I had almost given up but decided to call again before my 30-day return period ran out and they said they were available. Costco kept trying to sell me the Defenders, but I had heard that they were not great on fuel economy. The only reason I returned the Primacies was the big drop in mpg, but I believe they are a better tire than the Defenders.

    The only thing I'm concerned about is that they don't have a good snow rating so I will probably have to put on winter tires. They are great in the rain though. Good traction, no slipping or hydroplaning.
     
    #5 PriusRos, Jun 17, 2013
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