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recommended tires for 2012 Prius v

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dk_brookdale, Sep 6, 2018.

  1. dk_brookdale

    dk_brookdale Junior Member

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    I have a 2012 Prius v with tires (17" 215/50-17) that need replacement. I could use recommendations from those of you who are happy with recent tires on your Prius. I'm looking for all season high mileage tires for use in my area where it does not snow but where we get lots of winter rains.

    Also, have any of you used tirerack.com and can recommend them? Thanks
     
  2. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    We recently chose Continental Pure Contact LRR tires to replace the OEM Toyo A20s on our 2012 v Five, and I recommend them.
     
  3. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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  4. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    I've used TireRack several times. I've had good results; they also promptly corrected a delivery when their online tire/wheel tool delivered the wrong wheel (offset didn't clear the brake caliper) for my car.
     
  5. Ivan White

    Ivan White Junior Member

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    I've replaced the original 17" Toyo A20's twice now with Michelin Premier A/S. They are very quiet and very good in wet weather. Check out their ratings and user survey at Tire Rack.
     
  6. Offline

    Offline Active Member

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    The Michelin Premier A/S tires seem like a good bet. We have them on our Sienna van. They are quite nice - especially in the torrential rains we've been driving in lately. They start out with only 8/32" of tread which means they aren't going to last very long on our 4,600 pound Sienna which is very hard on tires. They should last far longer on a Prius.

    I've given up on LRR tires due to their poorer ride, handling and braking. The Toyo tires that came on our v/Five were awful - made the car ride like a lumber wagon. I'm not necessarily recommending the Goodrich tires we bought but they transformed our v/Five into a much more comfortable riding, better handling and braking car: BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S tires transform ride quality | PriusChat Our Prius v is my wife's car. Since she doesn't drive much, tires on her cars are usually replaced due to age instead of due to wearing out. The original Toyo tires were replaced due to damage.

    I'm not much a fan of Tire Rack anymore although I like reading their tire reviews. I bought many sets of tires and two sets of wheels from Tire Rack them starting in the days long before the Internet when their primary outlet was through car enthusiast magazines. They've steered me wrong too many times.

    These days, I buy tires only from Costco. Every time I check, Costco is always substantially less expensive than Tire Rack when all costs are considered including that no-cost balancing and rotation are included as often as needed.
     
    Merkey likes this.
  7. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Just an FYI, you can take any valid price, including Costco or Sam’s Club, to America’s Tire, aka Discount Tire depending on state, and they will price match out the door. They even price match Tire Rack but split the shipping.

    http://www.tires.com

    Around here there are several shops with very similar names, but not the best deals like them....
     
  8. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Probably the last 10 sets of tires I've bought have been Michelin. From min-van to sports car to sedan to wagon. Both my cars have them now and I replaced the previous Michelins on both only due to age (6 years plus since they sit in a garage most of the time).
     
  9. nate358

    nate358 Junior Member

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    I went to Costco today to buy new tires for my 2012 Prius v Five. I have been waiting for Michelin tires to go on sale wanting to get Defenders. They said they could not and would not put them on my car! They said the Defender only comes in 215/50R17/XL 95H and the car requires a W speed rating! WTH this is a Prius not a Corvette! They said I could get the Potenza RE980 AS (I have never heard of this brand) or the G-Force Comp-2 A/S. What tires are people putting on this car from Costco? I live in Ohio with all seasons. I don't care to much about mpg but would rather have max tread life.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  10. nate358

    nate358 Junior Member

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    And what really blows my mind is this sticker on the driver's side door which makes me question the Speed rating even more! IMG_20180910_001224__01.jpeg IMG_20180910_001238__01.jpeg

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  11. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    nate358, speed rating and load capacity are two separate issues. I do feel Toyota either didn’t set the pressures high enough or should have specified XL tires... Costco policy is from the company itself, not the workers I’m afraid. Potenza is not a brand, it is a Bridgestone line.
     
  12. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    We use Continental Pure Contact load range 98 XL tires and find the ride to be improved over the OEM Toyo A20s. No MPG hit, even when new.
     
  13. Offline

    Offline Active Member

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    Costco used to have no problem selling me H-rated tires for cars that came with V-rated tires as long as I signed a release. I don't know when they tightened their policy - sometime since 2012. I bought the G-Force Comp-2 A/S from Costco when my wife damaged one of the OEM Toyo on a curb. My wife was about to depart on a trip and the Comp-2's were the only tires they could get quickly. They've been fine and are infinitely more pleasant that the OEM Toyo.

    I inquired a few weeks ago ago at Costco about getting Michelin Defenders to replace the Michelin Premier on our Sienna when they wear out and got a similar answer. Even though the Sienna is speed limited to 118 mph, it came with V-rated tires and Costco won't sell anything with a lower speed rating for 3-season use. Oddly, Costco has no problem selling us winter tires with lower speed ratings for these same vehicles.
     
  14. dk_brookdale

    dk_brookdale Junior Member

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    I still have not bought the new set of tires. I get different recommendations from every tire retailer I talk to. Most suggest that I get tires that might improve miles per gallon when driving. That would normally be a good suggestion for most Prius drivers. However for me the driving conditions are different. I think typically Prius's are driven on flat straight highway/city roads that are in good condition. My situation is different and I might need different tires. I live in an area with hilly curvy roads that are not in good condition. My current and previous tires and shown excessive edge wear. So, I wondering whether those of you who live in mountainous area has make any tire recommendations.
     
  15. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    What pressures are you running. Comfort settings allow the tire to roll over and edge wear to occur. Experiment with settings up to about 42/40 and see if that helps both your handling and your wear. It will help your MPG.
     
    Robert Holt likes this.
  16. NoOrdinaryRabbit

    NoOrdinaryRabbit Junior Member

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    I've had the Pure Contacts for about 12K miles and have been very happy with them. Ride, handling, wet traction, and fuel economy have all been good. Fairly quiet, too.
     
    Air_Boss likes this.
  17. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    If you live near an America’s Tire you can always try a set. The higher speed ratings have better performance. Since they have increased silica content they are usually excellent for rain as well. Look for higher treadwear rating for longer lasting tread if that is important to you. My parents’ v with the original tires looks like it will need tires very soon. We have very little rain here, but I am looking at all season with W speed ratings, but size 225/50R17. Currently only $47 per tire.....
     
  18. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Our experience, as well.
     
  19. dk_brookdale

    dk_brookdale Junior Member

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    The tire service guy recommended 35psi and that is what I ran with. I will try increasing that.
     
  20. testyoldguy

    testyoldguy Junior Member

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    My wife was really uncomfortable with her 2008 Gen II in wet weather. We've done business with a local Goodyear dealer for the 14 years we've been here, and I saw a recommendation elsewhere on PriusChat for the Goodyear Assurance. We got a set of those tires in the all weather version before the snow set in, and she has told a number of people that she never knew she could fall in love with a set of tires before. The bad news is that extra stickiness cost us about five miles per gallon. I'd do it again anyway just to keep my wife safe, but tires do affect mileage. I run the tires at 45 psi front/ 43 rear. Michelins are also excellent tires; one question is, do you have a local dealer with whom you have a relationship?