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Looking for a tire replacement recommendation

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by lbergman, Jul 4, 2009.

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  1. lbergman

    lbergman New Member

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    Hi all,

    I have a 2006 Prius and need to find some decent replacement tires for it. The OEM Goodyear Integritys lasted 64k before I got to the wear indicators (running at the recommended pressure of 35/32PSI), so I was happy with them in that regard, but I'd like something with a bit better traction in winter.

    This last week I replaced them with Bridgestone Insignias, but after driving 300+ miles on them, I'm not happy with them at all. It feels like I'm driving on mush (hard to control) and my gas mileage has dropped 10-15%. :eek:

    So I thought I'd turn to here to see if anyone has any better recommendations.

    What I would like to get are tires:
    1) that get at least as good gas mileage as the Integritys
    2) that have traction at least as good as the Integritys (particularly in winter)

    If I can't find such a tire, I think I'll just go back to the Integritys.

    LLR tires sound interesting, but I've been told that they aren't a good choice in colder weather (32 to -20F). Essentially, they are made with a harder rubber to achieve the lower resistance, so in cold temps they get very hard and don't grip the road very well. So I'm not sure I should go with any of those types.

    Anyone have a recommendation? :confused:
     
    #1 lbergman, Jul 4, 2009
  2. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    Do a search here on PC for tire replacement and you will find numerous recommendations.
     
    #2 firepa63, Jul 4, 2009
  3. northwichita

    northwichita .

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    It feels like I'm driving on mush (hard to control) and my gas mileage has dropped 10-15%. :eek:

    My mileage increased for new tires as the tread wears off. You can't compare used tires to brand new ones with lots of tread.

    .

    What I would like to get are tires:
    1) that get at least as good gas mileage as the Integritys
    2) that have traction at least as good as the Integritys (particularly in winter    )

    I believe the word for this is mutually exclusive; that is improving both.
    I go for safety over mileage, for my mail route driving I'm using the basic all season goodyear's.
    I did a quick web search, to remind myself of the name of the tires I'm using , and am reminded of a third component, technology, which does allow an improvement in both.
    I may be shopping for tires this weekend to take advantage of the rebate Goodyear has. Thanks

    Goodyear Tires | Car And Minivan Tires | Assurance Fuel Max
     
    #3 northwichita, Jul 4, 2009
  4. lbergman

    lbergman New Member

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    Yep, I realize it's hard to improve both aspects, but I did a search on tires and since most people don't like the Integritys, that suggests there must be plenty of better options. Apparently, the Bridgestone Insignias aren't one of them however. :(

    What alarmed me with the Insignias what driving over grooved concrete and my car was going all over the place. The Integritys never did that (even when new). The rubber on the Insignias does feel very soft (which is probably why they are high traction). But I'm unwilling to settle for any drop in gas mileage.

    I was thinking about the BF Goodrich Traction TA's, which are 80,000 mile tires (Insignias are 65k), which suggests they may be harder rubber and have less rolling resistance than the Insignias. Or...it could just mean more tread, which would further reduce gas mileage. The next set I get will have to be the set I live with (I'm allowed one returned set), so I need to make the correct choice this time around. :)

     
    #4 lbergman, Jul 4, 2009
  5. icarus

    icarus Senior Member

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    Nokian wr2's hands down. Great all season,, with a pretty good winter tread,,,. We put a set on ours an then drove 9000 miles across country. We too perhaps a ~1/2 mpg hit,, but they handle way better than the OEM integreties,, they wear like iron.

    Great tire,, recommended elsewhere on PC.

    Icarus

    The newest generation of WRs are an asymetrical tread,,
     
    #5 icarus, Jul 4, 2009
  6. Aaron

    Aaron Member

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    I'm getting a set of these in November:

    Nokian WR G2

    Nokian WR G2
     
    #6 Aaron, Jul 4, 2009
  7. icarus

    icarus Senior Member

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    Why wait?

    Icarus
     
    #7 icarus, Jul 4, 2009
  8. dorf

    dorf Member

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    Why don't you increase the tire pressures a little and see if that makes an improvement??

    Verify the the gage you are using is correct

    My daughter had a similar problem on a domestic car with Goodyear's. More air fixed the problem.
     
    #8 dorf, Jul 5, 2009
  9. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Whatever you do, don't get another set of Integrities.

    In your initial post you sounded satisfied with the Integrities and said that you wanted tires that were at least as good in snow and rolling resistance.

    Generally, the Integrity is viewed by most as a mediocre tire. It's snow traction is actually mediocre, but its rolling resistance is good.

    If you want a tire in the Integrity's price range, with at least equal snow traction as the Integrity but better in most other respects, including rolling resistance, I would consider getting the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.

    If you're willing to go above the Integrity's price range, then for tires with at least equal rolling resistance and that outperform the Integrities in snow traction and all other respects, I would consider getting the Michelin X-Radial (which is a club tire that's only available at clubs like Costco) or one of the Nokian all season tires like the WR or WR G2.
     
    #9 Boo, Jul 5, 2009
  10. lbergman

    lbergman New Member

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    Thanks all for the suggestions! I was seriously considering the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires, but the guy at Tires Plus basically said don't get it. The problem is in a colder climate like I live in, the tires (LLR tires) lose traction, which backs up what someone else told me. In fact, the guy claimed even the tire company representives are saying to steer people in cold climates away from them.

    The Nokians seem to be warranting a serious look here, but I am limited to what Tires Plus can get and LLR tires are unfortunately out for me.
     
    #10 lbergman, Jul 7, 2009
  11. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    This is a side question: why Low Rolling Resistance is shorted to LLR, not LRR?
     
    #11 2009Prius, Jul 7, 2009
  12. The Banks

    The Banks Junior Member

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    I got Michelin Hydro Edge tires from Costco and have so far put a bit over 5,000 miles on them with no visible wear. Not to mention they have a cool looking unidirectional tread pattern. So far they have been a great tire and I would recommend them to anyone.

    Heres a link to the tirerack survey results. Michelin HydroEdge

    And a link to tirerack reviews. Just search by Toyota reviewers. TireRack.com Tire Reviews
     
    #12 The Banks, Jul 7, 2009
  13. PRPrius

    PRPrius Active Member

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    i just put 4 brand new Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS Pole Position on my 05. I did a month's worth of research before going for the RE960 AS Pole Position. What struck me the most was the steering response, the handling improvements were felt immediately. I had the chance to try them in rain and was impressed. I drive my Prius hard, the Goodyear Integrity were bald and my car only had 27000 miles. I like to take corners hard and I put a lot of stress on my tires. The new tires resulted in a noticible decrease in VSC, Traction Control & ABS intervention during my commute. (that tells you how hard I treat my Prius). This tires definetly have a lot more traction!! They are rated as Traction AA and Temp A (very important if you leave in Texas). You cannot go wrong with a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS Pole Position.
     
    #13 PRPrius, Jul 7, 2009
  14. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    It isn't, except by dyslexics and sloppy typists :_>
     
    #14 richard schumacher, Jul 8, 2009
  15. autoxic

    autoxic Commuter

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    I drove at least 65K miles on a set of Michelin Hydro Edges, with a 1-2MPG decrease from the OEM tires. I ran them at 36-42 PSI usually. The grip and hydroplaning resistance seemed much better than the OEM Goodyears. At 140K miles, I bought my second set of Hydro Edge tires for my 2004. They might not be the perfect choice, but they are good on my Prius.
     
    #15 autoxic, Jul 8, 2009
  16. lbergman

    lbergman New Member

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    "This is a side question: why Low Rolling Resistance is shorted to LLR, not LRR?"

    It's called not reviewing one's posts enough before posting... ;)

    One tire I'm seriously looking at now are the Kumho KR21. Anyone try them on a Prius? I've read some rather good reviews on them (vs. a bunch of poor ones for the Bridgestone Insignias), but not from anyone with a Prius.
     
    #16 lbergman, Jul 9, 2009
  17. lbergman

    lbergman New Member

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    OK, got a set of Kumho KR21 put on today to replace the Bridgestone Insignias. I'll let everyone know how they handle after I get some miles on them.
     
    #17 lbergman, Jul 10, 2009
  18. Bob.H

    Bob.H Junior Member

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    Anyone have any experience with the Cooper Tire GFE yet?
     
    #18 Bob.H, Jul 12, 2009
  19. smarano

    smarano Junior Member

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    I just contacted a couple of STS Tire Dealers here in northern NJ about the Nokian WR G2 (one of the few that carry them).
    They said that there is a 'T' series for around $100 and an 'H' series for around $122.

    Which one should I specify?

    Steve in Jersey
     
    #19 smarano, Jul 20, 2009
  20. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    "H" rated tires tend to be stronger than "S" or "T" and run cooler. I always go for "H". Avoid "run-flat" models (Nokian has those as well) as they significantly reduce MPG.

    If the prices quoted include mounting and balancing, they are quite reasonable for these great tires. I paid abut $500 for a set of 4 installed.

    JeffD
     
    #20 jdenenberg, Jul 21, 2009
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