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Low Rolling Resistance Tires for c

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by F8L, Mar 9, 2012.

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  1. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I added the Prius c tires to the current LRR tire thread. Unfortunately there are not many models available for the 15" (175/65/15) tire and none available for the 16" (195/50/16) tire. :( The good news is you have 3 quality 15" tires to choose from and one whose LRR characteristics are questionable. For snowy regions the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 is available and in other sizes it is considered LRR. The Nokian WRG2 is also available in the 15" size.

    The lack of LRR 195/50/16 tires is rather problematic for Prius c owners who opt for the upsized 16" wheels when it comes time for replacements. It looks like you may be stuck with the OEM offerings until someone comes out with a good LRR tire in your size. This also could mean you will lose mpg should you decide to go with a non-LRR tire which is what happens to other Prius models.

    I'll keep the list updated as new tires become available.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...esistance-replacement-tires-current-list.html
     
    #1 F8L, Mar 9, 2012
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  2. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    One can always go up in size to 185/65/15, used in some corolla trims.

    The R16 wheel is a poor choice due to turning radius penalty.
     
    #2 Former Member 68813, Mar 10, 2012
  3. Kawiski

    Kawiski New Member

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    I don't have a hybrid yet but thinking about buying a C.
    Is LRR tire more expensive than other (normal) tires with same/similar given size?

    How about the tire life?
     
    #3 Kawiski, Mar 16, 2012
  4. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Compared to other quality tires no. There was a time they were much more expensive and there were a lot of compromises in traction and or longevity. Now there is a large number of high quality LRR tires that perform very well, offer 80,000 mile warranties, and are not very expensive. The Prius come equipped with LRR tires as do most new fuel efficient cars. Replacing the OE tires with non-LRR tires has resulted in a loss of up to 6mpg for some members although 2-4mpg losses are more common.

    See my LRR tire list for more detailed information.
     
    #4 F8L, Mar 16, 2012
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  5. Zagorfly

    Zagorfly New Member

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    I got advised to put 4 Toyo p 195/55r-16 86v versado eco all season bw. Us$690
    50.000 miles.
    Any better advice out there? Thanks
     
    #5 Zagorfly, Mar 19, 2012
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Yeah, get the correct sized tires for your GenII. Unless you just purchased a c and that is why you are posting I this forum. :)

    EDIT - it cut off the rest of my reply

    We don't have any reliable tests or reports on the Versado so I am going to refrain from commenting on them until we do. Either way,if you do have a Prius c I would stick with the OEM size 195/50/16.
     
    #6 F8L, Mar 19, 2012
  7. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    I am picking up my Prius C III tomorrow....I did notice that my C is coming with Bridgestone Turanza EL400 tires....Are these tires low rolling resistance tires...? I had the same tire as OEM on my Infiniti G35 some years back....and they were pretty bad...any insight?

    Thanks,

    -M
     
    #7 managerman, Mar 20, 2012
  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    TireRack.com does not rate them as such. That is part of the point of my post. There are very few LRR tires available for the 16" wheels. :( They don't rate very high either.
     
    #8 F8L, Mar 20, 2012
  9. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    I have the 15" Alloy's....so a few more choices, but you would think toyota would put actual LRR tires on this vehicle...
     
    #9 managerman, Mar 20, 2012
  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    They may have. Toyota, like most other manufactures, have tires built specifically for them so even though there is an aftermarket version of the tire the OE version may have different characteristics. In this case they may have changed the tire enough that it would classify as LRR. It's hard to say.
     
    #10 F8L, Mar 20, 2012
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  11. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Good point....I guess I will just have to trust Toyota for now...

    -M
     
    #11 managerman, Mar 20, 2012
  12. kkim

    kkim Active Member

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    don't the 15" alloy wheels use the same tires as the 15" steel wheels? Why would the alloys allow you more choices?

    when it comes time to replace my tires, if I'm looking for the stock sized tires, I'll be getting these through costco.

    Bridgestone Ecopia EP422

    Bridgestone Ecopia EP422
     
    #12 kkim, Mar 20, 2012
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  13. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Correct 15" alloy is same as 15" steel....I was just referring to the fact that there are more choices for 15" vs 16"...

    -M
     
    #13 managerman, Mar 20, 2012
  14. kkim

    kkim Active Member

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    Sorry, my misunderstanding. :)
     
    #14 kkim, Mar 20, 2012
  15. ngc4565

    ngc4565 Member

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    Excellent observation- thanks for sharing. Hopefully this situation will change before most of the "c" models require new tires.
     
    #15 ngc4565, Mar 20, 2012
  16. menifee c

    menifee c New Member

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    Not sure if this would be the correct place to post this bit of info concerning LRR tires: they are not all created equal. I've put 65k miles on my '12 cII, and am on my third set of tires. OE lasted 45k miles, and got me around 53mpg. When I replaced them, I opted for Yokohama's Avid Ascend, mainly for the 80k mile warranty. I replaced these after a week when I was averaging about 43mpg, going with the stock Ecopia. Those only managed 20k miles, with a 40k mile warranty returning the same 52-53mpg. I have just installed the Goodyear Fuelmax Assurance, and am watching the returns on fuel. If anyone has any other experiences with good tires, please let me know. I'm also considering the Michelins if the Goodyearsdon't have good mileage returns.
     
    #16 menifee c, Nov 18, 2013
  17. kdoug

    kdoug New Member

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    get a tdi golf. you can get way more tire choices and urban city torque. my gti tires last about 30k, hella sticky on 18's
     
    #17 kdoug, Nov 19, 2013
  18. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Seems a bit of an odd situation that manufacturers aren't yet selling LLR tires in the 195/50 16 size, considering that there's a growing population of Prius c's. Any car that would use this size tire would benefit from LLR technology, not just the c.

    Would be great to find out what c owners are buying when they do replace tires, and what kind of mpg they are recording.

    The 195/55 16 specs (using TireRack's General G-MAX AS-03 specs as an example) check out at only 0.3" larger diameter and with a slightly narrower width. That size tire would lift the car only 0.15" higher off the ground and not change the odometer/speedometer too much. Even the 205/50 16 is a pretty close spec match, with a 0.4" larger diameter and nearly identical width figure. Of course, tire sizes vary a bit from one manufacturer to another, even though they might be identically marked. Always a good idea to check individual tire specs.

    TireRack shows only 10 tires in 195/50 16 size (not counting the 3 track tires that pop up and none LLR), but then when you look at 205/50 16 tires there are 44 tire choices and 54 in the 195/55 16 size. Out of those, only 4 tires are LLR in 205/50 and one of them is the Michelin X-Ice Xi3. The price for that snow tire is $145 each (!!!), without shipping, and not including the 70 dollar rebate offer on a set of 4. In the 195/55 group, 13 LLR tires show up.
     
    #18 B. Roberts, Nov 19, 2013
  19. fourenty

    fourenty Junior Member

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    Hella good for you kdoug. I'm happy for you and your golf with sticky 18's. This is a Prius C forum.
     
    #19 fourenty, Nov 20, 2013
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  20. mahout

    mahout Active Member

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    Its not the alloys, its the 15" size.
    A good choice for replacement tires depends on weight and tire pressure. The best choice we have seen is 185/65x15 tires from sumitomo. low weight 18 lb, good performance in tire rack tests, and OEM diameter. Most other choices are 3-4 lb heavier and less diameter so while they rack up supposedly more miles per refill, when you correct for the revs/mile from tirerack datra you find no improvement at best and often penalty mpg's. About the only 16" choice is 195/55x16 replacements; but while they offer significant cornering improvement the sticky tread and higher weight cost some mpg's.
    As for LRR tires be aware that their tread is a bit less tractive and if you get caught needing cornering traction you may pay the penalty. All the Prius here have opted away from LRR tires but then we are a performance oriented shop so maybe thats expected. We have a test track those LRR tires show their difference in lap times.
     
    #20 mahout, Dec 17, 2013
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