LRR Tire Options - Handling vs MPG

Looking for tires for my 2013 Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon, not an uppercase) Three. Have 96,000 miles on the original Yokohama Blue Earth (205 60 16) which is great...but they are noisy...
I'm wondering if I'll get similar results with the Michelins but with less noise? I'm sure my mileage is because I drive mostly highway. I was also looking at the Pirelli llr tires, any thoughts?

 

Have to purchase 4 tires. What to get in 215 45 17.

Toyota dealership is having a special. They don't carry the favorites like the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 plus.

My options are

Yokohama Avid Envigor (87W- 45k)
Or
Michelin Primacy MXM4 (87V- 55k)

Price difference for a set of 4 us about $185.

Any opinions? Worth to spend the extra money on the Michelins?

 

Yes, you want the MIchelin Premier tires. First tire CU ever tested that didn't have longer stopping distances when it was old due to tread grooves that open up as the tire wears. I bought a set and love 'em! Why I'm confusing them with the Primacy is due to long hours and/or Stone IPA.
From Consumer Reports:

Tests Reveal the Michelin Premier A/S Tire Doesn’t Give Up Grip as it Wears - Consumer Reports News

 

Your link is to the new Premier not the Primacy.
It seems that both Premier and Primacy are very good but the Premier is better if you need to worry about wet conditions and the Primacy is likely better if you live in the desert.
I would get one or the other depending on relative price and the driving conditions I expected.
I would not personally consider Bridgestone or Yokohama (or anything but Michelin).

 

The ONLY reservation I have about the Premier A/S is a likely downtick in mpg, compared to some of the other choices. But a good all-round choice, good braking/traction/longevity.

 

E&Air is correct, I have amended my link to use some text from the review instead. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing you did not read the Consumer Reports review for these tires. The PREMIER replaces the MXV4. The Premier is "their" better choice for wet conditions (other than when it is new) because it is the only tire Consumer Reports ever tested that had the same stopping distance with wear. Wet or dry, older tires will have longer stopping distances - except for the Premier. Other tires increase their stopping distance due to the grooves getting shallower. Primacy has grooves that open up as the tire ages, and are proven effective by independent testing done by Consumer Reports at their eastern Connecticut and Yonkers facilities. I found a careful read of the independent review was very convincing that the Priemier was the very best tire out there, and the price difference was minimal due to Michelin promotional discounts.
-I've corrected my own Premier/Primacy confusion here.

 

You're not meaning to say Premier A/S? Just checking. The Premier has inverse tapered tread grooves, that wider as tread depth reduces, and some treads that only appears as the tread wears.

 

What I find strange is that if you go to the Michelin site, they recommend the Defender, then the A/S, then the Energy Saver (unless you tick some filters). The Defender is the cheapest @ $132 and the longest-lasting @ 90,000 miles. So, what makes the A/S worth $17 more per tire and 30,000 fewer miles? I doubt it gets enough better mileage to make up the difference, so is it comfort and/or safety?

 

What's the full name of "A/S", which tire?

The Energy Saver A/S is good for your ego, I mean even if you don't break even.

 

Costco is only stocking the Defender in my area at the moment and have a good discount at the moment (per tire price is just under $100, which seems really good). Has anyone had a negative experience with Michelin Defenders?

 

Only what I hear, mpg down some.

 

I've had the Michelin Premier A/S
215x45x17 for about 200 miles.

I can't get more than 45 MPG at the moment.

Hoping to raise MPG as I put more miles on the car.

Happy with the purchase. Best tires I've had to date.

 

Premier A/S. The Michelin site only gave the 3 I mentioned.

 

Same here with Costco, that's what made me check the Michelin site. Don't need tires yet, but will before next summer.

 

But compared to what? I have the Goodyear Assurance OEMs right now and I suspect almost anything will be an improvement all the way around. No?

 

Yup. I was comparing to energy saver a/s or ecopia ep20/ep422.

Michelin rates energy saver, premier and defender 10, 9 and 8 respectively for "fuel economy".

 

I had them on my Honda CRV. They were noisy. poor wet traction, and didn't handle that great. I will never buy them again.

 

At least once with Costco, they didn't have the tire I wanted on hand: I just asked them to order, it took about a week at most.

 

I assumed that, but thanks for confirming. I'm still not sure the FE hit is enough to void the savings in price and mileage of the Defender. And from what I gathered, the Energy Saver is a summer tire, not all-weather. Since we travel extensively, I'd want something decent in rain, so that kind of negates the ES. Am I right to assume Premiers are quieter/softer than Defenders? If not, 30,000 miles might be too much to give up.