Tires: ComforTred vs. TripleTred

I'm tyring to decide which tire to get and would like feedback, especially from anyone using the TT. I live in Massachusetts and want a tire that is good on snow, as well as on every other parameter if possible.

The TT is the top rated tire all season car tire on consumerreports.org. But it only comes in 195/60R15 or 195/65R15. The 60 has 863 revolutions per mile (vs 855 for the OEM tire), whereas the 65 has 836 revolutions. 60 wouldn't significantly affect speedometer and odometer performance. So I'd probably go with that.

According to the Goodyeartires.com, the tread width of the CT is 5.7" vs. 6.4" for the TT. Does the .7" wider tire hit the fender? Lower mileage? Improve cornering? Increase road noise? Affect anything else?

Also, I assume the tire is lower and therefore lowers ground clearance of the car somewhat. I coudln't find the tire height, so I'm not sure how much ground clearance is lost. Has anyone using the TT 195/60R15 experienced greater bottoming out? Does anyone know how much ground clearance is lost with the TT?

Thanks

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill P @ May 14 2006, 08:52 AM) [snapback]255132[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Bill,

The CT has a great snow rating, better than the TripleTred. I've done more research since my earlier posting. I'm leaning toward the TT since it's better on dry and wet pavement. Based on all I've seen, it's also better than the Michelin HydroEdge on wet, dry and snow, as well as being quieter.

I was originally concerned that the TT wasn't the same size as the OEM tire. But as I studied the issue I saw that Japan, Europe and Australia use a 195 tire as OEM. Seems like another case of the US getting worse features (the 185 is a cheaper tire). I was concerned that the slightly wider tire would hit the fender. But there's an ocean of room in the front wheel wells. There's no way a 195 would hit. The 195 is .2 inches lower, so it won't noticably affect ground clearance. It's also .4 inches wider (I was mistaken when I said .7 inches above). I think the wider tire will make the car look better as well as make it corner better.

Comments from Prius owners using the TT indicate minimal mileage loss, if any. So after much research, I've decided on the TripleTred.

Frank

 

Thanks David,

Your feedback helps with the TT decision. I definitely want to get rid of the bottom of the line, relatively poor performing OEM Integrity tires.

I'm sure the CT and TT are both excellent tires that would work well on the Prius. Consumer Reports rates the TT as being a little quieter. Tirerack rates the CT as a little quieter. But Tirerack is owners opinions, most of whom probably never compared the CT to the TT. It seems the CR rating is more valid since it's an actual comparison. Overall, CR and Tirerack rate TT as the number one tire.

I like the TT in the 195/60R15 size because 195 is the width used in Japan where they probably maximize performance. It's also the OEM size in Europe where the Prius seems to have better performance features. Other things being equal, the car will perform better with a 195 vs a 185. In the place where the car was designed, they use a 195. That is a good indicator of what tire should be used on the car.

The circumference of the 195/60 is .69 inches shorter (.93%) than the 185/65 (Prius OEM in the US). With 863 revolutions per mile on the 195/60 vs 855 for the 185/65, the speedometer will under-read by less than 1 mph. For every 1,000 miles of travel, the odometer will show an extra 9 miles. The speedometer under read is good since it will help me avoid tickets. The odometer over-read is insignificant to me. These are small prices to pay for a better handling, better looking tire.

Frank

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyprius @ May 14 2006, 01:18 PM) [snapback]255225[/snapback]</div>

Correction: the odomter will under-read by 9 miles for every 1,000 miles traveled (0.9%). It's been a while since I took a math class... )