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Mileage drop with new tires

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by High Mileage, Oct 25, 2020.

  1. MTN

    MTN Active Member

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    The cost of selling nearly new tires at a loss, and spending more for new tires and installation is going to outweigh any potential mpg savings. Do not make that mistake.
    If you're worried about eco-impact, offset your gasoline usage by combining/skipping/etc trips. Consume less - anything - food, unnecessary gifts, etc. That will offset any eco-guilt you might have.

    If you're upset that your electric range is now 27 instead of 30 (or whatever it might be) and all of the above rationalization doesn't help - sorry for your OCD.
    *edit - oh geez - I see you already swapped them for used tires with 29k miles. Too late, the OCD won out over ROI (return on investment).
     
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  2. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    I doubt whether TireRack would give different recommendations for different years of Gen3 Prius, but they ask for the year before they ask for the model, so the year tells them which generation of any particular model. You don't think that different tires may be better suited to different models of car? Or different size wheels (as *perhaps* on a Prius Five)?
     
  3. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    No. Any given tire IS what it IS......and the vehicle it is mounted on makes no practical difference in it's performance.
    Now......different tires might be better suited to different DRIVERS.

    You need to consider that the selections that come up at the top of a search for "your car" might not be determined by any actual "performance" factors but maybe by which ones have the biggest markup by the dealer. Just maybe. :)
     
  4. Hicksite

    Hicksite Member

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    CR does extensive testing of tires. Does Tire Rack do so as well?
     
  5. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    You can see the various criteria on which TR rates tires -- dry/wet/snow handling, noise, comfort, etc. They have feedback from users in addition to their own testing. I have seen videos of some of their testing workouts -- including in Finland, I think it is, for snow tires.
     
  6. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Salamander_King, yes this was very interesting to see all 3 of these tires used as OE tires for the Prius. At this point all is know, is what I think I know.
    I purchased this 2018 used with 12K miles, and during that time averaged some very consistent electric and gas miles for my commute. As said it varied slightly based on ambient temperatures, use of AC etc. Most of my commute is 2 lane roads and some highway with no traffic so my speeds etc. are also very consistent.
    I saw the dramatic (In my opinion anyway) loss of electric range miles with the Bridgestone replacements. I can't say I did a lot of research in choosing them. I had used them on the previous Prius with good experience, they were available from Costco, and were priced nicely with the Costco $150 discount.
    I am kind of at a loss as to how I would shop if I was looking for something very specific, like must have low noise, or lowest rolling resistance, etc.
    It would be very interesting to take a brand new Prius Prime with each of the different tires and take it on the same route and compare mileage.
    Anyway thanks for your comments and those from others. Hopefully this wasn't a waste of everyone's time. Take care.
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    OEM Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus are the made-in-Japan iteration, different from the US and Mexico versions.
     
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  8. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    AND.....even the tires coming out of the same factory at different times might actually have slight differences in the compound composition or other "unadvertised" slight modifications. It's a crap shoot.

    You do the best you can and then try REALLY hard not to worry about it. :)
     
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  9. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Hi MTN, at this point it will be about fighting off the OCD, unless the range returns as the tires wear in, which itself would be interesting.
    I have no ECO guilt, the reasons I drive a prius are I am cheap, and I have a lead foot. I work at a gas fired power plant and get my electrons here for a discount.
    I just swapped with Cirruspete for testing only, he has his Dunlops back now. I don't think he wanted anything to do with the Bridgestones, otherwise I would have made him a smoking deal to keep them.
    The purpose of my post was to alert others to my experience, and try to keep it as scientific as possible. But as others have noted there are many variables out there.
     
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  10. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Thanks Sam, I am working on finding a diversion to worry about more!
     
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    It still is 2020.
    IF.....you can't find something really IMPORTANT to worry about, you need to get out from under that rock where you have been living.
    :eek:
     
  12. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    What did you have prior?
     
  13. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Thanks for sharing your experience. A couple of things I would check: 1. If these are a uni-directional tire, make sure they are mounted right. 2. If these are inside/outside tires, make sure they are mounted right. Then bump up the PSI to 40+ (maintaining the spec'd 1 PSI difference between front/rear FWIW). Also, you had mentioned you were using 33-35 on your Toyos; perhaps the Toyos were immune to underinflation since the spec is 36F/35R? Also, were the dunlops from cirruspete set higher than what you typically have the Bridgestones set at?

    All of this failing, you could try putting the tires on ebay while you are still using them (list them 1/32 or 2/32 lower) with a Best Offer option and the moment you find a buyer, you could get the new Toyos/Dunlops. If someone is able to use them, you might feel that your satisfaction with your vehicle MPG performance and the enjoyment thereof is probably worth being out $400 or so.

    EDIT: Another option is putting them on craigslist
    EDIT2: You could also try "RoadForce balancing" them.
     
    #53 srivenkat, Jan 10, 2021
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
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  14. Hydrocket

    Hydrocket Member

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    OEM Ecopias...
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  16. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Hi srivenkat.
    So as it ends up Cirruspete purchased the Toyo NanoEnergy tires from Simpletire to replace his Dunlops which were worn out, and he is happy with the Toyo's.

    I could not stand the loss of mileage anymore, and the increased road noise from the Bridgestones as compared to the Toyo's so I also purchased some Toyo's from Simpletire. I am seeing my mileage coming back to normal. The temperatures have decreased considerably from summer so my electric miles are off from my normal 44 in the summer/fall, but they are up 3-4 miles compared to the Bridgestone's.

    I am very disappointed with Bridgestone. They advertise a 90 day Buy and Try guarantee, but when I contacted them they state that Costco is not an "Authorized" retailer. When I read the warranty manual nowhere does it say anything about Costco not being authorized.

    So I have a set of Ecopia EP 422+ tires with 5K miles on them that I will work on selling when the time is right. Lesson learned for me is to stick with what works. Never would I have dreamed I would see this kind of loss in mileage with tires that are listed as LRR, and also an original equipment tire. IF the country of manufacture makes a difference that was out of my control being here in the USA.
    If these are a uni-directional tire, make sure they are mounted right.--- Nope not directional
    2. If these are inside/outside tires, make sure they are mounted right.---- Nope no indication for inside/outside.
    Then bump up the PSI to 40+ (maintaining the spec'd 1 PSI difference between front/rear FWIW).---- Did that, no noticeable improvement.
    Also, you had mentioned you were using 33-35 on your Toyos; perhaps the Toyos were immune to underinflation since the spec is 36F/35R? It is possible.
    Also, were the dunlops from cirruspete set higher than what you typically have the Bridgestones set at? I had tried the Bridgestones at several different pressure levels and was not able to see a change in mileage that was repeatable.

    So ends my story for this chapter. Hopefully this set of Toyo's lasts as long as the 55K miles the first set did, I should know in a couple years or so.


    Bridgestone2.PNG
     
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  17. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Curious to know @cirruspete experience going from Dunlop Enasaves to the Toyos in terms of specific MPG and ride improvements.
     
  18. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Srivencat, I will remind Cirruspete he has a request for information waiting for him on the chat. I don't think he has the consistent commute that I have everyday, but he can comment on his experience with the Toyo's thus far.
     
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  19. cirruspete

    cirruspete Junior Member

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    Hi Srivenkat,

    I'm very happy with the Toyos. They seem identical in performance to my original Dunlops. I am not as active as High Mileage is, so my impressions are strictly subjective/anecdotal. Range meter and overall feel and road noise are as good if not better (slightly lower road noise) than the Dunlops.
     
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  20. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Well if anyone is still following this thread. After almost 3 months of working with Costco and Bridgestone, I was finally able to return my tires to Costco for a refund. A customer representative from Bridgestone Corporate Quality contacted me almost 2 weeks ago, and agreed that I should be able to return the Ecopia's to Costco for a refund based on the 90 Buy and Try. Early this week I was contacted by one of the technicians at my local Costco telling me that they had approval for me return the tires for a refund. So last night the tires went back and I was refunded.
    So it took a while but Bridgestone and Costco stepped up. Chapter closed. Almost 4K miles on the second set of Toyo's and mileage is back to normal.
     
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