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17 in tires

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Stan Ames, Jun 7, 2013.

  1. Stan Ames

    Stan Ames Junior Member

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    While a lot has been written on 15 inch tires for the prius, I have not seen a lot about the P215/45 R17 tires that came with the 2010 advanced package.

    The origional equipment had Bridgestone Turanza tires . I liked these got 70k out of them and got good gas milleage.

    What is the best 17 inch tire today for the Prius. While they still make the Turanza, Bridgestone recommends the Ecopia and then there is the Michelin Pilot MX4.

    I am looking for the best gas milleage, and performance and I am in the Northeast so I drive on snow as well.

    What do people believe are the best 17 inch tires out there today for the Prius

    Stan
     
    #1 Stan Ames, Jun 7, 2013
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Best for gas mileage, comfort and snow. Weak handling = Ecopia EP422

    Great for gas mileage, handling, wet traction. Ok for snow, rougher riding = Continental PureContact.

    So-so for gas mileage, great for comfort, handling, wet traction. Not sure about snow = Michelin Primacy MXM4.

    The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is a brand new tire that is worth looking into also.

    I've done reviews for the Ecopia EP422 and MXM4 in 17" sizes. I've tried the PureContact and liked everything about it but the rougher ride. It provided better fuel economy than the MXM4 though and it is rated to last a lot longer.

    You can also use a 205/50/17 which is closer to the OE 15" tire in size. The 215/45/17 is smaller than the OE 15" tire. The 205/50/17 will be better for fuel economy and provides a little more ground clearance. Some don't like the look, however. Personally I like the look better than the giant wheel well gap caused by the shorter 215/45/17.
     
    #2 F8L, Jun 7, 2013
    Andrax and Chris S like this.
  3. Chris S

    Chris S Active Member

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    I don't know what to offer in terms of comparison for you but I just replaced my oem 15's with a 17" wheel and Michelin Primacy MXM4's in the 215/45 size. I decided on these tires based mostly of of F8L's research and my needs. I drive 200 miles a day in half-highway, half country roads, all seasons. So far for an average of 48mph I'm seeing about 51.2 indicated and about 49.5 at the pump but i hope to see it improve as I just put them on 500 miles ago. The tires are smoother and quieter then the old 15" Yokohamas I had! They also get great reviews but I'm not so sure how low the LRR really is. In all of my searching, everything seems to point to the Ecopia if mpg is your #1 priority but the MXM4's are up there in all-weather performance, the best survey I found on Tire Rack.
     
    #3 Chris S, Jun 10, 2013
  4. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    F8L did a lot of tire research a year or two ago and the threads are still here somewhere. I took his advice and bought Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires and they are great, I will buy them again. As Chris S mentioned above check the Tire Rack survey. I would buy them from Tire Rack or Costco.
     
    #4 tumbleweed, Jun 11, 2013
  5. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    Does anyone know about the Yokohama YK580? It is LRR rated and highly reviewed on DT.
     
    #5 Jonny Zero, Jun 11, 2013
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