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great tires for 17 inch rims

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by franksrental, Mar 21, 2017.

  1. franksrental

    franksrental Junior Member

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    I have been driving for 15K miles some performance 215 45 17 Goodyear tires (non LRR). I averaged 48.5MPG (tires overinflated 48psi)
    I drove mostly freeway , mostly start and stop california commute (50 miles a day). Whenever the traffic opens up I try to drive around 72-75MPH. But 60% of my driving is start and stop.
    My tests below have been done with the same driving conditions.

    A month ago I had to change my Goodyear. To increase MPG someone had recommended to go from stock 215 45 17 to "smaller" 205 50 17.

    Problem: the selection of LRR 205 50 17 is pretty small and expensive. I decided to go for the yokohama avid ascend which someone had recommended (but I won't keep reading...).

    I went to a tire shop requesting the avid ascend. Without telling me they installed the yokohama yk740gtx justifying the change by saying it is the same tire...false. My first tank with the YK 740 I got 40MPG...Obviously I was extremely dissatisfied. I took my prius back and got them to install me the Avid ascend I ordered. My first tank with the Avid Ascend I got 44MPG (10% better). I decided to increase pressure to 48psi (from 34) and after 3 tanks I was barely able to get 47MPG. With high pressure the ride was tough, I was still not happy. I did some research and found out that Yokohama are pretty heavy compared to other LRR. The Ascend are 24lbs each while other LRR tires are around 20-21.

    The 3rd 17 inch tire with best MPG, the Good Year Fuel Max, (with Michelin ES and Bridgestone Ecopia being the top 2) comes in the stock 215 45 17. This bigger tire (215-45-17) weighs 4 pounds less (20lbs vs 24lbs) than the smaller 205-50-17 YH.
    Also, luckily Yoko gives a 30 day satisfaction money back guarantee deal.
    I asked my tire shop to swap my tire one last time. My first tank with the Goodyear Fuel Max at standard 34psi came at 49mpg!!! The next tank sitting at 50. I believe I will average low 50ies soon again with standard 34psi. What an amazing difference!

    You really feel the difference in start and stop situation on the freeway: with the Yokohama the electric motor has really trouble pushing the car from a stop. Actually the MPG drops in a start and stop situations, which absolutely defies the purpose of a hybrid system. So , in my opinion, stay away from Yokohama if you care about your MPG...yes the drive was nicer and a little quieter. But then, I simply wouldn't have bought a Prius...
     
    #1 franksrental, Mar 21, 2017
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Thanks for the feedback/review; our Canadian Touring is 17". So bottom line you're liking those Goodyear Fuel Max? Strange they don't show up for me, if I plug-in 2010 Prius V on Tirerack, only Eagle LS-2. o_O Maybe they're only showing what's in stock? If I go to Goodyear.ca I do see the Fuel Max:

    upload_2017-3-21_10-51-44.png

    Search For Tires | Goodyear Tires Canada

    Yeah you shouldn't have to go to 48 psi to eke out a bit better mpg. And with 17" it is punishing.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Mar 21, 2017
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  3. RMB

    RMB Senior Member

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    Wow I will keep this in mind when it's time for me to get new tires. Thanks for the write up on this topic.;)
     
    #3 RMB, Mar 21, 2017
  4. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

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    I have Yokohama Avid Ascend tires on my Prius. I don't yet know the best fuel economy i can get since the weather here doesn't get warm for another month or so (which has a huge effect on fuel economy) and I've only had the car since December. However, I can say that Tire Rack lists these tires as having better ice traction than most other low rolling resistance all season tires, and where I live, ice traction is just as important as miles per gallon.
     
    #4 Moving Right Along, Mar 21, 2017
  5. franksrental

    franksrental Junior Member

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    Yes if you want good mpg on 17 inch I recommend the GY fuelmax. Getting mpg I was getting on my gen 2 15 inch rims...amazing. The ride does feel as if tires were a bit overinflated but not too bad.hey I'm saving $150-$200 a year compared to the Yokohama's....

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 franksrental, Mar 24, 2017
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  6. kyoo

    kyoo Junior Member

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    I've had decent experience on avids. when you say smaller you're referring to the fact that it's narrower right? Because it is actually taller than the 215/45-17 by about 0.4", about 2% difference taller - correct me if I'm wrong but this could also account for some of the "bad" mileage?

    i.e., in an exaggerated example, if the tires were twice as tall, and you went 50 mi w/ 1 gallon, the computer would only think you went 25mi, so 25mpg, when in reality you got 50mpg. I'm planning to get 205/50-17s myself, for both the narrower tread & the taller sidewall for comfort & highway traveling. Probably generals or purecontacts. as you said, 205/50-17 selection is somewhat rare. I don't think it's any more expensive than 215/45-17s though.
     
    #6 kyoo, May 3, 2017
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    205/50R17 has Outside Diameter (OD) slightly larger than stock 195/45R15, virtually identical. One thing though: for some reason the 205/50's are almost always Extra Load (XL). Also, you need to find an "easy going" retailer. Costco for example, are really strident: will only install stock sizes, and spec'd air pressures.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, May 3, 2017
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  8. kyoo

    kyoo Junior Member

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    sorry, I meant compared to the stock 215/45-17s. that's the one thing I would have preferred over the five though - some solid 15" wheels vs these huge 17s.
     
    #8 kyoo, May 3, 2017
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