Recommended replacement tires for Prius Touring 195/55R16?

It's about time for me to think about tire too. I am thinking Nokian WR G2. What is your thought?

 

I've just ordered the Bridgestone Ecopia tires for my 2004 as there's little chance of snow in southern AZ. I would not recommend them for you in NY though, as they are definitely considered summer tires.

 

The Prius can only go ~106 mph (which fits comfortably into the S speed rating category) and the standard tires for non-Touring are Goodyear Integrity (S-rated). You will be OK with a replacement tire that is H-rated, if that is the only concern.

 

Here in Ireland options are also limited with 195/55/16 and bloody expensive so i switched to 205/55/16,more options and therefore different price range..cheap to bloody expensive,i've chosen a middle price range,Dunlop SP Sport 01 for my 06 Prius Taxi,generally get between 56,000klm -58,000klm out of the fronts.

 

Joe,

My wife and I both drive 2008 Tourings and I have decided to replace the 195/55R16 with 205/55R16 due to the very limited choices of the former and the abundance of choices of the latter. I strongly recommend you consider this option as well. There are many threads on this subject in PC.

My shortlist of 205/55R16 replacement tires for my Tourings is as follows:

Goodyear Tripletread: 740A/B, 89H, 80,000 Miles, 25 lbs wt., $116.00
Goodyear Fuelmax: 580A/A, 89H, 65,000 Miles, 18 lbs wt., $99.00
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S: 400 A/A, 91H, 45,000 Miles, 23 lbs wt., $119.00
Michelin Primacy MXV4: 620 A/A, 91H, 60,000 Miles, 23 lbs wt., $125.00

Dealer pricing on these tires will vary across the country, so check with your local tire dealers to verify your local tire costs. These tires all rate very well and are worth the extra expense for the peace of mind they provide when riding on them.
Good luck with your final selection.

Rich

 

Moving to 205/55/16 shouldn't affect your speedo Joe,tyre is a little wider and therefore a little bit more rubber on the ground,as a Taxi i found my Prius handled much better using the 205s over 195s especially when i have a full car,4 adult passengers and myself [i'm an adult although sometimes my wife tells me to grow up!!]I changed to 205s when the OEMs wore out and have used 205s since,I now have 272,000klm on my Prius
Obviously there are pros and cons and depending on your regular use/weather etc choosing a tyre could become a head melting experience,best of luck with your choice.

 

It will affect the speedo, just not by much.

Based on the assumed values of the Miata Tire Size Calculator, the speedo will read approx 1.8% slower with the 205/55R16 tires. So when the speedo shows you going 60 mph, you will be going 61.1 mph. Also, your odometer and gas mileage readings will be similarly affected.

Tire size calculator

Given that there are only a few non-run-flat tires available in the Touring's OEM 195/55R16 size, personally I'd move up to the 205/55R16 size where there are a huge number of tires available.

 

I would strongly recommend the Nokian WR-G2. I put them on my 09 touring when the weather got bad, and they are a great tyre. They are also recommend by Consumer Reports in the most recent review.

 

What width did you buy - 195 or 205? Any noticeable differences in ride, noise, fuel mileage?

My 2007 has 22,500 miles and I'm guessing I have about 2,000 miles to go before I need replacements.

 

I have an '07 Touring and got 45k out of the stock EL400s. Replaced them with the same size Ecopia EP100's and hate them. The ride is really hard. Reduced the air pressure (below recommended) to keep the car from becoming a rattlebox.

 

Go with the 205/55s and don't wory about the math. I decided to try a set of Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum all season tires on the car I drive (Prius is wife's commuter) and found them to be very quiet and smooth riding. They will get you by in snow, but there's no substitute for a good snow tire, and up here in Maine, I run a set of snow tires in winter.

We put 205/55 16s on the Prius, shortly after we bought it. They made a big difference in handling and linear performance. Did not affect fuel mileage. Best thing is the choices that size opens up.

 

I purchased the 195 size. The ride is better overall, less road noise, slightly better gas milage, and signifigantly better handling.

Highly recommended.

By the way, I puchased them at Tire Pros, and got a good price. The owner of the shop uses Nokian tyres for his personal cars.