Starting the search for new tires!

I have 15" rims so I can't offer specific advice on 17".
I purchased my Prius used & put about 15K on the tires that came with it before getting new tires.
Shortly after purchasing the Prius, I got a tire pressure gauge that had a digital tread-depth tester on the other end.
I started checking the tread depth across each of the 4 tires - measuring the depth of each of the 4 grooves.
I rotated the tires myself (front-back) every 5K & I logged the tread depth about every 2-3 weeks.

I found the tires that came on the Prius were wearing _very_ uniformly.

When I first got the Prius I had noted that the tires were showing signs of being under-inflated throughout their life, with the center area having more rubber showing than either side of the tires. All 4 tires were showing the same under-inflated wear pattern. That is when I started running at max sidewall pressure (44psi) to see if I could correct the wear pattern.

Short story is the tires stopped wearing unevenly, but they continued to show their previous wear pattern.
I continue to run my tires at 44psi to this day (same on all 4).

The other _big_ thing that all this measuring did for me was to verify that the car was properly aligned. I never had any problems with the steering, it did not pull left or right at all, & tracked quite nice (for its light weight).

When I did get new tires there was no way anyone was going to screw with the alignment!
The tires were wearing perfectly & I had no issues with the steering.
The Prius will stay aligned until something knocks it out of alignment.

I could see where the regular tire rotation was letting the tires wear very evenly but it was a pain for me to do at home.
Costco to the rescue - They will do (free) regular (7500 mi) tire rotation (& balance) for the life of the tires!

When I got new tires about 6 months back I too looked around at all the options.
For my 15" tires I wanted max life & at least very good wet road performance - Michelin Defenders was what I got.
I've got ~20K on them now, two tire rotations at Costco - & the last rotation I had one tire with a slow leak which they repaired no charge.
The tread looks even, but I've been lazy & not measured anything since I got the new tires.

So my vote is to use Costco because of their service during the life of the tires.
Here is a link to 215/45/17 - All-Season tires

Corporate site - Costco.com - Shop for Tires


Also go to your local library & check out tires in Consumer Reports.

Also P215/45R17, 87V, M+S - the M+S = Mud & Snow - they will be quite noisy (as you have found) compared to All Season or Summer tires, but in your winters you probably need the M+S tires.

 

michelin energy saver a/s.

 

maybe not in 45 series 17"

 

Nokian wrg3 here... Totally worth the marginal mpg loss for a vastly improved ride during poor weather.

 

pleasedpriusowner - May I suggest looking on the drivers door jamb to verify the correct tire size for your Prius.
It should match the numbers you found on the tires - P215/45R17

 

When I was shopping for tires it was all about noise and comfort. I bought one of my cars with 15" some generic brand tires, they had good amount of tread but I dumped them... I was leaning towards Bridgestone Turanza Serenity plus and Michelin Primacy MXV4. Went to my local Discount Tire store and told them I need to know which is better. The manager told me that the MXV4 are getting discontinued( which I still don't know if it is true or not) and he recommended the Michelin Defender..hmm I wasn't sure because yes they are great tires but when I was doing my research I didn't see those as the best comfort tires...but I gave it a shot and yes my ride was smooth and quiet !! I don't know if the Turanza's and MXV4's a even better but I am happy with the defender. Mileage is ok I get 47/48.

On my other 2010 I have 17". The tires are Yokohama( don't know the model)... I don't know if the tires stink or the 17" show a big difference in comfort but man that car is noisy and rough ...

 

I plan to go with Continental True Contact when I have to replace my 17's on the new 2013. We have been very happy with the same tire on our 2005 with 15's.

 

Continue to be happy with noise/traction/fuel economy with our replacement Goodyear Assurance FuelMax tires. Also put them on my Civic and saw about a 2 mpg bump. About $100 each installed.

 

I got tired of replacing short life tires, so check the estimated mileage (use) rating (UTQG).

I picked Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology. More importantly, rotate your tires and keep them slightly overinflated (higher than the recommended 35/33psi).