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Tire Replacement at 33K Miles?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Rebound, Nov 28, 2011.

  1. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I rotated my tires yesterday, and noticed that the wear bars are getting pretty darn close to the surface of the tires. Looks like they'll be ready for replacing soon. Is that right? They are the stock tires on a 2010 Prius II, with 33K Northern California freeway miles. As you can see from my signature, I maintain almost 50 MPG; no stunt driving with this baby!

    The brake pads, by the way, are ridiculously thick. There's a ton of meat left on those pads all around and I'm pretty sure they're going to hit 100,000 miles.
     
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    The oem tires usually have a low treadwear rating and low mileage warranty. Alot of people don't even get 40k out of oem tires.
     
  3. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    I only got 25K on mine with a lot of driving in the foothills of the East Bay. Check F8L's LRR list for the right tires to buy.
     
  4. Gurple42

    Gurple42 New Member

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    Sounds like low mileage to me, depending on the tire pressures you kept.
    My guess is that you had the tires at the recommended tire pressure. If you keep the pressures 3 to 5 over inflated I would hope they would last a little longer. What tires came on the car? I'm asking so that I can start saving up for my next set of tires.;)
     
  5. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Bridgestone Ecopia. I read the warranty: There is no mileage warranty at all on OEM tires. Looks like a replacement set will cost me $600 on the road. :-\

    I think I'll go for "Quieter ride without floaty steering feeling of the Ecopias."
     
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    That sounds like a lot of money for a tire that only runs $82/ea. at Tirerack.com. Using the $70 rebate makes it even less.
     
  7. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    33K seems rather low mileage for a set of tires, are they worn evenly across the tread? I think you should get over 40K even if you drive like I do.

    Check this topic for a list of what is available and what the rest of us are using: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...esistance-replacement-tires-current-list.html

    Car dealer may be the worst place to buy new tires. Check out Tire Rack Tire Search Results and Costco.

    Quite a few of us are using Michelin Primacy tires and they seem to be a good choice for the Prius.
     
  8. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I was only abe to get 31k out of my OEM Yokohama Avid S33D's with mostly highway driving. They were down to 4/32 tread depth with even wear. I rotated every 5k miles also. My tire pressure was 40/38. So 33k does not seem unreasonable to me.

    Review the new tire list carefully and make sure you understand the tradeoff's between LRR tires for mpg and other tires that are better for tread wear life (more mileage), comfort, quietness and handling.
    There are definitely pros and cons for the different type tires and you will need to decide what is most important to you.
     
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  9. jjPrius

    jjPrius Junior Member

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    For a point of reference, my OEM Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires are at 7/32" after 23,700 miles, which should translate to a replacement around 50k miles. Tire rotations at 5k and pressure between 35 and 38 psi. Nearly all driving is highway.

    Jeff
     
  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Great advice!

    I have found that some of the tires with the lowest RR seems to have lower treadwear but none of them are terrible. Pretty much all of the LRR tires on my list are UTQG 400 or higher with at least a 45,000 mile warranty.

    A great no compromise tire is the Continental ContiProContact w/EcoPlus. It is inexpensive, LRR, all-season, decent wet/dry traction and has an 80,000 mile warranty. The bad part is they do not offer a $70+rebate like Michelin and Bridgestone do. :( My friend just replaced his Ecopia EP100s with them. I hope to get his opinion soon.
     
  11. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    I'm at 31,000 on my Ecopia's. Looks like I can run to 50,000, maybe 60,000 on them.

    I run psi of 44-50 and drive gently, with a lot of 60-65 mph interstate miles in light traffic. Lifetime mpg of 50.3 and this fall season is at 53.4 (will be best season result after 2 years). Should be the best OEM tire mileage of my life which I credit to hypermiling and keeping at or just above max sidewall.

    Our Honda Fit just had its OEMs replaced at 30,000, totally bald, and it had a fairly easy life as well. But it is my son's car of late, so who knows. He does use the pedals more than me.
     
  12. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    Finding LRR tires in stock can be a pain. I went with the Continental ContiProContact w/EcoPlus that I found on-line. I have about 300 miles on them with good results. MPG is just about equal to the OEM tires (around 50 mpg). Smoother ride and better handling.
     
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  13. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    My OEM Yokohama Avid S33D's didn't last long, either. I drive to get there, but not in a hurry. The roads in WV and PA are bad, and the hills are steep and winding. So, tire wear? Forget about it.

    I bought a set of Michelin Hydroegde tires in January at Sears, and they still look like new.
     
  14. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Tax, mounted, balanced, tire disposal fee, blah, blah, blah...
     
  15. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I hear ya. :)

    Still though, the total should closer to $460 and definitely less than $500. I would shop around before you lay down your cash.

    Tires: $85 * 4 = $367.20 (8% tax)
    Shipping: $40
    Mount and Balance: $80 (worst case and includes disposal/environmental fees
    Total: 487.20
     
  16. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    LOL !! I thought the same thing.

    Must be buying tires at the dealer.

    Walmart mounts and balances my carry-in tires for $10 each. Been using them for 15 years, and for a minor task like that ... they're just fine.

    I've also used Discount Tire, Custom Wheels, Truck & Car Rims | Discount Tire ... whoever is cheaper.

    REV
     
  17. wick1ert

    wick1ert Senior Member

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    The mount & balance is close to what they run here at most tire places (Just Tires, NTB, Pep Boys) for their "lifetime" balance. Some might be a little bit higher or lower. I know WalMart is cheaper but it's not the "lifetime" balance.

    I know if you buy from TireRack, they have "slightly" cheaper prices at a participating dealer. Not by much, though.

    The prices you see listed on TireRack for tires is not much higher than their wholesale pricing. I knew someone that worked there, and the tire discount was very small per tire (much better on wheels, though).
     
  18. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Sam's Club installed my tires for $15 per tire which includes lifetime rotate and balance along with Road Hazard Warranty.
     
  19. normdugare

    normdugare New Member

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    My Yokohama Avids were starting to look a little low at 37.5k, most of which was commuting between LA (old home) and Clatsop County Oregon (new home).

    I was starting to look at Nokian Entyres when the decision was taken off my hands; I had a flat (and had to keep driving until it was shredded). So, Nokian here I come!

    Good news: They'll be in Monday
    Bad new: Nokian rebate promotion ends tomorrow.

    I'll let you know what I think of them.
     
  20. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    UPDATE: I asked the dealer to take a look at the tires. He said that the tread is still deep. I showed him where the wear indicators are getting near the surface, along one tire's edge, but he said it's no problem, and they measure tread in the center, not the edge. He said my Bridgestone Ecopia's look like they'll make it to 45,000 miles.