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Tire time, again!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by djkarrels, Oct 28, 2010.

  1. djkarrels

    djkarrels beermandave

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    Hi all, 118k on my gen II prius. Live in Wisconsin, so I need an all weather tire. Bridgestone Potenza's were loud, and I'm not a fan of the Goodyear OEM's.

    I'll be getting an alignment as well with the new set of tires, but here are the questions:

    Can I move up in tire size from the 185/65R15's, and to what size without having to do anything else? Don't want to add on more cost to this than I have to.

    Wilde toyota suggested Yokohoma Avids, comments? $375 for all 4 ad $129.95 for the alignament. I think I can do better elsewhere, and am a Sam's Club member, though they can't do the alignment.

    Who's liked what tire the most?

    Thanks for the responses.
     
  2. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    I think I will go to the more popular size 195/65R15's next time. I think I'm going with Good Year Assurance Fuel Max for my next tires. I really don't mind the Integrity's as far as ride and comfort goes. Most people don't like them , but I sure prefer them to the Dunlaps on my Civic Hybrid . H
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm going with michelin fuel saver. good all weather, mpg's, quietness and longevity.:)
     
  4. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    You can upgrade from 185/65/15 to 195/60/15 without any problems. The Goodyear Assurance TripleTred is my favourite three-season tire, and it does reasonably well in snow. But, if you encounter real Winter conditions - and I hunch Wisconsin qualifies - you'll need a real Winter tire.
     
  5. hpartsch

    hpartsch Member

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    Do some reading on the Hankook 727's. Consumer reports rated them number 2. They also have a 40 dollar rebate until the end of nov.

    I love them, great tires.
     
  6. kopplintj11

    kopplintj11 New Member

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    I live in WI as well and have an appointment to get the Hankook 727's on mine next week. I went with them because they rated so high in snow and I wanted to use them year round. Let me know what you end up getting and how they hold up in winter it could be useful for future winters.
     
  7. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    When my tires wear out, I'm going with Hankook Optimo H727 all-season tires in the 195/60R15 size.

    Out of the 52 all-season tires tested by Consumer Reports in its November 2009 issue, the Hankook Optimo H727 was the ONLY all-season tire rated "Very Good" in both snow traction and ice braking.

    And as I've noted elsewhere, the Hankook's "Very Good" ratings for snow and ice are equal to or better than the snow and ice ratings of MOST of the winter tires tested by Consumer Reports.

    The Hankooks also performed very well in the other testing categories.

    And at around $75 each (at Gripston.com, TireRack.com, other places), the Hankooks are a good match for my wallet.

    * * * * * * *

    All of that said, there are also other great 4 season tires that are worth considering depending on your personal weighting of test factors.

    For instance, I have the Goodyear Assurance TripleTreds on my Prius, which CR rated "Good" on snow and ice (i.e., one notch down from the Hankook's "Very Good" snow and ice ratings).

    Yet, in New York's worst winter storm of 2009, I had no problem whatsoever going through the COMPLETELY UNPLOWED parkways of Westchester County (What's up with that? I mean, Westchester County -- one of the wealthiest counties in the US -- doesn't even plow its major highways?) or its unplowed and icy side streets and hills.

    * * * * * * *

    Anyway, here's a copy of the Consumer Reports November 2009 tests of all-season and winter tires. It's the most recent and comprehensive tests of tires out there right now. And unlike previous years' tests, the individual ratings can be directly compared across all tire categories, e.g., the "Very Good" snow and ice ratings of the Hankooks are indeed better than a "Good" snow and ice rating of other tires no matter what category of tire they may be:

    [​IMG] Consumer_Reports_Nov._2009_Tire_Tests-1.doc

    .
     
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  8. lwslabrat

    lwslabrat New Member

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    Hi everyone, A newbie here, first post, here goesVisited Merchant Tires Saturday, they told me the only tires they could put on my 2008 Prius was the Goodyear OEMs. Referred me to a Tire Kindom (owner of Merchant's) recent service bulletin. I checked with the local Toyota dealer, he stated that there was two tires for the Prius, the Goodyear OEM and a Yokohama. Stated the side walls are specificlly designed for the battery weight. What say yee?
     
  9. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    They're really spinning you a crock of bull there lwslabrat. The battery is only 40kg, half the weight (or less) of a single passenger!

    There's lots of suitable tires. Read the consumer report linked above by Boo and choose one that scores well on low rolling resistance.
     
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  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Sometimes there is a kernel of truth in the BS. It is true that the Classic Prius (2001 - 2003 model years) was equipped with a tire that had an XL load rating. That tire could carry more weight than a regular tire with an SL load rating. That was required because the tire was as narrow as possible for low rolling resistance, hence the load-bearing capacity of the tire was marginal. I only know of two tire models that had the correct size and XL rating: Bridgestone Potenza RE92 and Dunlop SP10. Those were both original equipment. Barum used to make a tire of the correct size and rating, but that model is no longer posted on that company's website.

    However, 2G Prius has a wider tire that can carry more weight, so the question of battery weight or for that matter, total vehicle weight is no longer relevant to your tire choice. If you buy a tire of the correct size or larger, then the load bearing capacity will be adequate.
     
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  11. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    I bought the Goodyear Viva Assurance Fuel Maxes (a Walmart exclusive) a few weeks ago. I have been very happy - better handling in the rain than the OEM Integrities that they replaced and mileage is looking a touch better. Also, they were the lowest cost LRR tires that I could find by a fair bit.
     
  12. lwslabrat

    lwslabrat New Member

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    Thank you for your answer.

     
  13. lwslabrat

    lwslabrat New Member

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    Thank you for your answer.
     
  14. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    Do you notice a hit FE wise with the new Viva assurance fuel max Goodyear's, Steve. I'm looking at these as well. H
     
  15. daveatm14

    daveatm14 Junior Member

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    Sam's and Costco sell the Michelin X Radial. I have had them for 10 months and they are great. They are the correct speed rating for the car so they do not cup on the iniside on the rear like a high speed rated tire will. Quiet, good traction, low rolling resistance, and long life.
     
  16. mballou

    mballou New Member

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    I definitely need tires for my 2009 Prius. I want to get all season tires and am definitely interested in the Hankook Optimo H727 all-season tires in the 195/60R15 size as they seem highly rated. In doing my research, I contacted a couple of local Toyota dealers (including the one where I purchased the car). One of the Toyota dealers advised me that using 195/60R15 size vs. the standard 185/65R15 would cause an inaccuracy in the speedometer. The other dealer did not see a problem as long as they fit the car. The local tire dealer warned me against using any tire that is not the standard tire recommended by Toyota as hybrid's are very sensitive cars and could cause a safety issue (he even told me that I would have to sign a waiver absolving them from any problems that may occur). I contacted the mfr. (Hankook) directly and they say the speedometer accuracy issue is extremely minute and that there should be no problems whatsoever. Bottom line - I want to purchase 4 195/60R15 Hankook Optimo H727s for my Prius. Do any of you experienced Prius owners see any issues, safety or otherwise, that I may encounter?
     
  17. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I have the Walmart* Goodyear Viva Authority Fuel Max, for the last 10,000 miles, mileage is slightly better than the Integreties.

    *Besides Walmart, there are few 'tire stores' near me.
     
  18. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Do you know the rpm of the tires? If it is very close to the stock tire's 855 (iirc) rpm, then they should be fine.
     
  19. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    We had our first snow of the year yesterday - just more than a dusting, but the roads were oh-so slick. Just wanted to pass along that the Goodyear Viva Assurances had great grip in the snow and ice - better than expected. Overall I'd give these tires 2 thumbs up.

     
  20. redrockprius

    redrockprius redrockprius

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    Would you kindly explain why tires with a higher speed rating "cup on the inside on the rear"? What is it about the speed rating per se that would cause this to occur? This sounds like a phony reason they gave for buying the tire they were getting a better commission on this month.