Help With Tires For Prius?

Huh--mine went 40K.

Well, I can tell you that when they put new tires on my company car Prius, the gas mileage went down from an average of 45 to an average of between 38 and 40.

Actually, I'll know more when A/C season starts up. I was getting 45 in the summer, in mixed driving, keeping ME comfortable. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes down to 37.

Of course, the tires they put on were God knows what at $75 per, out the door.

So if your primary concern is NOT low rolling resistance, you'll throw the dice as to what happens to your fuel economy.

I mentioned this to a Prius-owning friend, and he said the same thing happened to him--at least 5mpg downward change when he switched out tires.

Thanks Elmo,

It makes sense that they would choose tires for low rollling resistance.

But if we could get tires which were quieter, we might be willing to give up some economy.

Best,

Dwight

I just put on a set of Dayton Quadra LE tires. They were $62.00 each plus mounting, balancing, new stems and the (minor) alignment of my right front wheel. Add taxes to that and it was very close to $400.00 for the set of 4. Definitely quieter than my winter tires (blizzacks) but hard to compare with the OEMs because I haven't heard them since last fall. I'll never get 40K out of a tire where I live because the tractionized concrete road pieces of I-94 and I-29 I take from time-to-time are like driving on a belt sander.

I've got a few hundred miles on these and my mileage is just under 50 mpg. Impossible to judge the tires because it's been very windy.

I just replaced my OEM tires at 29,000 miles. I bought the new Dunlop Ecopia tires. They are quieter than the OEM tires, do well in the rain, and, once broken in at 600 miles, have increased my gas mileage by 5%.

Randy

It went from what to what? I am at 46K on mine now and am looking... Tomes

This gets lots of discussion at

If you want to maintain MPGs the best choices appear to be:

- more Integrities (they really are very low rolling resistance, especially at higher pressures)

- the new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max (same MPGs, better grip, less noise)

- Nokia WRs

- some Michelin (I forget which)