Tires for 2006 Prius

Status
Not open for further replies.
The Critic

The Critic

Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
35,302
Location
CA
My buddy's 2006 Prius needs new rubber. While the center patch of the tires are not worn out, the inner and outer shoulders (depending on the tire) are worn below the wear bars. It is probably due to a combination of inadequate tire inflation and alignment issues.

The OE size is P185/65-15. He wants a tire that is decent, but not super premium.

Here are the tires that I have found so far:

Costco- BFG Premier Touring- $382.70 out-the-door
Costco- Michelin X-Radial- $470.38 out-the-door
Pep Boys- Cooper CS4 Touring- $407.88 out-the-door
Discount Tire- Yokohama Avid TRZ- $387.09 out-the-door
Discount Tire- Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position- $453.31 out-the-door

I think the TRZ is the best choice if my buddy is looking for a longer wearing tire. And if he wants something a bit more aggressive, he should look at the RE960AS. What do you guys think? Any other brands/models?

Thanks!
 
I love the combination of traction and quiet on my Re960AS. Ive heard nothing but good on the CS4, and Id probably give them a try for a prius.
 
My recommendation for a Prius.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Energy+Saver+A%2FS

See if you can find some.
 
Originally Posted By: KLowD9x
My recommendation for a Prius.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Energy+Saver+A%2FS

See if you can find some.


1) Way too expensive.
2) I think we're looking for something with a bit more grip.
 
What are his priorities? Long lasting and??? Better grip? Low rolling resistance or doesn't he care?

If it were my car I'd probably choose the X-radials from Michelin if I had to pick off your list. They offer good grip in most all situations and fairly low rolling resistance as well. If the car isn't maintained perfectly I'd avoid directional tires because if they don't wear nice and even they will get loud. I have a set of RE950's, the 950's predecessor, and they are incredibly loud at the end of their life. They got loud early on due to a tie rod end that went bad shortly after replacement. It had been originally replaced due to an accident that required a new front suspension on the passenger side. It was either caused by that or they are just a noisy tire. I've owned a lot of directional tires and I've only been happy with about 1/2 of them. I will admit that even with 50k miles and 5 years of age the 950's still have great grip which is the main reason I bought them. They did kill my fuel economy however.
 
But we want all three, traction, gas mileage and long treadwear!

My solution has been Yokohama TRZ's on my primary tow vehicle
Lumina APV, and I keep 44 psi in them at all times.

Now, with the weight of the triple rig (4880 lbs) this also eliminates any tail wag at all when doing quick lane changes, etc.

This, then gives me good wet traction, TRZ's are one of top rated tires in this category. Remember, most boat ramps are wet!!

Gas mileage: Capri Racer, how do you think the rolling resistance of a tire at 44 psi compares to a fuel efficient tire only using 35 PSI??

At any rate, if the 44 psi is going to wear something out early, it has not happened yet = at 265,000 miles of hard towing!

fsskier

Pics of our 30 man pyramid at 5sst.com
Just wanted to authenticate my claims!!
 
Look at Nokian. Heavy Aromatic oil free-- so it's good for the environment.

From what I hear, the Prius forums likes the Nokian H, which blends Low Rolling Resistance, decent wear (UTQG 320 A A), & handling

Trade handling for wear, you have the Nokian i3 (UTQG 620 A A)

Add some decent snow performance, you have the Nokian WR G2 (UTQG 420 A A)
 
Originally Posted By: fsskier
...........
Gas mileage: Capri Racer, how do you think the rolling resistance of a tire at 44 psi compares to a fuel efficient tire only using 35 PSI??.....


It's going to be better, but you may have wear problems.


Originally Posted By: fsskier
...........At any rate, if the 44 psi is going to wear something out early, it has not happened yet = at 265,000 miles of hard towing!........


I assume to mean you've run this pressure on multiple tires during the 265K and not experienced wear issues.

High pressures tend to wear tires in the center, but tire wear is a many faceted beast, and there is obviously something else that is dominating the wear picture on your tires. The fact that you have had good luck so far just means you've had good luck. I don't recommend using pressures that high.
 
Last edited:
CapriRacer, you are correct the vehicle has had 5 sets of tires in the last 265K miles. I have always kept my tires to their maximum pressure, and never noticed them wearing the centers out early - although this seems to be a standard theory. My comment was more about suspension parts, etc.

My "green" michelins on my new minivan are very hard perhaps in an attempt to get mileage, I note that they are very poor in wet conditions and in snow. That is why I suspect many people would be happier with more pressure in a T rated tire, then with a low rolling resistance tire.

I would put a T rated 44 PSI tire on the Prius and blow them up to the limit, then skip the green tires!!!

Reasoning: My Lumina APV (3890 lbs) walks up the wet boat ramp with the 5K lb boat behind it easily, using the TRZ's. My new Sienna with 4550 lbs and "Green" Michelins Energy's on it
spins and struggles to pull the same boat out. At highway speeds in the rain it is also much worse! Both minivans claim the same weight distribution, so I suspect its all in the tires!

So, why would I buy the "green tire"? They are also beginning to show a lot of wear (16 k miles) I suspect because they spin a lot!!

fsskier
 
FSSkier,

Your reasoning has some gaps in it that may be clouding the logic.

Tread compounds are such that there is a technology triangle between rolling resistance, treadwear, and traction.

1) I wonder if your "green" Michelins have poor wet traction because they have chosen to emphasize the other 2 properties.

2) Your TRZ's are obvious replacement market tires geared towards good wear - with some amount of traction - and the net effect is that the rolling resistance isn't very good.

3) Your Sienna probably still has the OE tires on it - and OE tires are usually geared towards rolling resistance - and that means something has to give on the other 2 properties. I am finding that many tires coming on Japanese based vehicles have poor wet traction in the US, and I suspect it is because they test wet traction in Japan. I suspect the test surface is quite different over there than it is in the US and it doesn't correlate well.

So be a little careful drawing conclusions based on the sample that you have.
 
I'll second (or third) the recommendation for the TRZs. I have them on my Corolla in a similar size (195/65R15). They stick very well to pretty much any surface. They also extracted no fuel economy penalty when I installed them in place of the OE Bridgestone Insignia tires. They're extremely quiet and handle well. They do excellent in the rain and in the snow. Given the prices that you listed, they're a no-brainer to me.

As much of a Michelin fan as I am, I hate to admit that these TRZs are probably the best all season tire I've ever had. I've owned two sets of the X Radial (our '07 minivan is shod with them right now), I think the TRZ is an even better tire. It seems like it's got more grip and it's quieter. Tread life is likely comparable, given the tread life warranties and the UTQG ratings for tread wear on both tires.
 
My stepmom had the trz's on her 95 grandam I liked them, She hated them because she believes they were cheap because she never heard of the brand... sigh...

she had some god awful goodyear eagle GA's that were HORRRRID before that that she liked more because.... she lives in akron,oh Home of goodyear.

Ok corp. headquarters of goodyear.. everything else is gone now
frown.gif


Off topic aside
trz are very good tires but they do go for treadlife and traction so he may lose some MPG's also when your car gets 40+mpg if the new tires are even 1/2" bigger (from more tread)
it will seem like the mpg nosedived.
 
Last edited:
The Michelin Energy LX4s on your Sienna are also OEM on the Honda Odyssey, Lincoln Town Car and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

We got X Radial DTs on our Sienna, they're smooth and quiet and compared to the horrible OEM Dunlops feel a little more precise. Kinda wish I got TripleTreds instead.
 
Tough call between the TRZ and CS4. If Norther Cali, the softer-grippier CS4 for the cooler rainyer climate and rougher roads. If SoCal, get the TRZ for the better wear in warmer temps.
 
I'm in Norcal.

Here's something interesting: if I get the 195/60-15 instead of the 185/65-15, I save $25. Weird.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
trz are very good tires but they do go for treadlife and traction so he may lose some MPG's also when your car gets 40+mpg if the new tires are even 1/2" bigger (from more tread)
it will seem like the mpg nosedived.


I did a lot of research on these before I bought them for my own car (the Toyota). I read multiple accounts of folks not seeing any fuel economy loss with these. Indeed, after replacing my half-worn Bridgestone Insignia SE200 tires (low rolling resistance) with the TRZs, I didn't see any penalty in fuel economy, and if anything, I gained some. On top of that, I was running the Bridgestones at 35 PSI, but I run the Avids at 30 PSI. So I feel fairly sure that any fuel economy penalty the Yokohamas bring will be very small and probably short-lived as the tires break in.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Tire Decision Help for Caravan
Replies
15
Views
6K
charbaby
G
  • Locked
2006 Honda Odyssey tire recommendation
Replies
11
Views
3K
gfh77665
D
  • Locked
Getting new tires Friday.
Replies
13
Views
5K
FZ1
H
  • Locked
Prius Touring Tire Question
Replies
10
Views
4K
HiccaBurp
JTK
  • Locked
Chevy Cobalts and tires....
2
Replies
31
Views
10K
RacerE7773
Back
Top Bottom