I just had a set of Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires installed today. These tires replaced a 14,000 mile old set of Michelin Primacy MXV4 on the Prius. The reason for the replacement was the 5-10% loss in fuel economy with the Primacy MXV4 versus the original equipment Yokohama tires. Michelin truly went above and beyond to satisfy me as a customer, and made me an irresistible offer which allowed the swap to make financial sense.
As of now, I have 197 miles on the tires. I dropped by the tire shop after work, had the tires installed, then went on a 200 mile trip. During the first 75-100 miles of driving, the tires felt fairly greasy. But by the 100 mile mark, the tires felt nearly as grippy and stable as my old set of Primacys.
In detail, these are the things I have noticed so far.
The Good:
- Acceleration. Subjectively, it now requires noticeably less power to get the car moving and to maintain speed. I rarely need the HSI indicator to go into the PWR section in order to accelerate at a reasonable rate; previously this was a common occurrence. Clearly this shows that the drivetrain is not needing to work as much. These Energy Saver A/S tires being 18 lbs vs. 23 definitely has an effect.
- Ability to glide/coast. The car will now roll in traffic at low speeds for a very long time. Previously, with the Primacy MXV4, the car will begin to rapidly decelerate at the slightest incline or if you let go of the accelerator-- not the case anymore. Also, on slight downhill sections of the highway, I now see about 5-10 mpg higher on the instant mpg graph compared to the previous tires. I think this is directly attributed to the reduced rolling resistance.
- Handling. The car actually feels more nimble and turn-in is more responsive due to the lighter tires. You can feel the reduction in weight as evident by the lighter steering. Also, the sidewalls felt flimsy, but this is not noticeable once the tires are installed. I was expecting to have a mushy steering response, but this is not the case at all.
- Traction. I was expecting to take a significant reduction in traction, but these feel 85-90% of the Primacys....at least in dry weather so far. I hope this will hold true for wet.
- Fuel Economy. Incredible. I just finished a 197 mile trip with very strong crosswinds. 65-70 mph the entire way and the computer is indicating 52.0. Normally, with those speeds and weather conditions, I will average 46-48. I know this is not a fluke, as the trip from Salinas to Santa Cruz today resulted in 49-50 mpg. Never in the 20+ times I have made this trip, have I averaged more than 45-46.
The Bad:
- Straightline stability is a bit lacking. The car requires a bit more correction during highway driving than the Primacy MXV4 tires. This was getting better towards the end of trip, which is a good sign.
- Noise. Slightly noisier than the Primacy MXV4 tires, but not quite as noisy as the original equipment Yokohamas.
- Ride quality. Despite the tires being inflated to 38 psi front / 36 psi rear, the ride is much harsher than the Primacy at 40/38. Interestingly, on smooth roads the Energy Savers feel a bit "cushier," but the moment that you hit an imperfection, the feedback is much harsher than I would expect.
Overall, I am happy with this tire since it is allowing me to get the mpg that I was supposed to be getting with the Prius. I see this tire being a solid choice to anyone who is looking to maximize the mileage of their car.
Also, for comparison purposes, this tire was $123 in my 195/65-15 size. TireRack does sell it a bit cheaper at $109/tire shipped. Not outrageous, but definitely on the higher side for a tire of this size.
As of now, I have 197 miles on the tires. I dropped by the tire shop after work, had the tires installed, then went on a 200 mile trip. During the first 75-100 miles of driving, the tires felt fairly greasy. But by the 100 mile mark, the tires felt nearly as grippy and stable as my old set of Primacys.
In detail, these are the things I have noticed so far.
The Good:
- Acceleration. Subjectively, it now requires noticeably less power to get the car moving and to maintain speed. I rarely need the HSI indicator to go into the PWR section in order to accelerate at a reasonable rate; previously this was a common occurrence. Clearly this shows that the drivetrain is not needing to work as much. These Energy Saver A/S tires being 18 lbs vs. 23 definitely has an effect.
- Ability to glide/coast. The car will now roll in traffic at low speeds for a very long time. Previously, with the Primacy MXV4, the car will begin to rapidly decelerate at the slightest incline or if you let go of the accelerator-- not the case anymore. Also, on slight downhill sections of the highway, I now see about 5-10 mpg higher on the instant mpg graph compared to the previous tires. I think this is directly attributed to the reduced rolling resistance.
- Handling. The car actually feels more nimble and turn-in is more responsive due to the lighter tires. You can feel the reduction in weight as evident by the lighter steering. Also, the sidewalls felt flimsy, but this is not noticeable once the tires are installed. I was expecting to have a mushy steering response, but this is not the case at all.
- Traction. I was expecting to take a significant reduction in traction, but these feel 85-90% of the Primacys....at least in dry weather so far. I hope this will hold true for wet.
- Fuel Economy. Incredible. I just finished a 197 mile trip with very strong crosswinds. 65-70 mph the entire way and the computer is indicating 52.0. Normally, with those speeds and weather conditions, I will average 46-48. I know this is not a fluke, as the trip from Salinas to Santa Cruz today resulted in 49-50 mpg. Never in the 20+ times I have made this trip, have I averaged more than 45-46.
The Bad:
- Straightline stability is a bit lacking. The car requires a bit more correction during highway driving than the Primacy MXV4 tires. This was getting better towards the end of trip, which is a good sign.
- Noise. Slightly noisier than the Primacy MXV4 tires, but not quite as noisy as the original equipment Yokohamas.
- Ride quality. Despite the tires being inflated to 38 psi front / 36 psi rear, the ride is much harsher than the Primacy at 40/38. Interestingly, on smooth roads the Energy Savers feel a bit "cushier," but the moment that you hit an imperfection, the feedback is much harsher than I would expect.
Overall, I am happy with this tire since it is allowing me to get the mpg that I was supposed to be getting with the Prius. I see this tire being a solid choice to anyone who is looking to maximize the mileage of their car.
Also, for comparison purposes, this tire was $123 in my 195/65-15 size. TireRack does sell it a bit cheaper at $109/tire shipped. Not outrageous, but definitely on the higher side for a tire of this size.