Which Budget Tyres To Go For?

[posing]

What are the recommendations for cheap tyres for a Gen 2 Prius?

Original Bridgestones cost £130 from the dealer. But budget tyres (unspecified brand) cost half that from the same dealer. This is tempting but is it false economy if the lifetime of the budget tyre is so much more shorter or less safe?

[Habu]

You should be able to get OE tyres online from, say Kwik Fit, and have them fitted at your local dealer as part of the online price. Budget on around £85-90 each. As for budget tyres...well it's your choice...but I never would. Tyres are the only thing that connect your 1.5 tonnes of killing machine to the tarmac. Budget tyres are usually cheap for a reason.

[Mistermena]

Why not get a Costco card and get Mich tyres for a lot cheaper than the high street guys like Kwick-Fit? There are other good makes like Falken ect that have had good write ups

[Jan&tone]

Budget tyres on a 23k car?

Sorry, that does not compute.

Recommendation? Go for direct replacements. They are what the manufacturer specified for reasons of economy, ride, adhesion to the road etc.

IMO the manufacturer has done much more research then you or I so therefore probably knows better than you or I.

[dwilson]

What are the recommendations for cheap tyres for a Gen 2 Prius?

Original Bridgestones cost £130 from the dealer. But budget tyres (unspecified brand) cost half that from the same dealer. This is tempting but is it false economy if the lifetime of the budget tyre is so much more shorter or less safe?

Have a look at the previous long and detailed posting about tyres. you should find it very informative

I will need to replace my front tyres soon (done 20k miles) and will either replace with Bridgestones or Michelin Energy.

Not sure if I will use the main dealer - they understand about jacking up Prius and making sure it is not running, but many years ago a dealer failed to seal replacement tyres properly on my Carina and I ended up getting that put right at Kwik-Fit who did a good job for me.

I am quite tempted to go for Bridgestones again as I don't find them noisy and they will match with the other two tyres. I probably should put the new on the rear and the used from the rear onto the front.

£130 is a lot less than I paid for lower profile Bridgestones on my previous Subaru !

David

[johalareewi]

If you don't get low rolling resistance tyres for your Prius, your mpg will suffer and you will pay in the long run through using more fuel. Just ask Grumpy Cabbie.

[cootuk]

From what I've read the Bridgestone Turenzas aren't exactly low rolling resistance but are quite grippy in dry and wet.

A budget tyre on 195-55-16 is going to be around £60 fitted, but even budget brands like Falken appear to be quite poor in the wet and for wear. The sidewalls also appear to be quite flexible and give a bit of wallow in corners.

You will probably end up buying two or three of the cheapest for every Michelin Energysaver (for example) so in the long term they aren't that cheap.

Say you change two Turenzas at £110 each then that's £220, but changing all four to 205/55/16 needn't be more than £300

That's why I switched to 205/55/16 as they are so much more cost effective.

I wonder whther the Prius was developed with 195-55-16 as they expected to offer it with runflats, as that is a standard runflat size. I imagine it became cost prohibitive and no-one would pay for it as an option. So they kept the tyre size the same but no runflat.

(p.s. the Pirelli Cinturato P7 I got really do like to regen roll and seem much rollier that the Turenzas)

[Doesn'tExist]

If you don't get low rolling resistance tyres for your Prius, your mpg will suffer and you will pay in the long run through using more fuel. Just ask Grumpy Cabbie.

So how come Toyota don't fit them as standard then?

[dwilson]

If you don't get low rolling resistance tyres for your Prius, your mpg will suffer and you will pay in the long run through using more fuel. Just ask Grumpy Cabbie.

So how come Toyota don't fit them as standard then?

Really? Do you mean my Bridgestones aren't low rolling resistance?

David

[Doesn'tExist]

They put Michelin Primacy on GEN3 September 2010.

[Jan&tone]

If you don't get low rolling resistance tyres for your Prius, your mpg will suffer and you will pay in the long run through using more fuel. Just ask Grumpy Cabbie.

Talking of who.... I've not seen Grumpy on here for a while???

[britprius]

Go up one size to 205/55/16 as they are cheaper michelin energy saver about £85.Kwik fit are expensive go to one of the smaller independents shop around. There are some good budget tyres check out Kumho eco solus KR22 if you can find them good grip wet & dry very long tread life and Lrr. There is much more choice in the larger tyre and as stated before allot cheaper.

[Dave R.]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

[Jan&tone]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

Dave, I notice you have a gen3?

Wen you changed your tyres, did you have a service as well? I'm thinking wrong oil as well which can also affect fuel consumption....

[acetip]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

Dave, I notice you have a gen3?

Wen you changed your tyres, did you have a service as well? I'm thinking wrong oil as well which can also affect fuel consumption....

thats a good point.

[Doesn'tExist]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

Yet interestingly although you weren't allowed to replace it with Michelin Primacy tyres, the Michelin Primacy is not a "energy" tyre.

[Ancient Nerd]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

Yet interestingly although you weren't allowed to replace it with Michelin Primacy tyres, the Michelin Primacy is not a "energy" tyre.

On the Michelin website, the Primacy HP is described as low rolling resistance, along with the Energy. I suspect the difference has rather more to do with the low profile/larger contact area of the 17inch wheels of the T-Spirit/T4. I think this is the sole reason for the 2 mpg reduction in fuel consumption compared with the T3.

It always annoys me that the 72 mpg figure on the side of demonstrators does not apply to those cars. Typical Toyota!

[Doesn'tExist]

Odd, I've had Primacy HP's on cars before the concept of low rolling resistance was invented, also I can't find anything in relation to this tyre on their website.

But 72mpg is easily achievable with the T-Spirit, I do that all the time.

[Dave R.]

I can certainly vouch for the comments about destroying fuel economy by not putting the correct "energy" tyres on the Prius. My consumption has jumped by over 10% since putting new tyres on - now can't get better than 52mpg

Yet interestingly although you weren't allowed to replace it with Michelin Primacy tyres, the Michelin Primacy is not a "energy" tyre.

On the Michelin website, the Primacy HP is described as low rolling resistance, along with the Energy. I suspect the difference has rather more to do with the low profile/larger contact area of the 17inch wheels of the T-Spirit/T4. I think this is the sole reason for the 2 mpg reduction in fuel consumption compared with the T3.

It always annoys me that the 72 mpg figure on the side of demonstrators does not apply to those cars. Typical Toyota!

OK, I was being slightly sloppy in in referring to "energy" tyres. Bottom line is that there are a range of tyres with different characteristics - the latest ones from Michelin being "energy" but we also have "low rolling resistance" etc. etc. Unfortunately for me, the leasing company (and my employer) will only go for what they see as being the most cost effective tyre - i.e. most miles for lowest cost. As it is me that pays for the petrol not them, fuel economy doesn't enter into the equation. Deals between the leasing company and the tyre suppliers, however, do have an impact (hence we are not allowed Michelin tyres unless the fitters have nothing else in stock). When it comes to getting new tyres fitted, we're also lumbered with whatever KwikFit (or whoever) have in stock on the day - It's bad enough making sure they have the right SIZE of tyre in stock, never mind the subtleties of different grades within brands! It just gets too complicated - go to tyre fitter to get "measured for new tyres", negotiate with them what brand and grade of tyre they can supply within a reasonable timescale, negotiate with the leasing company that they are happy to pay for that particular brand / grade combination, pray that the fitters can actually get the tyre in stock as promised, go back a week later to get them fitted,...... Nightmare!

I'll stop ranting now and get back in my box!

[Doesn'tExist]

No don't get in the box, I think you need to stand up for your rights a bit more. In my opinion a lease company that purposely avoids like for like replacement is a bad naughty company. Stick up for yourself and tell them where to stick it. You are paying for the lease, their salaries and by the sounds of it a maintenance element which is generally super inflated anyway. I would not accept it.

[Jan&tone]

Dave r... See my post #10 on the real life mileage thread...