Normally, I'd just go to Wal-Mart or Sams Club and buy a set. That's worked fine so far. Low prices for tires that last a reasonable time. Sadly, the recommendation for LRR tires for the Prius limits my options. Both places carry them, but they don't carry much, and they aren't the "best rated" ones (based on feedback on PriusChat). Other places charge a lot more for tires, which is my chief objection to going to "tire shops." Is there a way to get the best price on tires I want and not have a hassle installing them? Most places I know won't mount a tire they didn't sell you.
I've had good experiences with Discount Tire (America's Tire in some areas). Their prices are good and I believe they'll mount tires bought elsewhere. I bought the Ecopias for my Prius from Costco. What tire models are you looking for?
You don't have to buy LRR tires and some LRR tires have less rolling resistance than others. There is a balance between purchase price, durability, handling, and expected fuel economy.
I recommend LRR if you like to play the mpg game. They do make a difference. They generally don't handle as well but the Prius is not a race car. iPhone ?
In your shoes, I'd just roll into Costco, get a set of Bridgestone Ecopia EP20 put on. They may try to sell you on a TPMS sensor rebuild, basically replacing a few of the gaskets. The consensus seems to be just leave them alone.
All Tire Shops will negotiate price...most people are just not aware of that. You should realistically be able to talk the price down 10%-25% and get them to carry some add-ons. Been using Discount Tire and NTB for many years this way. Will not go to or send anyone to Goodyear or Firestone locations though. I trust Billy Bob's Butt Crack Shops more than them.
Individual priorities are up to....well, the individual. Since I speculate that most people DO buy a Prius with the idea of maximizing gas mileage, I assume it's a priority with most people. I think the easiest "mainstream" way to handle the tire purchase is an Ecopia purchase at Costco. That's probably the direction I'm heading when it becomes time to do so.
Not interfere with one's choice, but if you want the Michelin Energy Savers A/S 65,000 mile tires (195/65R15 91T) manufacture code is 34184 when you order . They are out there, just don't buy the 50,000 mile version. Personally I still prefer the Defenders.
I shop for tires on TireRack.com, then print the quote and take it to my local Discount Tire. Then, Discount Tire orders them from their supplier and mounts them. Often, they've beaten the Tire Rack quote if I pay up front for the entire job when ordering. They even honor the manufacturer's rebate without having to fill out and mail in. They just took the rebate off the price up front.
