Does anyone know the lowest rolling resistance tire option when it comes to replacing my 17 inchers with the 215 45 17's? I am trying to search about this online but am coming up with little info. Most tires in this size are for high performance (z rated) which are probably higher resistance than my Bridgestone Turanza EL400's. Thanks, John
Have you seen this thread? http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...6830-ordered-michelin-energy-saver-tires.html
The OEM tires are all supposed to be low rolling resistance; see TireRack.com for their report. I'm going to assume you want an excellent all-season tire too. The Michelin Primacy MXV4 can be a future option, if you can wait a year. In Prius V size, it is projected to be available in the US in Oct 2010. *It is top-rated among Consumer Report's November 2009 report in their "Performance All-season (H speed rating)" list. They rate it Excellent in rolling resistance. *At TireRack.com, it is top-rated in their "GT All-Season Touring" list, right above the General Altimax HP (available now, but rated only Fair by CR in rolling resistance). Putting high-performance tires on a Prius is wishful thinking, but some of us like responsive control and crisp cornering. Many trade-offs to get the right tire for you. My Prius V is a couple of days overdue at my dealer. It will come with tires not good enough for me in all-season-ness. However, I will stick it out with them this winter, even though the Southwest will have an "El Nino" winter: lots of precip, sloppy and snowy, sometimes lotsa snow, but ice is rare.
Thanks for the great post. I can definitely wait another year since I only have 8000 miles on the Turanzas. I have taken a 5mpg hit with these tires and rims vs stock. Hopefully these tires can reduce the loss to 1-2mpg + a better ride as well as better wet weather and stopping distances.
