I'm guessing you have a fair amount of snow on the roads to deal with in your area. The Premiers have better snow/ice handling than the defenders, but likely a bit more rolling resistance resulting in reduced fuel economy. Premiers will also likely be quieter with a bit better ride. Also consider Continental True Contacts, which are a great all around performer, including fuel economy and cost: Tire Test Results : Testing Passenger and Standard Touring All-Season Tires: Which Are Truly More Than Just Round and Black? For any of the above, expect a several mpg hit from the switch from the Energy Savers. If you're looking for a tire similar to the Energy Savers, consider Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, which will return nearly the same fuel economy as the Energy Savers. This is also an inexpensive tire, but does not have the same handling or snow capacities as the other tires. If I lived in your climate and did not have snow tires, I would get Continental True Contacts, Pirelli P7 All Season Plus or the Premiers, which are all very capable tires. If fuel economy is the priority, Bridgestone Ecopia EP422s paired with winter tires for snowy weather would be an excellent combo.
My 2009 Gen II was shod with Michelin EnergySavers which needed replacing 2 years ago, I'd already gone the "steelies and snows" route the previous winter, having found the Michelins (being ~60% worn) were totally useless in snow/ice, so I went with an inexpensive solution, a set of "Antares Ingens A1" (for about ½ the price of the Michelins (which at that time were unavailable, BTW)). Fast forward to now, the summers are on for their 2nd year and I've been really pleased with them - very quiet, great in rain, nice ride, but I've no idea of how they perform in the winter, and I don't really care, since the car wears the Blizzaks/steelies in the winter. hope this helps - Wil
I last bought tires in early 2013 and chose the Michelin Energy Savers, A/S. I'm no tire aficionado, but the tires seemed OK and I've been getting 53 MPG. They're almost at the end of their life, and so I've been shopping for new tires. Really disappointed that Michelin no longer makes these tires for the Prius. I had thought about getting Defenders, but it seems like the MPG will suffer noticeably (most people say about 4 MPG). Discount Tire, which is running a good Labor Day sale, doesn't have any Continentals in stock. I'm thinking about the Bridgestone Ecopia ES422 set, which would be $433 delivered minus $170 in rebates. So, $263 for a set of tires. Thing is, a lot of the reviews seem lackluster. Does anyone here have experience with these tires? Are they any good? Do they handle/ride comparably to the Energy Savers?
Michelin does still make Energy Savers compatible with the 2nd gen, just need to buy the 195/65R15 model, a slightly larger tire. The advantage of the Ecopias versus the Energy Savers is the lower cost of the tires, otherwise the Energy Savers outperform the Ecopias in almost every way by a small margin (according to Tire Rack). The only problem with running 195/65R15 tires is that they may not be compatible with snow chains. The larger size will "use up" the space that was otherwise there for chains. This looks like a good deal: Michelin Tires Energy Saver AS 195/65R15 91T
In Minnesota I would fugeabout stretching the all-season to winter. OP hasn't said, but I'll bet he has snows. Could lose that bet though, lol. Premier vs Defender, I'd go Defenders, they say Green-X, maybe a slight margin over the Premier for rolling resistance? I've had a very limitted drive with Defenders, no experience with Premier, found the Defender very smooth and easy rolling, just an impression.
Thanks for this information. I know I wouldn't ever use snow chains with my tires, so I could go with the 195s, but Discount Tire doesn't seem to have the exact model you listed above. That, and I purchase the Ecopias for about $150 less, after rebate, than the Michelins. I guess the $5 or so a month I lose on fuel efficiency might eventually eclipse the upfront savings, but at that point I'd be splitting hairs.
