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Toyota Prius Tire/Wheel Questions

13

Comments

  • sthogesthoge Member Posts: 28
    Did your speedometer get changed from MPH to KPH?
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Well, those numbers DO sound like metric equivalents, but it's the speedo simply marked with two scales?
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    SURE SOUNDS LIKE K.P.H. TO ME
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I agree: 80 km/h = 50 mph. Does the 2010-11 Prius still have a digital speedo like the 2004-09 model? If so, there's probably a button to switch from metric to English units.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Ah... with digital I'm right in the "accidental mode reset" camp ;)
  • esm2esm2 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the help.

    Yes, it was Kph. I noticed when I picked up the car the radio was off. The mechanic probably hit the little Kph/Mph button (right next to the radio on/off switch).

    Thanks...
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Hmm... seems an odd place to put that button since the radio on/off is something you would tend to be using more often.

    Glad that our collective brains could help! :shades:
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Actually it's kinda fun 'once in a while to deliberatly put the "SPEEDO" In Metric Mode. You feel like your buzzing around faster than you thought ..AND...you get to test your mathimatical genious trying to figure out how fast your going in English Mode.
    Come on now ...life is boring if you don't expand your horizons and think outside the box. ;)
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Oh, I always enjoy my trips into Canada for that very reason. Once you cross the border, you really make good time :P
  • treehugger66treehugger66 Member Posts: 9
    I had a 2005 Prius which came with Goodyear Integrity tires...they lasted around 24K miles and I replaced them with Michelin...I cannot remember their model name but they had "v" grooves and were highly rated. Shortly later my son took my Prius over and fairly quickly ran the Michelins into the ground. I later got a 2010 Prius which I ordered with 17 inch wheels...it came with Pirelli tires which show little or no wear after 12K miles. My son bought some Bridgestone tires for the 2005 Prius and has upwards of 40k miles...I believe they were more LRR upscale tires but were bought on sale thru Sears. I have been reading and like the specs on Bridgestone Go19 tires which one can get a good price on thru Costco.
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    I also have '05 & '10 Priuses hmm... not sure of a good plural. I purchased the '05 with 22,000 miles and the previous owner had already switched to a Big O EuroTour tire... I spoke with the folks at a local Big O trying to figure out why he had switched (did not have the opportunity to speak to the previous owner so I have no idea at what mileage they were put on) and all they could tell me what that the particular EuroTour tire he put on was the top of their line for that car. Interestingly my son is also driving my '05 and has rolled up about 12k miles since he borrowed it (at about 28k).

    I have considered switching the '10 to the Michelin Hydro-Edge as we are using the car in Northern Utah (as my son has mine) where originally we thought the '10 would be spending its time in Las Vegas. I have read that the Hydro-Edge is a noisier tire (I guess they have to be a harder rubber to last 90k miles), but am also a bit concerned as to what they would do to the fuel mileage. I got the Prius IV so with its 15" wheels I can switch the Hydro Edge tires over to the '05 (assuming my son ever gets a job so he can replace the transmission in his car) and then use it in Utah.

    I did speak briefly with an gentleman who lives in the same neighborhood who I noticed had the Hydro Edge on his Prius and he was quite happy with them. Apparently he had some difficulties driving up the hill to his house (he is a higher up the hill than I) which is the reason he switched to the Hydro Edge and has not had any difficulty since. We do get snow in our area, but not as bad or sustained as it would be if I lived up in one of the ski-areas or the Dakota's.

    If anyone else would like to chime in about their experience with the Hydro Edge on their Prius I would love to hear it.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I put on Nokian eNTYREs on my '06 Prius last fall to replace the OEMs. They're smoother and I seemed to get a little better MPG and so far this winter with all this snow they've been great.
  • tikaltikal Member Posts: 7
    "I put on Nokian eNTYREs on my '06 Prius last fall to replace the OEMs. They're smoother and I seemed to get a little better MPG and so far this winter with all this snow they've been great. "

    How are they on the rain?

    Thanks in advance for your response.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    No problems in the rain either that I've seen.
  • tikaltikal Member Posts: 7
    Great and thanks for the response bobw3.
  • 63pro63pro Member Posts: 15
    I am curious about your winter driving experience. I live in Ohio, and have a 2010 Prius with about 22K. Although I am doing Ok with current tires, I think I want to get some designated snow tires for future winters. I haven't seen much on the forum about dedicated snow tires and I know it will cut my mileage down, but I am not sure the current "dealer" tires are all that great in snow. I seem to slip around quite easily, but so far have stayed out of the ditch. Do you or perhaps any others out there have any recommendations about dedicated snow tires. I have heard about Blisak (?), but have not talked with anyone who has them on a Prius. Thanks for you help.
  • tnel332tnel332 Member Posts: 23
    I have a 2008 Prius with 34000 plus miles. The stock tires are not wearing well and was advised to get new ones. Soooo, has anybody put the Cooper GFE tires on their Prius?
    Thanks.
    TN
  • sgbglasgbgla Member Posts: 1
    I also purchased a 2010 Prius in August of 2010 and I absolutely hated the wheel covers. We had popped off the cover and discovered alloy wheels underneath but didn't like the look with the missing center cap. You mentioned that you purchased them at a dealer for $70. When I asked the Toyota dealer about the cap, he said there wasn't one for the 2010 Prius. Was the cap for a different model Toyota and it fit the 2010? This would have to be for a 15" wheel...not the 17" one. Any help you can offer would be great.
  • 63pro63pro Member Posts: 15
    Hi, I really don't understand why your dealer didn't have access to the wheel caps for your Prius unless the 15" wheels are the difference maker. I just went to the parts counter at my dealership and ordered them up. I do have 17" wheels and that may be the difference. Before I finally bought, I went on the net under "wheel caps" and saw a ton of items. If you choose this route, check the inside diameter of your opening and how a cap fits into it. I think you might find something. I was even to the point of buying a cap with a different logo in hopes of saving a few bucks, but wound up going with the dealer. Hope you can find what you are after. :)
  • biomanbioman Member Posts: 172
    After I purchased my Prius IV in August of 2009 I had the same problem with the plastic wheel covers. I purchased four center caps for the 2009 Prius from centercaps.com. When they arrived I was not sure they would stay on the wheels, but it has been over a year and one very rough winter and they are doing just fine. I believe I paid about $12.00/cap since they were used (but looked new).
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    Thank you for the update... I called my dealer and he "supposedly" ordered center caps for my Prius IV... but I was never called to tell me they were in. When I checked back I was told there were no caps available for the Prius IV only the Prius V.

    I will check with your source and order them today, thank you.
  • louigilouigi Member Posts: 3
    I've had my 2010 V for five months and have had to replace three tires at about $300 each. The low profile Toyo tire hit a chuck hole in the street and the impact ruined the tire and dented the wheel. Another time a curb hit creamed another tire. The latest damage which resulted in a slow leak found a screw puncturing the sidewall. They said they couldn't fix it.
    I'm considering going to a 15 inch wheel if there's a tire that could offer more balloon protection. These little tires hit something and they don't absorb enough of the impact.
    I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem, but maybe they were just freak accidents and won't happen again. I do think that the holes in the streets here in Denver, if they don't get fixed will once again extract damage.
    Louigi
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    It must be nice to have $$ to burn. Low profile tires are inherently accident prone while standard tires run 70-80 $$$ and serve all practical purposes. I acerage 40-43 K miles per set of tires and have a total of 141,000 miles on my '04 Prius. Ican't understand spending so much $$$ on tires that fail to deliver on miles and have excessive cost. Penny wise pound foolish. ;)
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    Sorry to hear of your difficulties... I have the Prius IV as I wanted the solar roof panel (very helpful in Las Vegas), but have always been envious of the 17" wheels. I would prefer to run my 15" without the plastic covers... but you cannot buy center caps for the 15" for some odd reason.

    Did the pot hole damage the 17" wheel such that you had to replace it? I had that happen on a Nissan Maxima I owned previously... stupid expensive to replace an aluminum wheel for a small pothole... but that is what we had to do.

    Just curious of the 17" on the Prius are any more hardy...
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    The lower the profile on the tire, the more susceptible they are to damaging the tires and/or wheels on "road irregularities". Add in the harsher ride and I'm not sure I see the attraction. It's a pretty high price just for looks.

    The weirdest low-pro incident I ever witness was a guy pulling into a local gas station. The curb at the driveway entrance wasn't very flush and stuck up a little over an inch. The guy really whipped his car into the driveway going faster than he should have been - which I'm sure contributed to what happened - and as his front wheels met the step in the surface, both front tires blew.
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    I guess my next most logical question is... do you have a choice on which tire you run on your 17" rims? Can you run a tire that is not so "low" profile?

    Is there physically room for a taller tire or is the tire size limited due to the physical space available??
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Well you want to keep the same overall diameter of the tire/wheel combo unless you like having your speedometer and odometer thrown off. And even then, if you run larger wheels and put a not-so-low profile tire on, you could run into clearance issue in the wheel wells.
  • czsloopyczsloopy Member Posts: 3
    I opted for the 17' rims instead of the top pkg. (solar/moon roof/etc.) I wanted a smoother ride and in the high desert area with hills, that is what I opted for. I travel 125 miles average per day for a local newspaper and I go through extreme hot to extreme wet and cold/snow all within one year! My car originally came with TOYO tires. Since I put on that much mileage every year, I had to replace my tires after 1 1/2 years with a tire I am not happy with! They are down to the last tread and am just asking for some input!

    Which tire should I get????

    Thanks in advance for any help!
    I need my tires yesterday!

    Thanks
    Christy
  • jaicarjaicar Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2009 Prius with original Goodyear Integrity tires. I have 32,000 miles on them and will probably replace them in the next 2-3000 miles. They have worn well. I am looking to replace them with another Goodyear tire ( a Goodyear store advised me against the Fuel Max Assurance and said the Integrity was better for Prius) and the Bridgestone Ecopia EP 442. Ahyone have any history with these or suggestions?
  • julibjulib Member Posts: 1
    I still have the original tires on my 2005 Prius but I've moved to Colorado and want to get all season tires. The dealer says they carry in stock goodyear integrity tires but he recommends yokama avid TRZ ones. Does anyone have an opinion on either of these?

    Thanks,
    JuliB
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I put Nokian eNTYREs on my '06 Prius last fall to replace the OEMs. I've had them for about a year now and I'm pretty happy with them.
  • aghoshaghosh Member Posts: 21
    I am looking to replace my 2010 Prius II tires with these. My preference is 70% comfort and 30% handling, assuming they are mutually exclusive. Any thoughts on these as all season tires?
  • 63pro63pro Member Posts: 15
    Hi,
    I am curious as to why you want to go with something else other than OEM tires. I, too, have a 2010 with close to 40K on the tires and plan to go with OEMs within the next month. What kind of mileage are on your current tires? I get great gas mileage and the tires have performed well in the snow, so I guess I don't want to upset the apple cart.
  • aghoshaghosh Member Posts: 21
    edited October 2011
    Thanks for your reply.

    Reasons for ditching the OEM tires:

    Do not like the noise level-Michelins promise to be more quiet. And, I have had good luck with Michelins in the past, and yes, I agree they tend to be pricey. I have about 20K on the current set.
    Finally I am getting about 44-54 mpg.
  • czsloopyczsloopy Member Posts: 3
    Michelin Primacy MXV4 sport . . . This is what I finally bought! They are the BEST tires I ever bought! Ride is excellent, low profile is awesome and thread is perfect! I drive avg. 125 a day and I am so glad I spent the money for these tires! Thanks forum for all your help!
    I did not want to blow integrity of MPGs with sun roof etc., In Las Vegas, NV. So I went with 17' rims and a smoother ride!
  • aghoshaghosh Member Posts: 21
    Thanks for your glowing recommendation.

    One thing though-I would have opted for the sun roof if I was in Las Vegas. The sunroof keeps the interior cool all day long using solar energy when parked in the hot sun. FWIW, I do not have the sun roof.
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    We specifically went for the Prius IV with the solar sunroof for that very reason.

    It works exceptionally well and while I would not claim that it keeps the interior "cool" it does ventilate the interior and keep it from getting any hotter than it is outside... rather than the 160+ degrees on the interior of a normal car parked in the sun during a las vegas summer day.

    We live in Henderson, NV a small community on the south side of Las Vegas.
  • aghoshaghosh Member Posts: 21
    I finally put on the Michelin MXV4 and I agree with you-very nice blend of comfort (noise) and handling.
  • twopriuscarstwopriuscars Member Posts: 3
    Yes--I had the same experience. The OEM tires wore out VERY quickly, less than 30k. I replaced them with a set of Goodyears, alleged to be comparable, but saw a drop in mileage. They got me to 71k, and that was pushing it, even with Nitrogen in the tires. Now I am running Toyo Versado ECO tires, which are Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) and seem much quieter. They are a new LRR tire, OEM on the Prius v, so I figure they have to be pretty well matched to the car. Plus they just feel right, so I have high hopes.
    If you keep an eye on your tire pressure, and do the rotations every 5000 miles, you should be able to get 40k plus.
  • twopriuscarstwopriuscars Member Posts: 3
    Recently replaced my Goodyears with Toyo Versado Eco tires. They are a new low rolling resistance (LRR) tire that is OEM on the Prius v. So far (4100 miles) I am liking them. Mileage seems to be about the same, but they are noticeably quieter than the Goodyears. Here is some info:

    http://tirecrawler.com/shop/detail_tire.php?product_id=11107
  • snowboarder4snowboarder4 Member Posts: 42
    I went to Big O. I was going to purchase a set of the wing-tread sports tires that I once had on an Eclipse. However, Big O offered me a set of their 90,000 mile tires. I have had no problems with them, other than a flat after the first year on a rough rock road access to a wilderness area. Big O replaced the tire without charge. I lost a few miles per gallon in efficiency going to an all-season tire, but traction has been quite effective for mountain driving. The ABS gives a nudge in a snowstorm on acceleration from a stop. However, overall road traction has always been good. I do avoid Forest Service roads with steep grades covered in ice. There are limits to traction with a front-wheel-drive, low-clearance vehicle.
  • twopriuscarstwopriuscars Member Posts: 3
    Big O was always good from a warranty point of view; I know they used to replace tires from "road hazards" even when they were worn, and they may still do that. I'd be surprised about 90,000 miles though, in fact, I'd be amazed. On a Prius, you get wear upon acceleration, and wear upon breaking (with regen cycle), so tires are subjected to more forces and different forces than most cars. I too saw what seemed like an unusual number of flat tires--I had three one summer--but that may have been just the luck of the draw. But the original tires really did seem to be prone to picking up screws and nails. No flats yet on my new tires (Toyo)...knock on wood.
  • biomanbioman Member Posts: 172
    Just put a set of Michelin Energy Saver A/S on my 2010 Prius IV after 40K with OEM Yokohama Avid S33D's. Handling much improved and mpg's are up slightly but will probably get better. My final two tire choices were both Michelins, the A/s and MV4. I went with the A/S after dong a CBA and the savings on gas was the difference. If things continue as they have, for the first couple of hundred miles, I believe I made the right choice.
  • saz25saz25 Member Posts: 152
    Hi,
    I just bought a new Prius about 3 months ago. We live in the northeast, thus about to start winter/snow season.

    Should we consider snow tires? How does the Prius handle in the snow with and without snow tires?

    Thanks in advance for your comments.
    Steve
  • snowboarder4snowboarder4 Member Posts: 42
    Similarly, I have struggled with your issue in the Colorado mountains. I felt that the factory-issued tires were inadequate for winter traction. I have no place to store an extra set of tires and do not want to lose too much fuel efficiency. Therefore, I bought all-season tires. I lost 10 percent fuel efficiency, but gained a bit on traction. I simply drive 45 to 55 miles an hour on snow and ice to maintain good traction. Also, I do not attempt climbing Forest Serivce roads in winter.

    I have friends who endorse the Michelin X-Ice tires.
    http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/09/best-all-season-winter-tires-list-rel- eased-by-consumer-reports.html
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    Do any of you folks have experience with the new Michelin Defender tires?

    Is there a difference in the fuel effeciency?

    What about handling, ride, or noise?

    Thanks
  • exit56exit56 Member Posts: 9
    Going to get a set today at Costco ($70 coupon in effect until Wednesday).

    Did you ever get yours? Happy with them?
  • hihostevohihostevo Member Posts: 59
    I still have not replaced mine.

    I was looking at them a few days ago right after we had some "freezing" rain that caused about 200 accidents in one rush hour morning.

    Mine are still serviceable, but the time for replacement is certainly getting close so any information you can provide would certainly be appreciated!!!

    Thank you
  • 63pro63pro Member Posts: 15
    I bought my 2010 Prius new because of one big thing--MPG. I couldn't be more pleased. I took off the wheel covers, changed to synthetic oil and consistently get over 55 per gal. I don't think the wheel covers have any bearing on mpg, but I do think I have noticed 1 to 2 mpg increase because of the oil. Oil changes are now at 10K instead of 5K on reg. oil. This is done with Toyota's blessing. I originally had OEM Yokohamas which did fine, but had to replace at about 40K. I didn't want to upset my mpg applecart, so I bought the same Yokos from Tire Rack. Now, nearing 70K, I think I am getting near to buying another set of tires. I thought I would go Yokos again because my mileage has been so good, I just didn't want to mess with anything that would cause my mileage to go down. However, I am kind of falling in love the the Michelin Defender XT Tire that also claims low resistance and has a 90K warranty. The tire is realtively new as I understand it, but have any of you had any experience with this tire? They will be on sale this coming month and that would put these tires in the same price range as a new set of Yokos. I live in Ohio and am retired, so in really bad weather I just stay home. However, the Yokos did fine in the snow as long as I drove like an old man and I'm OK with that. Any comments would be most welcome.
    Thanks, :)
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906
    You are going to take a hit in fuel economy if you change from the Yoko's.

    "LRR" is a relative term and it means relative to other tires with the same treadwear and traction levels. The Michelin Defender has a very very high treadwear rating - and while it will be better for fuel economy (maybe a lot, maybe a little) than other tires with high treadwear ratings, it will not match the Yokohama's for fuel economy.
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