The Prius by Toyota has been one of the most popular cars in the past due to its Eco-friendly credentials. However, after so many years, it is still doing great and is admired by most customers. Thanks to its advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive, it has one of the best in fuel efficiency, if not the best. It is not surprising when most of the Prius drivers praise its fuel economy rather than its speed or acceleration. They tend to mention its mpg rather than mph.
So if you too want to hit the max miles per gallon with your Toyota Prius, the first thing you need is an excellent set of wheels down under. The best-suited Tires for Prius are the ones with low rolling resistance. They are better at tackling with resistance as compared to ordinary tires. This low resistance aids the Prius’s hybrid engine to easy time rolling and turning them. All of this leads to efficient fuel consumption and high mpg.
Due to the increased fuel efficiency, Toyota itself equips Prius with low rolling resistance tires by default. The goal is to keep the mpg down because it is beneficial for the drivers and the environment.
Despite the common perception, tires contribute a lot to fuel consumption. If you happen to be using ordinary tires with more rolling resistance, your car’s engine will work more to roll those tires on the road resulting in more fuel consumption. The result of low rolling resistance is, however, hard to notice immediately. The change is marginal and can be seen when compounded after a longer period.
Moreover, these are eco-friendly quality tires and result in less CO2, which is good for the environment. A set of tires will only save about 1-2 grams of CO2, but if we think about it. It is only one car with Eco tires. Imagine if everyone would replace their ordinary tires with eco-friendly tires. The CO2 can be reduced substantially when tens of millions of cars are saving CO2. The changes will be drastic and easily visible.
What to look for when choosing the best tires for Toyota Prius
Now that we have discusses how important the low rolling resistance tire is for us and the environment. Let’s talk about what kind of low rolling resistance will be best for your Prius.
One thing to keep in mind is that being low rolling resistance is not enough; the tire should check other performance boxes. Unfortunately, eco-friendly tires are worse than ordinary tires and lack in many different areas, making them bad decisions.
Other than low rolling resistance, your tire must have good braking capabilities, an excellent road grip, and tremendous dry traction in every condition. With tires more focused on eco-friendly features and less on dry traction, you are at risk of losing control which is acceptable in no circumstances. Safety comes first, and a tire should be safe first and eco-friendly second.
The Best OEM Tires for Toyota Prius
Tires for Toyota Prius are available in different sizes, prices, and with different features. It is considerably difficult to choose the best tire for Prius considering the many tire brands out there. Therefore, to ease up the decision-making process, we have listed our top picks for Prius tires.
Michelin Premier A/S
The Michelin Premier A/S takes full points in a security offering year-round security. The prices start from $118 each. Compared to all seasons tires, it is highly preferred due to its superior braking, especially on wet surfaces.
The braking is not drastically compromised even when the tire is old and worn. This makes them one of the best, if not the best, tires for Prius.
It all boils down to the infamous EverGrip technology by Michelin. Michelin tires are equipped with expanding rain grooves. These groves are designed to widen as the tread starts to wear off. In addition, it is featured with grooves that emerge to maintain consistent traction even after years.
Furthermore, Michelin has added a unique blend of sunflower oil and silica to the tread compound. Now, this helps in maintaining the consistency of the rubber exposed to extreme temperatures.
Michelin has added an asymmetric tread design and a rib at the center surrounded by a couple of intermediate ribs. Moreover, Michelin’s Comfort Control Technology confirms a noiseless, comfortable, and buttery smooth ride. For longer wear, the tire has a hi-tech rubber compound.
Michelin offers an incredible 6-years/60,000-miles tread life warranty with its outstanding Premier A/S to prove the sustainability and long life of the tire.
Why the Michelin Premier A/S tops the list of best performance tires for Prius? Not because of its price (which is slightly higher than other alternatives) but because of the long-lasting all-around peace of mind it offers. You don’t need to change those tires any time soon. With Premier A/S, you can relax and enjoy your ride without a care in the world.
All in all, it is a great option for your hybrid vehicle tires, probably the best we leave that to you. We admire Michelin even with its comparatively high prices because they justify their prices with superior quality, and that’s what most people expect from their tires.
Pros
- Better comfort
- Amazingly quiet rides – tire noise is next to none
- Improved traction and grip in every weather
- Excellent performance
- Durable and Longer tread wear
Cons
- More expensive than the competition
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max
This radial tire by Goodyear is in the second spot in the race of best Prius tires because, among OEM tires, it is a perfect match for the Toyota Prius.
With its capabilities, it has exactly everything to enhance the ride experience – strong traction capability, low rolling resistance for improved fuel efficiency, and aesthetically-pleasing visuals that no one can resist admiring. These are the few things that make Goodyear Assurance worthy of the second spot on our list.
Goodyear has designed the Assurance Fuel Max keeping fuel economy as the top priority, and indeed they did a fine job with it. This tire has some of the best low resistance abilities in the market which pair well with the low fuel consumption technology of Prius and its hybrid engine.
The Goodyear Fuel Max has a better gas mileage tread compound that can save fuel worth around 2,600-miles in just four years.
The credit goes to the rather unique and interesting tread design. When observed closely, there are outboard and inboard segments that consist of dry tire treads zones. At the center, along with duel aqua channel grooves, there is a wet tread zone.
The dry zones are used to stiffen the shoulder tread blocks for better handling. Moreover, it also supports stability and helps in cornering. At the same time, the wet zone and the shoulder grooves work in tandem to sustain the traction on snowy and wet surfaces.
In addition to that, it features a continuous center rib that is notched and aids in accurate steering, providing more control, and increased stability by strengthening the road grip. All of these outstanding features are sufficient to make the Goodyear Fuel Max an intelligent choice for your Prius.
Lastly, the tire’s price is under control and won’t burn a hole in your wallet. The cost of tires sized at 15-inches is around $430. It means approximately $108 each. Keeping the features and the quality in mind, the prices are also quite affordable and justified.
Pros
- Sporty and stylish tread pattern design
- Pleasing long rides
- Phenomenal fuel saving
- Traction suited for wet and dry roads
Cons
- The snow performance is not extraordinary
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack Snow Tires
The Turanza QuietTrack by Bridgestone is a strong contender among the best tire options for Toyota Prius. It is also an all-season touring tire designed for luxury cars, sedans (sports), and hybrid cars.
Bridgestone has invested a lot in the comfort feature of this radial tire. The comfort level is extreme. The ride is smooth and free of any irritating noise. All of this given without compromising a bit on the traction, this tire is nothing less than a masterpiece.
Why would this tire be great on the Toyota Prius? Well, for starters, it features an innovative and unique all-season tread compound. More than that, the sporty design is rather jaw-dropping and gets full marks in terms of aesthetics.
Other than that, Bridgestone’s QuietTrack technology gives them an edge over the competition by making them quieter and more comfortable riding on longer routes.
Thanks to the non-chamfered shoulder slots and the quite in-groove tracks, the tires are relatively silent, when compared to similar options falling in the same class. It drastically lessens the noise when rolled on the hard tarmac.
More than quietness, the tire has a lot more to offer.
Thanks to its ComfortCruise Technology, it ensures a smooth, buttery comfortable ride that is arguably the best on this list.
All the vibrations and shocks are reduced to almost zero levels, thanks to a rounded footprint and contact patch. Moreover, it also assists in maintaining a grip even in the rain, snow slush, and sand. It adds up to control and safety to a huge extent.
Despite being good on the snow, the QuietTrack is not a replacement for a snow tire. They come in short when compared to a set of proper snow tires.
Although the full-depth tread pattern and interlocking grooves provide good enough gripping on light snow, the performance goes south if the road is covered in knee-deep snow.
To conclude, if ride comfort and silence are your requirements and you don’t see too much snowing in your place, then the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack is one of the best tires for Prius.
Pros
- A guaranteed comfortable ride
- Noise is next to none
- Better handling and grip in all weather
- Not too expensive.
- Excellent on wet surfaces
Cons
- Not too effective against heavy snow
Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus
This option from Bridgestone is a lot more than just an eco tire. That’s why it has made it to the list of the best Toyota Prius tires.
While Bridgestone focuses on creating a fuel-efficient tire accompanied by better mileage for a gallon and all-season traction, they have done a tremendous job in the comfort department. The tire is amazingly comfortable to ride on and has longer wear.
With all these amazing features comes a hefty price tag. The Ecopia EP422 Plus is not so cheap and, for some, not affordable or reasonable purchase. The price starts from around $115 each or approximately $440 per set.
However, Bridgestone has tried to deliver its customer what they are paying for, and they have accomplished it to some extent.
For starters, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 + is considerably lighter in weight, leading to lower rolling resistance. More than that, this ability reduces the emission of carbon dioxide when compared to ordinary touring tires.
To make this all possible and improve the season’s traction and handle grip, Bridgestone has implemented an enhanced all-season-based tread compound consisting of Nano-Pro Technology. This advanced technology reduces rolling resistance and energy consumption while maintaining outstanding traction on dry, wet, and snow-ridden surfaces.
More than that, the tire is great against light snow as well as roads that are more wet and slushy. However, for medium or deep snow, you might need to invest in four or five (spare) snow tires.
Furthermore, it offers more sporty tire vibes with its sports-looking symmetrical tread design. It also comes along with notched shoulders tread blocks, intermediate ribs, independent tread blocks to further strengthen all-season traction.
Being one of the best OEM tires for the Toyota Prius, this variant is backed by a 70,000-mile/5-year tread life warranty. Due to which Prius owners can drive safely and comfortably on all types of road conditions.
Pros
- A safe and comfortable commute experience
- Tremendously noiseless rides
- Improve fuel consumption
- Long-lasting tread depth
- An impressive warranty
Cons
- Lack supreme handling
Firestone Weatherstrip All Season Tires
Another excellent tire among the best tires for the Toyota Prius is the Weatherstrip by Firestone. It delivers tough performance and pleasing looks along with a more than satisfactory level of comfort and reduced road noise.
In addition, it is an all-season tire made by keeping comfort, style, and long tread wear in mind.
For some people, it is not easy to believe that a rugged tire with such designs is able to offer such outstanding features. But Firestone Weathergrip delivers excellence beyond expectations.
The tire is awarded the 3PMSF symbol, which is proof of very good performance and control on wet and snowy roads as well as those covered in ice.
Other than that, the tire has sufficient features to be one of the best tires for Prius. The tread compound is designed in a manner that there is a circumferential contact patch for more control and a ride free from all sorts of fuss and hassles.
Moreover, the tire occupies a full-depth groove accompanied by shoulder slots that are open for more improved traction on slushy, snow, or icy roads.
In addition to that, The Weathergrip provides more bite-sized edges on more demanding roads, thanks to its chamfered shoulder tread blocks. The interlocking grooves supported with dense zigzag sipes further add to the supreme performance over muddy, sandy, or snow tracks.
If you aim to take your Prius to a place with extreme climatic conditions, these rugged tires are best suited for the task.
Now, considering all these features and benefits the Firestone Weathergrip is offering, it is surprisingly affordable. The prices start from around $97 each. Moreover, the brand offers a 65,000-miles/5-years warranty on tread life.
Pros
- A unique directional tread design for improved traction
- Highly effective traction across the seasons
- Impressive ride comfort and road grip
- Long-lasting tire wear
Cons
- At higher, the tire gets noisier than eco-friendly tires
Uniroyal Tiger Paw Touring
Next on our list is the Uniroyal’s Tiger Paw Touring tire. Now we suggest you don’t misjudge this by its bland symmetrical tread design. Instead, it is an all-season tire that offers massive comfort and quietness when riding even on the toughest tarmac.
It is designed using a unique tread compound (all-season) supported by an end-to-end center rib which increases stability and steering accuracy even when speeding. As a result, it sounds good, it feels good, and it steers amazingly well.
Moreover, the tire has a wide circumferential groove with lateral notches. The shoulders have a set of intermediate ribs. The idea is to dissipate water to avoid losing traction. It also helps in having a firm grip on snowy, wet, or icy roads.
The benefits of buying these high-quality tires don’t stop here – they are reasonably priced for under $94.
Considering the highly affordable prices, people must be afraid about the tread life. Well, don’t be scared because that is covered with a 70,000-miles/6-years tread life warranty.
Pros
- Smooth and comfortable long quiet ride
- Better traction and grip for every weather
- Longer tread life with an impressive warranty
- More stability at higher speeds
Cons
- Minor lacks in handling
Ready To Buy The Best Tires For Prius
According to our analysis and evaluation, we believe that The Michelin Premier A/S is on top when choosing the best tire for Toyota Prius and it is better than the other tires. The tires complement the overall performance and reduce fuel consumption of Prius.
Moreover, it has a reasonable price, adds value to the driving experience, and stays reliable due to its long tread life. The smooth, quiet ride along with more traction takes it to the top spot.
We tried our best to discuss every potential alternative in detail. However, we still advise you to research, and find out factors that work best for you, and make a choice based on rational comparison and, your preferences.
All the tires mentioned and discussed on the list are of high quality and have all the potential to be well suited with your Prius.
Keep in mind that passenger cars with hybrids engines like Toyota Prius are sensitive, and frequently changing tires might give birth to unwanted problems.
This factor makes your tire purchase decision more crucial because once you purchase and install a new set of tires, you may want to stick to them and bear with them even if they are not so great.
Lastly, always get your tires replaced with new tires by a reputable and trusted shop. Don’t forget to bring your wheels aligned (if required) and ensure your car’s balance is right. By following these instructions, you will be able to get the most out of your newly bought set of tires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Prius need special tires?
Prius is usually driven by people who are more worried about their mileage rather than speed. They focus more on miles per gallon than miles per hour.
Therefore, Toyota equips Prius with special lower rolling resistance tires specifically designed for smart fuel conception. They are equipped with unique and specially formulated rubber that decreases rolling friction significantly and leading to an increase in mileage.
What tires does Prius use?
The current Prius features two different tire sizes. 15-inch and 17-inch. Prius owners use the OEM high-quality tires named Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S, Ecopia EP422 Plus, or Toyo Nanoenergy A41.
For 17-inch size, tires are either a Yokohama Bluearth S34 or a Bridgestone Ecopia EP422.
How long do tires last on Prius?
Typically on average, Prius asks for tire change after every 25,000 or 50,000 miles. However, if you are a fast driver who is always in a hurry, you’d need to replace your summer tires sooner.
Generally, the tire lasts around 35,000 miles, but the tread life heavily depends on the type of roads you are driving and what kind of driver you are.
How much are Prius tires?
Prius usually prefer all-season eco tires for their vehicle so that they can enjoy comfortable, noiseless rides along with high fuel efficiency. Several tires go well with the Toyota Prius, and their price ranges from around $77 to $239 per tire.
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