Rick, you make sense here. I do not know for certain if the factory is or isn't looking into tire problems. I have a new 2002 on order myself and here's what I would do:<br><br>If I thought a tire might endanger my own well being or that of my family, the cost wouldn't be an issue. I'd buy new rubber for the car and start the process of asking Toyota for the money back IF, and I say clearly here so no one misunderstands me -- IF the tires on the car were troublesome already. You can't point the finger at a problem where there MIGHT be one eventually. There is such a thing as being proactive but there are also lines one might cross that are not theirs to cross.<br><br>I hope that comes across to ya'll in the spirit which I intend it to. If I had constant concerns about a tire or tires, I'd replace them and start asking Toyota for refunds, even partial compensation.

Safety was an issue. In my small family of three drivers I am the keener when it comes to cars. I felt nervous with my wife and daughter driving such a "darty" car. An alignment helped but the Michelin X-Ones were what made it safe. Don't bother Toyota. There are so many people who think you "must" have an XL tire that you will be able to easily sell them into the shortage. Tell them your reasoning and you should have no ethical problem.<br><br>But please note my comment about "heavily built" drivers. I think the Prius is near the weight limit for 175/65 with a full load. While there is some "extra" built into all tires, if you are heavy or perhaps drive under severe conditions (hot pavement, high speeds, a tendency to forget about pressures and drive underinflated) you might want to upsize one notch.<br><br>By the way, I had occasion to safely reef the wheel back and forth in heavy rain yesterday and with good rain tires the Prius' manoeverability (accident avoidance) is amazing!<br><br>Rick Hall

So what tire exactly do you recommend for the heavier loaded Prius. Please be specific enough that one could order them. Thanks.

I think that if you are looking for a higher load rating or perhaps a larger envelope of safety to mitigate poor conditions such as underinflation, overloading or high temperatures you might want to plus size to 185/65. The Prius come with "S" speed rated tires which are rated to 112 mph. I think a "T" rated tire (118 mph.), which is popular and readily available, might be less out of round (rounder?) and have better ability to manage temperature but I don't know this for sure.<br><br>All "S" rated tires have their load rated at 35 psi, but some have a maximum pressure set at 35 psi and others at 44 psi. I don't know why this is so. It may have something to do with the sidewall or the attachment to the rim. Nevertheless, If you were to pump one of these tires to 41 psi, it would be the same as the OE Bridgestone.<br><br>I'm not sure if it is wise to go much over Toyota's recommended pressure. In the first place tires can be dangerous to fill. If there is an unseen defect it could explode. Secondly, I suspect that harder tires absorb less of the imperfections of the road and cause more noise, vibration and wear to shocks and other parts. <br><br>Unless you have special circumstances, for example a "heavily built" traveling salesman in the lower states, I think you should simply buy good quality tires in the stock size. If the tires are at the top of the manufacturer's line then you should have a good safety margin and it will be consistent for all four tires (less chance of getting a bad one).<br><br>To sum up, just buy good quality, standard tires and a good air gauge. You'll find that the car feels safer and more responsive and it will be cheaper in the long run compared to the Bridgestones. Pick a brand you trust and go with it.<br><br>Good luck,<br>Rick Hall

I still have yet to take the Prius plunge, but am considering to do so ASAP. Anyway, I do continue to read the posts in this area and the tires seem to be a recurring issue.<br><br>Let me ask - has anyone ever tried either of the Pirelli models on their Prius yet? Pirelli makes two models for the Prius (176/65/14) which is the P6000 (a more sporty type tire) and the P400 (more of a long traction wear tire). On the car I have now, I have Pirelli P4000's and they have been one of the best I've ever used on a car.<br><br>I know what you may be thinking - Pirelli= $$$, but if you go to www.tirerack.com, you'll find that you won't pay much more that $200 for 4 of them.

Hi all -- I ordered mine on June 6th and got the owners manual the end of August. I expect the car sometime around the end of November (upstate New York). Anyway - the reason for this response is the tire discussion - We are really drifting away from the idea of the Prius here. The tires - whether they are good OEs or not, (I have never seen a good OE tire - usually Firestones because they are cheap), are not the reason for this discussion group. I rarely have ever replaced a tire on a new car with the same tire that was on it because of the low initial quality of most OE tires. With numerous cars over the last 20 years, we have had good success with Michs and Pirellis, but it doesn't really matter. <br><br>The design of the Prius is the reason most of us are buying this car and what it can do to help the environment. Toyota has equiped the car with Bridgestones (which as you know is part of Firestone) for the probable reason most other car companies use a particular brand too. Cheap. I would probably change to Mich or Pirellis after I see some wear in the OEs, but that does not matter either. <br><br>If we want a discussion on tires, then we should start another yahoo board on tire issues, but leave this board to those that care about the engineering of the Prius. <br><br>How about discussing the upcoming release of Fords Hybrid Escape (which is similar in design to the Prius) or talk about Toyota's plan to go to 300,000 hybrids per year by 2005? <br><br>Anyway - I really like our talks about Prius, but don't like talk about Bridgstones...<br><br>Sorry for the lecture..<br><br>Steve D.<br>NY.

~If we want a discussion on tires, then we should ~start another yahoo board on tire issues, but ~leave this board to those that care about the ~engineering of the Prius. <br><br>~How about discussing the upcoming release of ~Fords Hybrid Escape (which is similar in design ~to the Prius) or talk about Toyota's plan to go ~to 300,000 hybrids per year by 2005? <br><br><br>I am sorry if you think this is an engineering forum. This site is for the discussion and dissemination of information relevant to the owning and caring for a Prius. Tires are part of the ownership experience. The title of this club says it all.

This discussion group exists precisely to address these kinds of issues, issues which are not tire issues per se but which deal directly with engineering and with the design of the Prius, as well as with environmental matters. There appear to be serious design or engineering flaws which result in premature tire wear under certain conditions. If this were an isolated incident one could hardly find fault with not wanting to discuss it, but this problem--according to Bridegestone (to my knowledge Toyota has not yet responded officially to the problem)--is decidedly not a one-off. Furthermore, it can hardly be environmentally sound to be replacing a set of tires every 4,000 miles, not matter how low the exhaust emmission figures may be. Driving in straight lines may be fine for most people, but a sizeable minority have to contend with hills and curves, and some with both, and that combination of factors seems to be a problem for the Prius. If that ain't a design/engineering matter I don't know what is, and it is thus fair game for this and any other Prius discussion board.<br>My apologies for the return lecture...<br>Alan

Thanks for the suggestion! Hadn't thought of Pirellis. There are lots of tires around in the proper size, but not in the Extra Load configuration, which the Prius absolutely must have, according to Toyota. And the only tires made in that specific configuration are the OEM Bridgestones. Others have suggested alternatives, but as noted elsewhere, there are not "official" replacements other than the Bridgestones...