Most efficient tire alternative to stock tires

[rkiyer]

It looks like I've worn out the tread on my rear tires and need to replace at least the two rear tires, possibly all four. I looked at the previous threads on this forum and unlike them, I am not particularly interested in improving the vehicle's grip/ride/performance. I just want to maintain the range that the stock tires give me.

It also appears that the Bridgestone Ecopias are very difficult to find in the 195/55R15 size of the rear tires now. Does anyone have suggestions on other low rolling resistance tires that should give me comparable range as the stock tires?

Current candidates are:

Michelin Premier A/S (slightly expensive)
Kumho Solus TA31
BFGoodrich - Advantage T/A Sport (not LRR as far as I know)
Pirelli Cinturato Strada All Season (is this LRR?)

Any thoughts on these or other similar tires?

 

[JPL]

I have the Michelin in the front. They are not efficient at all. You loose 10% of range

 

[rkiyer]

Thanks JPL.

In the meantime, I have been able to find the stock Ecopia 150 in 185/55R15 at America Tire for the front wheels. Perhaps using a mix of those in the front and the Kumhos or Michelins in the rear might preserve some of the original range.

Another option that the America Tire salesman suggested was the General Altimax RT43. I'm not sure if it LRR or not though.

 

[Kermit]

I had kumho tires on my previous car (taurus) and they wore out quickly and were extremely loud. I have Sailun Atrezzo SH406 tires on the front of my car and the stock Ecopia tires on the rear. The Sailun tires were brand new when I got the car from Carvana. I don't have much to compare them to as far as range but they seem fine. The car itself doesn't have the same sound deadening as our volt so the road noise is a bit louder but nothing like what I experienced with Kumho tires.

 

[scrambler]

I went with the Firestone Fuel Fighters and did not notice much range difference.

 

[JoelAZ]

I recently put a complete set of Firestone Champion Fuel Fighters on the stock rims in the stock sizes. They were initially slippery, but wore in very similar to the stock Bridgestones. I'd say that they are equally as good.

 

[rgk]

I have a 2015 and 2016 Spark EV, 2015 has Bridgestone Ecopia and 2016 has General Altamax 43 ,which seems to provide a better ride with no loss in efficiency.

 

[rkiyer]

The General Altimax RT 43 seem to have good reviews and seems to be a LRR tire. It is available for both front and rear sizes. It is also somewhat economical. I'm going to give it a shot.

https://priuschat.com/threads/general-altimax-rt43-review.172249/

In general, I've found the Prius owner forums a good source to consult for LRR tire recommendations. There's a lot of them that are very sensitive to mileage changes and have done lots of research on LRR tires.

 

[rkiyer]

Thanks also for the Firestone Fuel Fighters recommendation. I can't seem to find them nearby but they seem to have a good reputation.

 

[NORTON]

OK, here's a confession:
I'm cheap. :lol:
I bought really cheap front tires for my Spark EV on amazon for <$50 ea. , delivered to a Sears Tire Center near me and they installed the pair for $30.
LIONHART LH-501 all_ Season Radial Tire-185/55R15 82V (yes chinese, and hopefully a real DOT rating, this time.....{harbor freight})

I put the ~6 yr old original ecopias on the back. They were removed around 12k miles and still look great.

LRR tires are nice, but then, the 'pay back' needs to be calculated.
Also, just now, when I brought my car back from its morning charge at the Free L2 near my work,, it displayed 82 mi. on the GOM !!!
This is at +69k mi. and I didn't take the slow roads home last night and this morning! I have no idea why my pack is doing so well ! :shock:

 

[StEVen]

@rkiyer
Are the Rt-43's treating you good? I have had the General Tire RT-43's on all four corners for a year now and have really enjoyed them. I find I still get great millage and they seem to be wearing reasonably good too. I especially enjoy having traction in all conditions which is sometimes a lot to ask of a LLR tire.

 

[Porsche]

New 2015 Spark EV LT2 owner about to get tires. @StEVen, @rgk, and anyone else with knowledge or experience, how have the General Altamax RT43's been working out? In detail, how have they compared with the stock tires?

range/mi/kWh?
performance/acceleration/handling?
wear/longevity?
noise?

I'm also considering:

Kumho Solus TA31
Michelin Premier A/S
uNiroyal tiger paw touring a/s
goodyear assurance maxlife (wrong size?)

If anyone has any experience with any of these, please post your comments. Thanks.