Are the OEM tires good, bad, or indifferent?

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but a search for "tires" is too general to help me.

When I got my 2004 Prius, the OEM tires were pretty lousy, and soon there were suggestions from Prius gurus about replacement tires. I ended up putting Michelin Hydro Edge tires on.

So, now that my Leaf is scheduled to arrive the week of April 22 (WHOOPEE!!!) I am wondering if Nissan has put good tires on it, or if they've done like Toyota and saved money with cheap tires (in Toyota's case, with the excuse that they were low rolling resistance). I generally stay home when it's snowing, so I've been happy with the Hydro Edge all-season tires on the Prius.

So can any of you owners tell me if the OEM tires are good, or should I plan on switching? I want the best all-season tires I can get for safety. Safety is my number-one concern, since with my driving, I am never going to be pushing my range. I am never going to be driving more than 50 or 60 miles in a day except on road trips, when I'll have to take the stinker.

Daniel

Keep the tires, they are very good and not like typical OEM tires.

EVDRIVER said:

Keep the tires, they are very good and not like typical OEM tires.

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Thanks for that info!

This is actually something I have been thinking about.

The OEM are all-season tires. However, did any of you with December/January/February deliveries install winter tires? Did you notice any change in performance?

I usually put non-studded winter tires on November-April, so this is why I ask.

Well, yes and no. As LRR tires go, they are quite good. But if you are interested in handling or braking, they are mediocre compared to many other tires due in part to the hard rubber compound and sidewall construction necessary to make a LRR tire. If you look them up, you'll also see that they only have a DOT AA rating, which is low for a modern tire since the rating thresholds are low by today's standards. As in almost everything else, it is a trade-off.

EVDRIVER said:

Keep the tires, they are very good and not like typical OEM tires.

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Edited: to correct error.

I have had a couple of emergency stops in the car and found braking performance excellent. If it's that good with suspect rubber them it will likely suck out your eyeballs with good sneakers. The stock tires do like to wander around in our grooved highway pavement... But that's at 70mph+.

mogur said:

...If you look them up, you'll also see that they only have a DOT BA ratings..

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Au contraire, EP422's supplied on the Leaf are DOT 400AA. The older EP100's are 400AB in the Leaf's size (A for traction, B for temperature). I think the EP422 is a good tire. Even the EP100 scored very well in tirerack's low-rolling-resistance tire comparison.

It is a very good tire for an EV or Hybrid and is tough to beet, it is designed for that application. Now I'm sure we will have ten pages on IF you want to go to the track they suck, etc, etc. If you want range and decent performance with range stick with these as presently it is tough to do any better. In fact, I know several people getting these as replacements for the Prius, $70 of a set of four at Costco, until May 5 I think.

daniel said:

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but a search for "tires" is too general to help me.

When I got my 2004 Prius, the OEM tires were pretty lousy, and soon there were suggestions from Prius gurus about replacement tires. I ended up putting Michelin Hydro Edge tires on.

So, now that my Leaf is scheduled to arrive the week of April 22 (WHOOPEE!!!) I am wondering if Nissan has put good tires on it, or if they've done like Toyota and saved money with cheap tires (in Toyota's case, with the excuse that they were low rolling resistance). I generally stay home when it's snowing, so I've been happy with the Hydro Edge all-season tires on the Prius.

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(I added the color highlights; they were not in the OP.) I think you'd get more useful feedback if you clarify those terms; they mean very different things to different people. You might not necessarily agree with "not lousy" or "good" or "not cheap" tire recommendations from me, for example.

What are your goals?
Maximize efficiency/minimize power usage?
Maximize tire life/minimize replacement cost?
Maximize safety?
Maximize braking and cornering performance?

Safety and cornering and braking performance necessarily go hand in hand. A higher-performance tire, being stickier and more structurally stable (to deal with elevated speeds and cornering and braking forces) will perform better in emergency situations: having to dodge the kid/dog chasing the bouncing ball, avoiding hitting the sexting teen pulling out in front of you, etc.

If you want more power usage efficiency and/or longer tire life, a LRR tire, with its harder compound and smaller sizes, is for you, as mogur already pointed out.

DeaneG said:

...If you look them up, you'll also see that they only have a DOT BA ratings..

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mogur said:

Au contraire, EP422's supplied on the Leaf are DOT 400AA. The older EP100's are 400AB in the Leaf's size (A for traction, B for temperature). I think the EP422 is a good tire. Even the EP100 scored very well in tirerack's low-rolling-resistance tire comparison.

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Again, "good" is relative. Certainly, an UTQG of 400 is middle-of-the-road to low-end when you consider that "high performance" tires from Bridgestone has UTQG's in the 100's.

That said, there is not really a large selection of LRR tires around, so among LRR, I suppose the EP422 could be considered "good", but I don't know, not having read any of the comparos or done any research.

Personally, I will switch to lighter wheels and the "summer" variant of the Bridgestone Ecopia (EP100) at the first opportunity, that is, probably in a zillion miles, after the OEM Flintstone-mobile EP422's wear out! I might even get "normal" high performance tires and see what difference they make in range. It's entirely possible that I can have a more fun-to-drive LEAF and no degradation in range.

I believe I was the one who had the correct DOT ratings for the EP422/EP100. Not that it matters as long as someone gets the right info.

As I said, here we go. Sure, one can drop a few grand on new tires and wheels. I think the question was are the decent LRR tires and from everything I have seen they are in the top category. This is a EV not a sports car and it never will be, to really improve handling via tires there will be a big efficiency hit, for those that don't car they can put on whatever they want. The poster realized that many factory LRR tires are not so great, Nissan picked good ones. This was a simple "are there much better LRR tires" question. If you want more performance then get new tires but the investment in wheels to make a difference is going to be costly.

I would also put this in the category; "If it ain't broke..."

I have 18" wheels and ultra high performance summer tires on my BMW 335 because they are appropriate for that car and the way I drive it. Likewise for the 17" factory wheels and Michelin Cross Terrain tires on the MDX. Thus, I'll not be changing the tires or wheels on the Leaf since what is there from the factory already is a good fit for the way that car will be used and driven...

TRONZ said:

I would also put this in the category; "If it ain't broke..."

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DeaneG said:

I believe I was the one who had the correct DOT ratings for the EP422/EP100. Not that it matters as long as someone gets the right info.

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Yea, the information is right, and the spec's are nice. That said, generally, EV'rs are NOT thinking how hard they can dive into corners ... breaking hard, only to then go screaming onto the next straightaway. Rather they are generally driving anticipatorily ... judging if/when the next light will turn red, etc. Being an EV'er in that boat, I HAVE seen a couple other tires you can run at higher pressures - and rolling resistance is less at 50psi than it its at 42psi. Yes, you'll be feeling more bumps ... but you won't be driving over them like a bat out of hell anyway - if you are in the "generally speaking - I love better range" group. You could run a narrower rim/tire arrangement too. Seeking high range does not necessarly mean everything else is sacraficed either. For instance, a harder/narrower tire is less likely to hydroplane in heavy rain scenerios. But then, high range folks won't be as concerned with that as much because they're not in the "way crazy" group that do 80mph in the rain anyway. Like life, everything is a set of trade off's and interest ballancing acts.

aqn said:

...
What are your goals?
Maximize efficiency/minimize power usage?
Maximize tire life/minimize replacement cost?
Maximize safety?
Maximize braking and cornering performance?

Safety and cornering and braking performance necessarily go hand in hand. ...

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My sole concern is safety in ordinary driving on both wet and dry roads. I will gladly give up range if it gets me better handling in normal driving. I do not expect the Leaf to handle like a sports car. I was very pleased with the handling of the demo I drove. The roads were dry that day, as they most often are here in Spokane. I do want it to stop as quickly as possible and without loss of control when I need to slam on the breaks, and I want it to stick to the road when it's raining.

I have been entirely satisfied with the Michelin HydroEdge tires on the Prius, both winter and summer, both wet and dry roads. I bought them on the advice of one of the Prius gurus going into my second winter with the car, fall of 2004.

EVDRIVER said:

It is a very good tire for an EV or Hybrid and is tough to beet, it is designed for that application. Now I'm sure we will have ten pages on IF you want to go to the track they suck, etc, etc. If you want range and decent performance with range stick with these as presently it is tough to do any better. In fact, I know several people getting these as replacements for the Prius, $70 of a set of four at Costco, until May 5 I think.

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Thanks for the tip! I stopped by my neighborhood Costo yesterday and picked up 4 Ecopia EP422's for my Prius. Total deal came to $357 and so far I like the tires a lot. Time will tell how they effect the mileage.