Choosing the best tires for the Toyota Prius is not exactly a walk in the park. The choices are nothing short of bewildering. When choosing new tires for any type of car, you seriously need to consider the OEM requirements of the vehicle.
You can say what you want about the Toyota Prius. I am aware there are people who literally despise hybrids. When you think about it, they have a valid point to consider, although most are bordering on exaggeration.
Whatever the case, the Toyota Prius remains to be the first production hybrid vehicle and is still one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.
Sporty drivers need not apply. The Toyota Prius is not renowned for its handling and cornering abilities. It is made to cruise silently and comfortably on city streets and open highways. It is designed to deliver maximum fuel economy and is not meant to be thrown around like a sports car or sports coupe.
What are the Best Tires for My Toyota Prius in 2024?
With that being said, it is clear the Toyota Prius needs a silent, comfortable, and reliable set of rubber.
When it’s time to change the tires in your Toyota Prius, do you go for the OEM brand tires or do you search around for the cheapest option? Personally speaking, I would go for the OEM tire options since those tires were designed to match the performance merits of the vehicle.
However, if you have a small budget, there is no need to despair. We created a list of the best tires for the Toyota Prius and we included both OEM and alternative brands. This list of tires will hopefully make the decision-making process a little bit easier without hurting your wallet.
But before we get to the list, you need to keep this in mind: the market is flooded with a bedazzling array of cheap tires. Mind you, not all of them are good, especially the dirt cheap variety. But there are some that can deliver the goods for half the price.
I know there is such a thing as brand loyalty. I get that. Tires are an integral part of the driving experience so it is important to stick to tire brands that you trust.
But for first time or novice car owners who don’t know much about cars? It’s a different experience. Novice car owners can easily end up buying expensive tires that are not right for their vehicle.
Let’s get down to the nitty and gritty. Here are the top rated tires for the Toyota Prius (including the Prius One, Prius Two, Prius Two Eco, Prius Three, Prius Three Touring, Prius Four, and Prius Four Touring).
Best Tires for Toyota Prius: OEM Brand
| Tires | Top Feature |
|---|---|
| Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus | Eco-friendly all-season tire |
| Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 | All-season touring comfort |
| Michelin Premier A/S | Sporty all-season performance |
| Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max | Saves fuel |
| Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus | Reduced CO2 emissions |
Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus
Let’s start with the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus. I managed to rack a lot of miles on this tire when I was testing a production-ready Japanese subcompact. What really surprised me about the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus is the ride comfort and road silence.
This tire is designed to help your Toyota Prius obtain the highest level of fuel efficiency on all types of roads, whether wet or dry. This is a low rolling resistance tire that doesn’t compromise on all-season traction and handling.
It is the best Toyota Prius tire if you want to experience OEM levels of ride silence and comfort.
Of course, this tire is not perfect. Sporty drivers will notice the lack of grip on slippery wet roads. The tires also have a tendency to give the steering a dull and lifeless feel. The Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus will set you back around $108 per piece, which is not bad but still pricey compared to lesser known brands.
The Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus comes with a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty. It is available in 15” to 17” diameters to fit sedans, small crossovers, and minivans.
Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02
The Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 is an all-season touring tire designed for sedans, crossovers, and minivans. This tire comes with an innovative design that delivers more wet traction and fuel economy while lowering the amount of road noise as well.
I have also tried the Turanza EL400-02 in the past and I was impressed with the dry handling and quiet comfort of the tires. However, touring tires are not designed for sporty driving. If you are looking for a more responsive set of tires with higher levels of grip, this tire is not for you.
Despite the lack of sporty performance, the Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 is the best touring tire for the Toyota Prius.
The Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 is great for both old and newer models of the Toyota Prius, specifically the 2018 Toyota Prius Four Touring model. If you do a lot of highway driving in your Prius, the Turanza EL400-02 is one of the best choices for your hybrid vehicle.
The downsides to this tire are marginal wet traction, dull steering feel, and a higher price tag. The Turanza EL400-02 starts at around $150 per piece.
Michelin Premier A/S
If you demand a sturdy and sportier set of tires for your Toyota Prius, it is hard to go wrong with the Michelin Premier A/S. This tire is engineered with EverGrip Technology that maintains excellent levels of traction and grip on wet roads even if the tires are worn down.
This tire is also equipped with expanding rain grooves that will open and widen as the tire wears down. This means better safety on slippery and icy roads even if the tires are reaching the end of their service life.
If you are looking for the best sporty tire for the Toyota Prius, you should definitely look into the Michelin Premier A/S. This is one of the best all season tires for Prius.
The Michelin Premier A/S is also constructed using high levels of silica compound and sunflower oil. The former provides adequate all-season traction and grip while the latter helps the EverGrip groove design to remain flexible and pliable even under extreme heat or cold.
If not for the price, I will buy the Michelin Premier A/S tires for my Toyota Prius in a heartbeat. Although you will need to spend around $130 to $170 per piece, this remains one of the best tires for the Toyota Prius.
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max
The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is specifically intended for hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. This tire is reputed to save drivers an average of 2,600 miles or 4,000 km. worth of fuel over the intended useful life of the rubber.
The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is one of the best mpg tires for Prius.
These are bold claims, but Goodyear is one of the best OEM tire brands. The Assurance Fuel Max is an all season tire that provides improved traction on both wet and dry pavements. The tire is equipped with unique dual aqua channels to quickly disperse water away from the face of the treads. This feature is designed to prevent aquaplaning or hydroplaning on wet or snowy pavement.
The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is the only tire I know equipped with 2 tread zones: dry tread zone and wet tread zone. The center part of the tire is the wet zone. The dry zone can be found on the outer part of the tire. You will notice a thicker tread line on the dry zone of the tire and this is to increase traction and grip on dry roads.
The best part? The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max starts at around $90 each and comes with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty. This tire is not the cheapest in this list of best tires for the Toyota Prius, but it also happens to be one of the best. The tire is available in 14” to 17” diameters.
Pirelli P4 Four Season Plus
The Pirelli P4 Four Season Plus is an all season touring tire for sedans, coupes, and minivans. This tire is constructed using a high silica tread compound along with an optimized tread design.
This tire is known for reducing CO2 emissions and saving fuel as you drive.
Equipped with variable angle grooves with a continuous center rib, the Pirelli P4 Four Season Plus is also designed to deliver excellent traction and handling on both wet and dry roads. In fact, this tire is equipped with central longitudinal grooves to provide added safety in control over wet or snowy pavement. This is the best touring tire for the Toyota Prius that combines eco-friendliness with brilliant all-season performance.
The Pirelli P4 Four Season Plus is a touring tire by heart. This means you can expect a silent and comfy ride along with longer wear. This tire is accompanied by a 90,000-mile treadwear warranty and starts at around $110 each. It is available in 14” to 17” diameters to fit a wide array of applications and wheel sizes.
Best Tires for Toyota Prius: Budget Tires
Hankook Kinergy GT H436
The Hankook brand is one of my favorite budget tire brands. Hankook manages to deliver performance-oriented tires without going overboard on the price. The Hankook Kinergy GT H436 is a perfect example.
The Kinergy GT is a premium grand touring all-season tire for sedans, sports coupes, sporty crossovers, and minivans. The tire is engineered using a high-grip silica compound to offer better all-season traction including winter driving.
Equipped with four wide circumferential grooves and larger center rib, the Kinergy GT is designed to deliver good handling, better steering feel, and exceptional performance on wet or slippery pavement. The tire is also constructed with an enhanced sidewall stiffness to further improve vehicle stability.
The Hankook Kinergy GT starts at around $70 each is one of the best and most affordable tire choices for the Toyota Prius. The tire is available in a wide array of sizes from 15” to 19” diameters.
Kumho Solus TA11
The Kumho Solus is premium all-season touring tire that manages to deliver sportier handing with less road noise. The Solus TA11 also manages to deliver higher levels of driving comfort without giving up the necessary stiffness required for better handling.
The Kumho Solus TA11 is far from being a proper sporty tire. While it is quiet and comfortable on the highway, it is a proper touring tire that is designed for longer wear.
I also like how the Solus TA11 performs on mild snowy roads. If you live in an area where it gets extremely cold and snowy in the winter season, the Kumho Solus TA11 is one of the best and most affordable choices for the money.
This tire is available in 13” to 18” diameters to fit a wide variety of vehicle applications. Best of all, the Kumho Solus starts at around $70. This means you can buy a complete set of four tires for your Prius without spending more than $300. This tire is also backed by Kumho’s exclusive 75,000-mile limited warranty.
Toyo Versado ECO
The Toyo Versado ECO is specifically designed to further improve the fuel economy or lessen the rolling resistance on hybrid vehicles and electric cars. The Versado ECO is engineered to deliver a smooth and quiet ride while maintaining excellent all-season traction and grip.
This tire is developed utilizing a low rolling resistance tread compound that improves fuel economy and increases the tread life. The tire is equipped with four wide circumferential grooves and an array of unique multi-wave sipes to improve performance on wet or snowy roads.
The Toyo Versado ECO comes with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. It is available in 13” to 18” diameters and starts at around $75 to $80 each. What I did find strange is the price discrepancy on larger diameter models of the Versado ECO. You can expect to pay a higher premium if your vehicle is equipped with 17-inch or larger wheels.
Nexen N’Priz AH5
The Nexen N’Priz AH5 is an all season touring tire that comes with a friendly price tag. But if you think cheap tires are compromised in terms of traction and wear, you are probably mistaken. The Nexen N’Priz is equipped with four wide longitudinal grooves and a rigid shoulder block to enhance the cornering and handling of your Toyota Prius.
I got the chance to test this tire and I was impressed with the ride comfort and tread design. It is a cheap tire that manages to infuse a bit of sportiness into the mix. Nexen won’t confirm if the N’Priz AH5 is a hybrid touring and performance tire, but this seems to be the case.
The N’Priz AH5 is designed with a dual kerf tread design that will serve to enhance stiffness of the block to ensure better mileage and a silent ride. This tire is available in 14” to 17” diameter and is accompanied by Nexen’s excellent 50,000-mile mileage warranty.
The Nexen N’Priz AH5 will start at around $60 to $80. If you want to give your Toyota Prius a cheap tire that delivers good all-season traction and longer wear, this tire deserves more than just a second look.
Falken Sincera SN250 A/S
The Falken Sincera SN250 A/S deserves more attention. This is an all-season performance touring tire with a conservative tread design. It is constructed using an exclusive silica tread compound that utilizes Falken’s Dynamic Range Technology. What this means is the tire will remain pliable even when exposed to extremely high or low temperatures to deliver excellent all-season performance.
The Sincera SN250 A/S is equipped with four circumferential grooves to prevent hydroplaning on extremely wet or snowy road surfaces. The tire also comes with a solid center rib design to improve the steering feel and stability of your Toyota Prius.
This tire is manufactured with a symmetrical rib tread design that is optimized to reduce noise and improve wear. You will notice the tire is equipped with multiple sipes on the treads of the tire that were designed using 3D Canyon Sipe Technology. This will provide better traction and grip on wet and snowy roads while producing a more stable tread block. This equates to better wet and dry performance.
I was able to test the Falken Sincera SN250 A/S a couple of months back and I was impressed with the dry performance and ride silence of the rubber. In fact, the ride comfort was stellar and the road noise was one of the lowest I have ever experienced in a cheaper set of tires.
The Falken Sincera SN250 A/S starts at around $65 to $70 each and is sold in 14” to 18” diameters. If you are concerned about the quality of this tire, it’s good to know the Sincera SN250 A/S comes with a 75,000-mile or 80,000-mile limited treadlife warranty for added peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are touring tires better for the Toyota Prius?
Touring tires are primarily designed to give your Prius better fuel economy, a silent ride, and longer tire wear. They are not necessarily better than a good set of all-season tires, but touring tires are one of the best options for your Toyota Prius Hybrid.
Can I use sporty tires my Toyota Prius?
If you’re a sporty type of driver, why not? Of course, sporty tires will be less refined than touring tires. They may also wear faster than touring tires. But if you want to give your Prius a mild handling upgrade, you can go for a set of sporty all-season tires.
When should I rotate the tires in my Prius?
The owner’s manual will tell you to rotate the tires in your Toyota Prius every 6 months or every 4,000 to 6,000 miles whichever comes first. This will allow you to get the most out of the tires without spending too much in maintenance. But if you notice bald spots or irregular tire wear, have the suspension and the wheel alignment checked immediately to prevent further problems.
Conclusion
The best tires for Toyota Prius are those that were designed to lower rolling resistance while giving you a smooth and quiet ride. The tires listed above are simply the most sterling choices for your Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle.
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Alvin Reyes has expertise in automotive evaluation. He collaborated with famous newspapers and is still making efforts in tire review for DrivingPress.com
All tires listed are very difficult to find and buy in UK! Do you recommend any place that I can buy them from?