I got new Comfortreds last Thursday and immediately (Saturday) took off on a 700 mile roundtrip...since I knew I wanted to study the effect of the new tires, I tried to take note of all the relevant variables.
Here is the result.
Pre-Comfortred Averages (summer weather only)
-normal drive: inter-suburban commuting at 35-45 mph; favorable terrain.
-AC: usually on max cold
-tires: 35/33 (Integrities)
-driving style..pretty much the Fusco method...lots of coasting; anticipating stops; accelerate to speed and then drive it.
-MPG under these conditions (MFD): 51-53 mpg
Post Comfortred Experimental Trip
Leg 1: Rindge NH to Brattleboro Vt....35 miles...new tank
-rolling hills on secondary highway; 40-50 mph
-AC/auto set to 73 F
-tires 36/34 (Comfortred)
-reading after 35 miles: 62 MPG!
-outside temp: mid to upper 80s F
Leg 2: Brattleboro to (near) Scranton, PA...all interstate
-cruise set to 66mph for about 275 miles; then upped to 70mph for
the last 100 or so.
-AC/auto set to 73F (outside air)
-outside temp: upper 80s F
-2 passengers @ total 300 llbs.
-reading at 375 miles cumulative from Rindge, NH above: 51.5 mpg (total 375 miles if I remember correctly...didn't write it down);
---------------------------------------------------
Leg 3: Scranton...Boston
-new driver (the cuter one)
-driving speed (she doesn't use cruise) about 70mph
-4 passengers @ 450 llbs.
-AC manual set to max/cold (re-circ)
-outside temp 88F
-unfortunately, the new driver did not write down the MFD mileage reading when she filled up (she started with two blips of fuel left).
-However, after filling up, she drove another 258 miles at 52.5 mpg (MFD)
----------------------------------------------------
Conclusions:
1. Comfortreds caused no MPG hit; quite the contrary, this was all highway, and we matched our normal pre-comfortred, inter-surburban preformance;
2. This is all the more surprising given that the tires had no break-in at all; they were literally fresh off the racks;
3. Note that return trip with AC on max cold actually did a little better than outbound trip set at 73F (although prob not statistically significantly so);
4. Oh yes: the tires are a dream. One of my favorite things about the Prius is the silky smooth ride...the purr of the engine and the flawless (yes!) shifting of the CVT. But I have to tell you: with the Comfortreds, it is even better...the "THUMPS" under the tires become muffled "thwumps".
So: "THUMP THUMP THUMP" becomes "thwump thwump thwump"...hear the difference?
So there you have it. Real world data. Great tires.
Here is the result.
Pre-Comfortred Averages (summer weather only)
-normal drive: inter-suburban commuting at 35-45 mph; favorable terrain.
-AC: usually on max cold
-tires: 35/33 (Integrities)
-driving style..pretty much the Fusco method...lots of coasting; anticipating stops; accelerate to speed and then drive it.
-MPG under these conditions (MFD): 51-53 mpg
Post Comfortred Experimental Trip
Leg 1: Rindge NH to Brattleboro Vt....35 miles...new tank
-rolling hills on secondary highway; 40-50 mph
-AC/auto set to 73 F
-tires 36/34 (Comfortred)
-reading after 35 miles: 62 MPG!
-outside temp: mid to upper 80s F
Leg 2: Brattleboro to (near) Scranton, PA...all interstate
-cruise set to 66mph for about 275 miles; then upped to 70mph for
the last 100 or so.
-AC/auto set to 73F (outside air)
-outside temp: upper 80s F
-2 passengers @ total 300 llbs.
-reading at 375 miles cumulative from Rindge, NH above: 51.5 mpg (total 375 miles if I remember correctly...didn't write it down);
---------------------------------------------------
Leg 3: Scranton...Boston
-new driver (the cuter one)
-driving speed (she doesn't use cruise) about 70mph
-4 passengers @ 450 llbs.
-AC manual set to max/cold (re-circ)
-outside temp 88F
-unfortunately, the new driver did not write down the MFD mileage reading when she filled up (she started with two blips of fuel left).
-However, after filling up, she drove another 258 miles at 52.5 mpg (MFD)
----------------------------------------------------
Conclusions:
1. Comfortreds caused no MPG hit; quite the contrary, this was all highway, and we matched our normal pre-comfortred, inter-surburban preformance;
2. This is all the more surprising given that the tires had no break-in at all; they were literally fresh off the racks;
3. Note that return trip with AC on max cold actually did a little better than outbound trip set at 73F (although prob not statistically significantly so);
4. Oh yes: the tires are a dream. One of my favorite things about the Prius is the silky smooth ride...the purr of the engine and the flawless (yes!) shifting of the CVT. But I have to tell you: with the Comfortreds, it is even better...the "THUMPS" under the tires become muffled "thwumps".
So: "THUMP THUMP THUMP" becomes "thwump thwump thwump"...hear the difference?
So there you have it. Real world data. Great tires.