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[dragonlady7]

So we know which tires Dave needs for his car. There are only two particular brands that will work with his ultra-small, ultra-heavy car (2003 Toyota Prius hybrid). One is available at Dunn Tire, the other at Broad Elm. We decided on the Dunn Tire ones-- more expensive, but longer-lasting, so cheaper per mile.

Behind the cut is a photo of the tire that finally blew out. You can see from the wear that it was underinflated, even though he had it inflated to manufacturer's spec at all times. (I'm kind of obsessive with the tire pressure guage.) And yes, the Prius owner's Yahoo! group has concluded that the factory tires included with the model 02-03 Priuses are :
a) for shit
b) undersized
c) underinflated
d) only shave a tiny amount off the mileage and aren't worth it.

The '04 Priuses are totally different cars, and have nothing in common with the older models. They're midsize, not compact, and so have an entirely different vehicle weight class, and also totally different tires. So, there you have it. Now the only other complaint Dave really has with the car is that the paint job is for shit. You poke it and it gets a scratch. Pain in the ass. I hope they've addressed that in the '04s.

Anyhow. He got 41,000 miles out of tires rated for 35,000, so I guess this ending was hardly unexpected. One might ask, what's the point of an environmentally sensitive car if the tires have to be switched out at 35k miles? The ones we're getting today are rated for 80k miles. Which is more normal.

Ah well.






So, we're gonna go get the new tires in a little while, and then we can go get my drug test done and then maybe, maybe I can get back to this freaking novel.

Or, go downtown and apply for some more jobs...

Comments

[mother2012.livejournal.com]

It's my feeling that all the tire companies recommend underinflation. I don't know why, unless they just want you to buy tires sooner. The tire does stick to the road better, at the expense of gas milage. I just pump them up until they look right.