[Applewhite]

I wish I had read RAMI's post BEFORE I bought new tires for my 2005 Prius (I got just 30K miles out of my first set). I had the exact same experience with the BFGoodrich tires, my mileage instantly dropped AT LEAST 5 MPG. I increased the tire pressure to 42 psi but did not see any change in mileage.

In fact, the BFGoddrichtires.com web site says that they do not make ANY tires that match the OEM specs for the PRIUS. It even directs you to the Michelin site for tires that are an OEM match. I believe the key factor is the load rating of the tire as the PRIUS requires a higher than "standard" load rating, presumably due to the weight of the battery pack.

The dealer reports that it is essential to maintain proper tire pressure AND to rotate your tires every 5K miles if you want to get "decent" tire life.

The folks at COSTCO were great, I'm returning the tires tomorrow and getting Michelins (at almost twice the price).