Not long ago, I noticed that the treads on the tires of my trusty Toyota Prius had been worn almost flat. With 35,000 miles on the vehicle and these being the original tires, I was satisfied that they had given me their full value’s worth and were ready to be replaced. Like most Prius owners, my choice in vehicle reflects some of my larger social interests – among which in this case, limiting my carbon footprint through the driving of a fuel efficient vehicle – so I naturally sought to replace the worn tires with new ones that would help me to get every possible bit of mileage out of each tank of fuel the car consumes. I also believe in supporting local businesses whenever possible; thus I headed on over to the nearby Les Schwab Tire Center to pick out a new set of radials.
Now I will admit; I am not a “car buff.” Despite the fact that my father was one of the most knowledgeable auto enthusiasts I have ever met in my life, a man who could fix just about anything that could go wrong with a car while working blindfolded at night in the fog, his skills did not pass on to me. Cars to me are a source of transportation. They need to be properly maintained and regularly serviced by skilled professionals to operate efficiently and I am a firm believer in (and practitioner of) supporting the local skilled professionals in my community who do just that. Hence when I consulted the local tire professionals to select and have installed the correct tires for my 2004 Prius, I took to heart their recommendations and acted accordingly. Unfortunately, on one point of their advice, I should have demurred: siping.
For those who, like me at the time, are unfamiliar with siping the Toyota Tech section of 4×4 Wire provides a very nice definition:
Tire siping is the process of cutting small slits, or grooves, into the tread blocks of tires in order to provide better traction in adverse weather conditions. The sipes allow the tread blocks to spread on contact with the ground, which helps expel water from the tread and provides better bite.
It makes perfect sense. Better traction, improved safety; naturally, I elected to have it done.
Now, as most everyone knows, the Toyota Prius is a hybrid. It features a handy display mounted prominently on the dashboard which conveys to the driver information about the source of the power being used at the moment (battery, engine, or both) as well as a real-time graph of the present fuel efficiency being realized by the vehicle. At the bottom of this display is a resettable read-out of the fuel efficiency of the present tank of fuel. From this I know that my vehicle averages just about 50 miles per gallon per tank. However following the installation of the new tires, I noticed that the fuel efficiency seemed to be declining. Thinking it an anomaly, I waited until I had run the next full tank through before making assumptions. The next tank recorded 45.5 miles per gallon; the one following it 43.2.
As Les Schwab Tire Centers are known for their outstanding customer service, I called and spoke with their manager about my observations. He was courteous, helpful, and perfectly honest. From him I learned that Toyota Prius owners have reported decreased fuel efficiency following the installation of new siped tires. As he wanted to ensure that I was completely satisfied with my purchase, he offered to replace all four tires with a fresh set of the same (but unsiped) at no charge. That, my friends, is what I call commitment to customer satisfaction. I gratefully and thankfully accepted his offer. In little time at all, I drove away up the road to improved fuel efficiency on four brand new Toya Eclipse radials.
