Recomended 15" tires for better MPG ?
- Thread starter KPM
- Start date
ahtoxa
New member
Yep, use tirerack and sort tires in the size you need by the highest UTOG, which will give you a rough idea of which tire will last longest. Generally (generally) tires that have higher UTOG last longest and give best MPG due to lower rolling resistance. In some cases you will see traction compromises, though, especially in the wet.
The Champ
New member
The UTOG TREADWEAR rating on the tire, is just that an estimate of how long the tire will last. It has absolutely no bearing on the fuel mileage.
If you are looking for a tire that improves fuel mileage, you want to look at what are called Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tire.
Some examples of a LRR tire are the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, Continental PureContact, the Michelin Primacy MXM4 and the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.
I have the Ecopia's on my '06 Torrent AWD and the Fuel Max's on my 2011 Impala company car.
I drive the Impala about 1,000 miles per week for business making sales calls. My fuel mileage for a full size car with the 3.5L V6 is usually between 29 - 30 MPG. A little lower in winter, a little higher in summer, due to the chemistry of winter fuel.
ahtoxa
New member
But LRR tires have high UTOG. There is some correlation. It is not always direct, but it will get him started in the right direction when picking out a tire for his needs.
RMinNJ
Active member
Right but if one looks at the PureContacts..their treadwidth is 6.2 inches, the Ecopias 6inches ...compared to 7 inches on the Goodyear Eagle sports. Do they get more mileage by making the tires have less contact width on the pavement ?
That's one factor in achieving better MPG. You'll notice that hybrids like the Prius or Insight have especially narrow tires.
oldslowchevy
New member
Not nessersry true, tractor trailers have been going to super singles on both the tractor and the trailer getting almost a full mpg more by making that switch. That's a 10+% mpg increase.on a truck that normally gets 6.5-7 mpg.
Your big problem going to a wider tire is they like to ride on top. Meaning they want to be on top of snow and standing water where as a narrow tire will cut though or dig into.
Your big problem going to a wider tire is they like to ride on top. Meaning they want to be on top of snow and standing water where as a narrow tire will cut though or dig into.
The Champ
New member
LRR tires area all PREMIUM tires, and as such, typically have a high treadwear rating also. At tirerack, you can run a filter for LRR tires, and choose from them.
Simply looking at high treadwear ratings and then trying to figure out which one's are LRR is just too much work.
The Champ
New member
Generally speaking, a narrower tire will provide better fuel economy. The tradeoff is that a wider tire typically provides better grip (not talking about in the snow here).
I have the Eagle Sports on my Sonic, but they are not LRR tires. I replaced the OE 205/55/16 Hankooks with 225/50/16 Eagles because I wanted a better handling summer tire. Both tires area the same height, but the Eagles are much stickier and wider. Makes for more fun on the windy twisty roads in my area.
RMinNJ
Active member
Tirerack had a test where yes... handling/skidpad results went down with small tires but
MPG went up?
I purchased my LT with the 15 wheels as I did want cheaper tires but also the handling is not bad at all. I think with the Eaglesports there will be an improvement in handling..not sure anything can be worst than the Hankooks in snow.
For maximum MPG I think the purecontacts are an LRR ...Id probably get that one if going for MPG.
The Champ
New member
How often do you buy tires for a car? To change from 17's, you need to buy 15" rims which will cost more than you save on tires.
Most people get 5+ years out of a set of tires. Assuming that tires run $500.00, that's about $8.00 per month.
I'd be more interested in better handling every day I drive the car than saving a dollar a month on tires.
15 inch time can be found on the used market very cheap and I live i michigan..With the harsh winter. The price difference of snow tires would probably easily cover the cost of the rims. Also, tires here don't usually last 5 years. The roads are so covered in potholes they will inevitably get road rash. Lastly, my car is currently due for new tires.
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The Champ
New member
On my company car, I get about 12 - 18 months out of a set of tires. Of course I average about 1,000 miles per week on that vehicle.
On my personal cars, I do typically get about 5 years on a set of tires.
I do have 2 sets of wheels for my Sonic - the OE silver 16" rims have the 205/55/16 Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice snows and the craigslist find 16" black optional rims have the 225/50/16 Goodyear Eagles.
I expect to get at least 5 years out of each, but will replace in 7 years regardless of tread remaining, for safety reasons. Old tires are dangerous.
