Tires and MPG?

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disturban

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What tires get good gas mileage? I am going to need a set of 235 70 15's for my wifes 2000 Bravada. It had Uniroyal Laredos this past summer and got 20hyw 16cty and we averaged 18.

About a month ago I bought 4 new Cooper Discoverer ST's for winter/spring. MPG went to 17hyw 13cty and the average is 14 to 15.

I want to buy 4 new tires and have them ready for summer when an All Terrain type of tire will not be necessary but gas mileage will be. What tires get great gas mileage? Should I just get another set of Uniroyals for the summer?
 
I don't think your MPG can drop that much ONLY from tires.

You're in Michigan, that has got to be winter blend gas and longer warm up times as the main contributors.

Just my .02. I don't own an SUV so I don't have a tire recommendation.
 
Originally Posted By: SLCraig
I don't think your MPG can drop that much ONLY from tires.

Tires have a huge effect on MPG.

I put bigger tires on 30x9.5 15's and they are a pretty aggressive All Terrain, kinda a cross between an AT and a Mud tire...we need them just to get out of our driveway in the winter and spring, but they do suck the gas. Not complaining because I no longer have to get in my truck and go pull her out...but come summer I would like to get some tires that has a really low rolling resistance and recoup some of that gas.
 
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I'd blame cold temps and winter blend gas as much as anything. Tires will make a difference but from what Ive seen, you trade traction and possibly treadwear for rolling resistance. I'd look at michelin's offerings.
 
My experience is that light weight/touring tires tend to do better on MPG than performance tires. Unsprung weight can be a killer. My cars also seem to do better with Michelins. I know some tires advertise better MPG like one of the new Goodyears and pretty much all of Michelins touring tires.
 
Originally Posted By: disturban
What tires get good gas mileage? I am going to need a set of 235 70 15's for my wifes 2000 Bravada. It had Uniroyal Laredos this past summer and got 20hyw 16cty and we averaged 18.

About a month ago I bought 4 new Cooper Discoverer ST's for winter/spring. MPG went to 17hyw 13cty and the average is 14 to 15.

I want to buy 4 new tires and have them ready for summer when an All Terrain type of tire will not be necessary but gas mileage will be. What tires get great gas mileage? Should I just get another set of Uniroyals for the summer?


Long Response:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/rrandfe.html

Short Response:

You took some F/E hits: New tires, winter gas, winter weather, probably a switch from All Season(ish) to All Terrain.

DO NOT expect to get good fuel economy AND good wear. Those 2 are trade-offs!

Expect an All Terrain tire to be worse for F/E.
 
Mileage dropped a bit on my son's '08 Civic with GY Triple Treds.
Still a great tire for the Civic.
 
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
Anyone have an up-to-date list of tires claiming to have exceptionally low rolling resistance and improved MPG?


From Wikipedia:

Some tires available in 2003 ranked by coefficient from lowest (least wasteful), according to the United States National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board Special Report 286 and the March 2003 Green Seal report on the topic.

0.00615 Bridgestone B381 P185/70R14
0.00650 Michelin SYMMETRY P225/60R16
0.00683 Michelin TIGER PAW AWP P225/60R16
0.00700 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 113S P265/70R17
0.00709 BFGoodrich RUGGED TRAIL T/A P285/70R17
0.00754 Michelin LTX A/S P255/65R17
0.00758 Goodyear INTEGRITY (OE) P225/60R16
0.00760 Bridgestone INSIGNIA SE 200 89S P195/65R15
0.00767 BFGoodrich RUGGED TRAIL T/A P245/65R17
0.00780 Continental Ameri-G4S WS P235/75R15
0.00795 Michelin TPAW TOURING TR/SR P215/70R16
0.00810 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 104S P235/70R16
0.00813 Goodyear Invicta GL 235/75R15
0.00825 Continental ContiTouring Contact CH95 P205/55R16
0.00829 Michelin CROSS TERRAIN SUV P255/75R17
0.00833 Michelin PILOT PRIMACY 275/50R19
0.00850 Michelin ENERGY LX4 P225/60R16
0.00854 Michelin PILOT LTX P265/70R17
0.00855 Michelin ENERGY MXV4 PLUS 235/65R17

Here is a list of Consumer Report's tires that achieved their best rolling resistance rating. The tires at the top of the list are rated higher overall.

Highly rated:
All Season

Michelin X Radial
Michelin Agility Touring
Michelin Harmony
Toyo 800 Ultra
Sumitomo HTR T4

Middle rank
Performance All Season

Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus
Continental ContiPremierContact H

Least benefit
All Season Ultra High Performance

General Exclaim UHP
Continental ContiExtremeContact

Below are the light duty tires (as reported by Consumer reports) achieving their best rolling resistance rating. Again, higher overall rated tires are closer to the top of the list.
All-season:

Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684
Michelin Cross Terrain
Continental ContiTrac SUV
BFGoodrich Radial Long Trail T/A

Followed by:
All-terrain

Continental ContiTrac TR

New models by 2009:
Michelin Energy Saver
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max
 
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Controlled testing on 18 wheelers has shown certain tires to improve fuel mileage by 10%, so they do make quite a difference. The tire store you do business with is probably the best person to help you with your decision. Yokohama has a new eco friendly ( for a tire anyway ) low rolling resistance tire made with orange oil. Worth checking out.
 
From CR's Nov '08 review of SUV and pickup tires, comparing the best rolling resistance tested tire to the worst:


"The Silverado got 2.4 mpg better highway mileage with the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A all-season tire than with the General Grabber AT 2 all-terrain tire."


This gibes with their testing of other types of tires, which usually finds a 3 mpg (highway) spread between the best and worst rolling resistance tires within a group.
 
3 mpg might be possible, particularly if you combine low rolling resistance tires with a bit higher pressure. If you can actually get 3 mpg it could pay for the tires over the life of the tire:

40,000 miles on a typical SUV at 17 mpg

Verses

40,000 miles at 20 mpg with the more efficient tires.

Will save 350 gallons of gas or over $1,000 at 3 $/gal.
 
Originally Posted By: mva
From Wikipedia:

...........................


A HUGE word of Caution:

The Wikipedia article is quite misleading - not to mention dated. I guess I need to get in there and rewrite it.

Specifically, the data in the article - which came from other sources - doesn't specifically mention the problem of testing tires of different sizes. Large capacity tires are more efficient than "small" tires. So comparing 2 tires of different sizes may not reveal what the true differences for a specific size.

The article also downplays the technology tradeoff of Wear / Traction / RR. In fact, it specifically says the opposite.

And lastly, most of the tires from the Green Seal report are OE - and now no longer produced as OE - meaning that if you were to buy one of those tires today, you would NOT get the same result.

Plus, original equipment tires are designed for the specific vehicle they come on. As such, their tire properties will vary greatly from size to size.
 
if you went from 235/70/15's to 30x9.5x15's, part of you issue is the size. Your new tire are more than an inch more in diameter, so your mileage calcs are off as is you odometer...unless you recalibrated your odometer/speedometer. You've also increased your rolling resistance as your tires are 1/4 inch wider (yes it makes a difference). You need to compare apples to apples or else you are chasing your tail.
 
Put a set of General Grabber AT 2 on my 06 tacoma awesome tire but mileage fell like a rock from what OEM bike tires it had on it 1.5 to 2 mpg sometimes it's all about trade off's.
 
Hi,
Sequino - Tyre type and tread pattern do influence fuel economy - at least measureable on 18 wheelers (22 in OZ)
It is unlikely to be as much as 10% however. The greatest influence is underinflation!

A move from 18 crossply aggressive (traction) tread patterned crossply tyres to 18 tubeless "highway" radials would be about 2-4%

Underinflation of either type would/could be greater than this
 
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One way to see a difference is on a small pickup where you might go from a P-rated tire to an LT rated in the same size. There is a significant weight difference in these and if you do a lot of city or stop/start driving, you'll be accelerating more mass all the time. The effect can be pronounced.

But, that said, underinflation as stated above is a real killer! I generally run my P265-70R-16 tires at 38 psi, not the 35 recommended on the door placard and it rewards me with several more MPG.
 
Originally Posted By: mva
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
Anyone have an up-to-date list of tires claiming to have exceptionally low rolling resistance and improved MPG?


From Wikipedia:

Some tires available in 2003 ranked by coefficient from lowest (least wasteful), according to the United States National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board Special Report 286 and the March 2003 Green Seal report on the topic.

0.00615 Bridgestone B381 P185/70R14
0.00650 Michelin SYMMETRY P225/60R16
0.00683 Michelin TIGER PAW AWP P225/60R16
0.00700 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 113S P265/70R17
0.00709 BFGoodrich RUGGED TRAIL T/A P285/70R17
0.00754 Michelin LTX A/S P255/65R17
0.00758 Goodyear INTEGRITY (OE) P225/60R16
0.00760 Bridgestone INSIGNIA SE 200 89S P195/65R15
0.00767 BFGoodrich RUGGED TRAIL T/A P245/65R17
0.00780 Continental Ameri-G4S WS P235/75R15
0.00795 Michelin TPAW TOURING TR/SR P215/70R16
0.00810 Bridgestone DUELER H/T 104S P235/70R16
0.00813 Goodyear Invicta GL 235/75R15
0.00825 Continental ContiTouring Contact CH95 P205/55R16
0.00829 Michelin CROSS TERRAIN SUV P255/75R17
0.00833 Michelin PILOT PRIMACY 275/50R19
0.00850 Michelin ENERGY LX4 P225/60R16
0.00854 Michelin PILOT LTX P265/70R17
0.00855 Michelin ENERGY MXV4 PLUS 235/65R17

Here is a list of Consumer Report's tires that achieved their best rolling resistance rating. The tires at the top of the list are rated higher overall.

Highly rated:
All Season

Michelin X Radial
Michelin Agility Touring
Michelin Harmony
Toyo 800 Ultra
Sumitomo HTR T4

Middle rank
Performance All Season

Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus
Continental ContiPremierContact H

Least benefit
All Season Ultra High Performance

General Exclaim UHP
Continental ContiExtremeContact

Below are the light duty tires (as reported by Consumer reports) achieving their best rolling resistance rating. Again, higher overall rated tires are closer to the top of the list.
All-season:

Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684
Michelin Cross Terrain
Continental ContiTrac SUV
BFGoodrich Radial Long Trail T/A

Followed by:
All-terrain

Continental ContiTrac TR

New models by 2009:
Michelin Energy Saver
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max


This wiki document is not that good at all. It even doesn't mention the advent of silica as tire filler enabling lower RR and higher traction.

When I buy new tires I look for tire with silica-based tread. But only rare tires sold in US have silica (30% as opposed to 70% tires in Asia). Also, the info is not always disclosed by tire makers. It would be nice to have a database of silica-based tires.
 
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