Save Gas with Tires? Yes, Round and Black Goes Lean and Green!

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Chad Hocker
Low rolling resistance tires are helping put money back in your pocket at the pump! Last summer the Tire Rack conducted tire testing on the latest generation of low rolling resistance tires.  We used the 2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicle as this was the best platform to include all the low rolling resistance fuel efficient tires

Even if you do not own a hybrid you are not excluded from using a low rolling resistance tire. As you look through the low rolling resistance tires you will see there are new sizes added to fit many modern sedans and passenger vehicles.

Check out the Fuel Economy Results from the Road Ride testing using the 2009 Toyota Prius.

Tire Line Test MPG* % vs. Baseline
Michelin Energy Saver A/S 53.8 +4.74%
Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 53.5 +4.12%
Yokohama dB Super E-Spec 52.8 +2.81%
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max 51.6 +0.37%
Goodyear Integrity 51.4 ---
Michelin HydroEdge with Green X 51.1 -0.59%
Goodyear Assurance ComforTred 50.0 -2.64%
 
*Calculated based on GPS distances and ScanGage II recorded consumption
(offset 6% for Prius Summer E10 regular grade fuel).

If your goal is better fuel economy for your commuter vehicle then these tires will be well suited for you. They however, may not be the best option for one that does drive with a little more "spirit." Read Switching from Worn-Out to New Tires.  The new tires do have a higher rolling resistance than old ones do. The Tire Rack selected brand new tires at full tread depth from in stock inventory for the testing.

Take a look at the some of the category leaders from the Road Ride and Track Ride Testing.Toyota Prius Test Vehicles - Road Ride

Looking for more information?  The full tire test details including; Test Report, Test Result Charts, and Test Video are available to view.

Comments on Save Gas with Tires? Yes, Round and Black Goes Lean and Green!

Friday, March 5, 2010 by larry:
These are very thorough tests here and at http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=121. I have a few questions... 1- It appears one brand and model of tire was chosen (Goodyear Integrity) as the baseline. Are all non-LRR tires the same? Is it possible that there is a variation in the performances (that were tested) in the non-LRR tires and choosing the Integrity distorted the differential between the LRRs and the non-LRRs? 2- Do the LRRs last as long as non-LRR tires? There can be wide variations in the tire's life (up to 20% or more). If the true cost of the tires is the goal (expected MPG savings, etc.) shouldn't an analysis of tire life be looked at too? 3- I didn't see it, but are the LRRs and non-LRRs priced the same? Was an analysis done to compare the total lifetime cost of the the two? For example, if one pays a premium for LRR will the earn it back at $2.50, etc? Thanks!
Sunday, September 11, 2011 by David:
1. The Goodyear Integrity is the OEM tire for the Toyota Prius. That is likely the reason it was used as the base tire for comparison. Many LRR tires are relatively low longevity tires. The Integrity only lasted 39K miles on my Prius, and Goodyear sold it as a 50K mile tire. My Assurances, though sold as 80K mile tires, only lasted 53K miles. I now have (just bought) Continental Pro Contact with EcoPlus, a lrr tire that is supposed to be good for 80K miles. It has a high traction rating, both dry and wet, from Tire Rack. Traction is another "problem area" with lrr tires. I chose not to buy the Kumho lrr tire because Tire Rack gave it a poor wet traction rating. I want to save gas, but I want to save lives if need be. mcneely

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