Best Tire for fuel economy

[Knoxville]

My tires on the Jetta are starting to wear down pretty good.

I have read around a little about the best tire for mileage. I drive a 50 mile trip one way to work. I live in flat lands of KS, where there are not many curves. I want the best tires for mileage, the lowest resistance.

I can get a new set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S shipped to me for $408
A friend owns a tire shop, so mounting and balancing might cost me $20

Is there a better tire? Price does not matter. I went from buying a 20" tire for my truck every 40,000 miles, so anything on these little 15" tires is going to seem cheap.

Thanks.

Knox

 

[dieseldorf]

Knoxy, there are many threads on LRR tires, many are recent. Did you have the chance to seek them out?

 

[Knoxville]

I have read through some of the LRR threads. But page after page of people thinking some tire is better than another gets old reading through.

I would like to know in a simple post, what is a good tire for mileage in regards to LRR. I drive a little on gravel roads, so I will never meet the mileage expectancy of a tire. But when I'm on a highway cruising to work, I would like to know that I'm getting the best I can get.

Knox

 

[docvb]

I second that. I'd love to hear of a reasonable LRR tire (e,g, non-michelin). A3, A4 and A5 cars.

Please.

 

[vwdsmguy]

Tires

I bought some 205 - 60 - 15 Exacto's last year. They seem to get average mileage, but handle great and ride good. I love them. They throw the speedo off by .5 MPH at 60 MPH over the stock taller size 195 - 65 - 15. I was going to buy new shocks and struts, but with the Exacto's, it handles so good, I'll wait till the shocks are worn out. You'll love them, buy 'em.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

I doubt if you are going to gain or loose much due to tyres. While the high mileage tyres will help a little, it seems to be very little.

Different size tyres can make a difference, but remember to factor in the different size when comparing miles as they will also confuse the odometer.

Good Luck

 

[Knoxville]

I'm going to stick with the stock 15" tires for now. What is the factory size? What comes from the factory? My car had 92,000 miles on it, and I'm not sure if the guy has the correct size on it or not. What classifies a tire LRR??? Is it the tread wear #? The higher the number, the harder the rubber, the lower resistance rolling?

Thanks.

Knox

 

[Joe_Meehan]

What classifies a tire LRR??? Is it the tread wear #? The higher the number, the harder the rubber, the lower resistance rolling?

No not harder rubber, it is just a measure of the rolling resistance. Harder rubber may or may not equate to Lower Rolling Resistance.

 

[hskrdu]

Knox- be sure to read Ernie Rogers' posts on tires and FE. Some of the conclusions may surprise you.

 

[Steve-o]

I have read through some of the LRR threads. But page after page of people thinking some tire is better than another gets old reading through.

I'm not sure why you think asking the question again will result in different behavior?

Though I've already responded in earlier threads, to answer your specific question, I went with Continental Touring CH95s (Contis are one of the OEM tires on the A4). One reason was that was what the tire shop could get (well, that or Michelins that must have had belts made of pure gold for what they cost) and because, for 90% of the driving I do (in the non-winter months), the Contis that came on my first TDI were just fine. They've been working for me, meeting or exceeding my (low) expectations.

 

[McBrew]

One thing to point out is that most car companies put LRR tires on their cars from the factory. My 2003 Golf came with Goodyear Eagles, while the Jetta came with Michelin MXV4 Energys. When the Goodyears on my Golf wore out, I replaced them with the same Michelins that our 2004 Jetta has. I really didn't notice a difference in FE or wear rate. Both sets were ready to be replaced after 60,000 miles. Keep in mind that I probably replace tires sooner than most people would. I have gone through the "drive 'em 'til they're bald" stage of my life and don't care to repeat it.

 

[DXTAC]

Last September I placed a set of Hankook Optimo H418's on my 2002 Golf TDI and these tires have done nothing except impress me since!!! They are considerably cheaper than most, quieter than most, smoother than most, have a MUCH better warranty than most and handle better in the snow, rain and ice better than any tire I've ever owned (Living here in Chicago that says alot!!) I wouldn't hesitate to buy a set for my wife's minivan if they were offered in her size, which they are not. I bought mine from Discount Tire Direct. Click Here.

Hope this helps,

Derek

 

[SoCalC]

Though it may seem impractical or ill advised to use this tire, I believe it to be available in the narrowest size that should fit a factory 15 inch wheel.

Look at the 165-80-15 offering. The diameter is about right. However it is very narrow which should limit road grip in most cases. Also ideally the rim width used shoud be a good 1-2 inches narrower than a factory wheel. Max load is 1201 at 36 psi max recommended psi, which should be fine.

Has anyone tried this tire? My guess is it will wear faster than most other tires of a similar design and compound but wider. It may also have more of a tendency to railroad on grooves than wider tires. However, I've seen it listed for under $40/tire. Though I don't need tires for a long time, I'm toying with the idea of trying a set.

http://tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Power+Star+758&partnum=68TR5758&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=0

 

[VDUBS]

I just got some Michelin Exalto A/S put on my car and wow...not sure about the mileage difference but supposedly they shouldn't make a big difference if any. But my price came to $368 mounted, balanced and all that extra stuff (road hazard, blah blah blah) through Costco (current deal is $60 off when you buy a set of brand new tires).

 

[xs650]

Though it may seem impractical or ill advised to use this tire, I believe it to be available in the narrowest size that should fit a factory 15 inch wheel.

Look at the 165-80-15 offering. The diameter is about right. However it is very narrow which should limit road grip in most cases. Also ideally the rim width used shoud be a good 1-2 inches narrower than a factory wheel. Max load is 1201 at 36 psi max recommended psi, which should be fine.

It's not something I would put on my car, but....

The tall 80 series sidewall will make it relatively forgiving of a wider than spec rim. You would want to run your tire pressue on the high side to even about tread wear.

On the down side, an old inexpensive design tire like that is most likely not going to have any LRR technology in it.

I think it would do no harm except for worse handling.

 

[SoCalC]

It's not something I would put on my car, but....

The tall 80 series sidewall will make it relatively forgiving of a wider than spec rim. You would want to run your tire pressue on the high side to even about tread wear.

On the down side, an old inexpensive design tire like that is most likely not going to have any LRR technology in it.

I think it would do no harm except for worse handling.

I agree with everything you wrote. I would run them as a test with the intent of using them for a different vehicle or purpose as a backup. I don't consider myself as hypermiling neurotic as many on this board. I figure someone of that description might step up and try it out before I decide to.

While I agree it probably doesn't have the latest LRR tech incorportated, why are you referring to it as old? New technology can and has been applied to 'outdated' or not commonly used tires sizes meant for vehicles of the past.

 

[raybo]

The dif between the best LRR vs avg LRR tire is < 1 mpg.

The dif between the best LRR vs worst LRR is probably around 2 mpg. I went from OEM Conti's to Bridgestone LS-H and mpg went down 1 to 2 mpg - very noticable, and I would never do that again. The PE A/S are considered avg to good RR.

Ray

 

[Herm TDI]

When it comes to LRR tires you need to look into the tire tread issue...or reducing them. With the current demand for improved MPG many tire manufactures are reducing the tread depth...which does reduce the RR but also (at the same time) reduces the tire's service life.

Check out this article from Machine Design:
http://machinedesign.com/ContentItem/71913/Treadinglightlyforbetterfueleconomy.aspx

Rolling resistance gradually drops over the life of any tire as treads wear. But if you buy new tires with thinner treads, you might have to replace them sooner. More-frequent replacement leads to more scrap tires and more resources used making new tires. The NAS report postulates that any savings seen from better fuel economy would be erased by as little as a 5% shorter tire life.

Copper Tires...their CS4 Touring T have an established record for LRR and maintaining an excelent tread footprint

 

[sharplikestump]

Hi all...Great Forum! How's this for trashing fuel economy? Just took delivery of my first ever TDI this morning and when I tried the driveway it was pretty spooky...had to back down and take a couple of shots to get it done. Seeing how we have (and need) them on our 4WDs, I had a set of B'stone Blizzaks arrive yesterday. Slapped em on and now, it walks up the snow covered/ icey driveway like it is on a winch, but I have to wonder what the mileage will be on these gumballs.
Wish I had thought to spend some time here prior to buying the car, but give me the straight scoop..04 5 speed a good one? 47K miles.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

My mileage with winter tyres changes very little if any. My mileage goes down with winter fuel a bit, but that I can see before I put on the winter tyres. It also varies with the average temperature, but again it does not the tyres.

 

[hevster1]

Hi all...Great Forum! How's this for trashing fuel economy? Just took delivery of my first ever TDI this morning and when I tried the driveway it was pretty spooky...had to back down and take a couple of shots to get it done. Seeing how we have (and need) them on our 4WDs, I had a set of B'stone Blizzaks arrive yesterday. Slapped em on and now, it walks up the snow covered/ icey driveway like it is on a winch, but I have to wonder what the mileage will be on these gumballs.
Wish I had thought to spend some time here prior to buying the car, but give me the straight scoop..04 5 speed a good one? 47K miles.

My 3 season tires if you will, are Nokian I3's with the XL rating. My mileage dropped about 1-2. It got BETTER when I mounted my studded Winterforce snows.
That said I still wouldn't change them for a lighter tire which grips less. They are amazing especially in the wet. Hopefully I will see at least 50k out of them.
I wish you luck with your car. It is hard to say if it is a "good one".

 

[bikeprof]

What the guy in KNOXVILLE really wants to know is:
What tire brand and size has proven itself to BETTER the MPG on our cars...
1. WHAT brand/model,
2. size
3. modification to them(as in air PSI, etc...)

To say that winter tires "handle great" here is out of content, to mention that they are good in the rain is also NOT what is requested.

So I say, that we should keep our comments to that and only THAT!
What tires made an IMPROVEMENT on mileage to our TDI !

(I am not venting or such, I also/just want to know WHAT tire(s) is better for economy for my next purchase decision)

 

[Fix_Until_Broke]

This should be "on topic"

 

[GMARK]

I doubt if you are going to gain or loose much due to tyres. While the high mileage tyres will help a little, it seems to be very little.

My experience differs. When I replaced the OEM Michelin Energy MXV4+ (51 psi max pressure, I used 44 front and 42 rear) with Pirelli P-400s (35 psi max inflation pressure), I lost over 3 mpg. Out of curiosity, I put the old Michi's back on some months later and ran the car for two full tanks of fuel. Rather surprisingly, I got my 3 mpg back (and 800+miles per tank) so I do believe there is something to LRR tires.

Like the saying goes, "YMMV".

G

 

[Steve-o]

Out of curiosity, I put the old Michi's back on some months later and ran the car for two full tanks of fuel. Rather surprisingly, I got my 3 mpg back (and 800+miles per tank) so I do believe there is something to LRR tires.

Like the saying goes, "YMMV".

+1. In cruising through the tire threads on this forum before I bought my Contis, I saw a number of posters mention that their new "Brandex Sports Supreme S042" tires cost them a few mpg over what they were getting, and the tires typically were the only change made at the time. I suppose one can argue the merits of better handling vs. more mileage, but, from the standpoint of pure mileage, LRR tires seem to make a much bigger difference than 1 mpg on our cars.

 

[VWannabe]

I have a 1997 Jetta TDI and when I was researching the LRR tires, I read a report that had tested several different brands and had shown the rolling resistance and price, along with some other measurements. One of the tires listed was the Sumitomo HTR, which was one of the better ones in terms of rolling resistance and was by far the cheapest one tested. So I bought them. I am getting ready to have to replace them due to wear, after about 50K miles, and I will put some more on. I went with the summer tire, which may not be the best for someone who needs to use it in snow, but that was not a concern of mine. They have served me well. Tirerack.com has them.

 

[kafer65]

I'm with socalc. That seems like a good test tire. Its narrow and the tread looks good for mileage. I've got a set of Nokian 145/15 on the front of my beetle (my avatar) that has a 5 inch contact patch width. Very nice ride and they take my front disc brakes surprisingly well for being so small. I expect if you could find a set they would alter the speedo about 17% though. Not sure the rpm difference would kill any advantage the tire offers in weight and streamlineness on my Jetta.

 

[David Kuhnert]

My tires on the Jetta are starting to wear down pretty good.

I have read around a little about the best tire for mileage. I drive a 50 mile trip one way to work. I live in flat lands of KS, where there are not many curves. I want the best tires for mileage, the lowest resistance.

I can get a new set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S shipped to me for $408
A friend owns a tire shop, so mounting and balancing might cost me $20

Is there a better tire? Price does not matter. I went from buying a 20" tire for my truck every 40,000 miles, so anything on these little 15" tires is going to seem cheap.

Thanks.

Knox

Tires have changed since the 70/80's ( hard rubber ) to softer compounds for cold/winter/snow. I found Nokian to meet my west coast rain driving /summer and trips to the interior in the winter. Lost some wear milage, gained safety. I have the Goodyears that came with the car as summers, Nokian as winters.

 

[97pssat04golfTDIs]

Nokian i3 Tyres

My tires on the Jetta are starting to wear down pretty good.

I have read around a little about the best tire for mileage. I drive a 50 mile trip one way to work. I live in flat lands of KS, where there are not many curves. I want the best tires for mileage, the lowest resistance.

I can get a new set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S shipped to me for $408
A friend owns a tire shop, so mounting and balancing might cost me $20

Is there a better tire? Price does not matter. I went from buying a 20" tire for my truck every 40,000 miles, so anything on these little 15" tires is going to seem cheap.

Thanks.

Knox

I have been researching for the new tires I want to get and found that a few different manufacturers have low rolling resistance tires. Most make you pay extra for their name to get a good quality low rolling resistance tire. The best value for a quality all season sport touring tire is the Nokian i3. I was replacing the Goodyear Eagle GLS tires that came with my car. I wanted to get the best I could without having to pay top price. I just purchased the Nokian i3s in a 195 65 15 which is the stock size, in a 91 T instead of the 95 H due to the weight being over 2 lbs less on teh 91 Ts. Also the T model is technically an H due to the A rating on speed and heat testing. I just got these tires yesterday. So far I have seen no mileage penalty that most people mention on a new set of tires, if anything they seem to be doing better than my very worn Goodyears I was running. The other great thing about these tires is a max PSI of 51. Today I ran them at 41 all around and tomorrow I will be trying them at 49 all around to see if it adversely effects handling, if they stay as good as they were today I'll leave the pressure there. I bought the tires from Tires by web and they gave me a $5.00 off per tire for mentioning the TDI CLub forums. So I only paid $79.00 per tire versus well over $100.00 for any of the other brands. Time will tell how good these tires are and how much of the 80,000 miles they are rated for I get out of them. So I think this tire defies what many people think, if a tire is sticky handling, it has to wear out quick and connot be a low rolling resistance tire. I have found in my research that this tire is great in all 3 of these catagories. There are many other members have said great things about the Nokian i3 tires other threds, this one is just about the i3 tires.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=126350&highlight=Nokian+i3+tires

I know Nokian is mainly a winter tire company but the i3, WR and WRG2 are all extremely good all season tires, the 2 WR tires are much stronger in the winter, but still very good in the low rolling resistance catagory. Alot of members really like Nokian tires, so we all can't be wrong.

Take care,

Drew

 

[Smokerr]

Hi all...Great Forum! How's this for trashing fuel economy? Just took delivery of my first ever TDI this morning and when I tried the driveway it was pretty spooky...had to back down and take a couple of shots to get it done. Seeing how we have (and need) them on our 4WDs, I had a set of B'stone Blizzaks arrive yesterday. Slapped em on and now, it walks up the snow covered/ icey driveway like it is on a winch, but I have to wonder what the mileage will be on these gumballs.
Wish I had thought to spend some time here prior to buying the car, but give me the straight scoop..04 5 speed a good one? 47K miles.

I went with Conti TS810 performance winter tires.

We do long road trip in spring with them on, and they are as good as the Conti RR OEM summer tires.

They handle as well too (not being a take it t the edge, but aggressive on some local hill roads at our destination, I do push them in the 35 mpg range hard).

Blizzaks will be a bit worse as they are a softer tire, but I doubt a whole lot. I would expect no in town difference, and very small on highway (though if I had them I would get them off when we make the long spring trip just to make them last longer).

If you have something like an Exalto A/S tire that does well in the edge of season conditions just in case a sudden snow storm hits.

Even the OEM Contis do ok in snow, but not on ice.

Also keep in mind, mileage is one part of the issue. Safety and ability to stop and or avoid is the other, and the Blizzaks win hands down in that department. Avoid one accident and you have saved 5 mpg for the life of the car!

Adding to the other side is the ability to grip when starting up on ice. No wheel spin, means savings as that fuel is not being wasted.

Costs are a total package (not that we don’t try to enjoy the package we have when its possible). So, rather than focus on one ownership aspect, it’s the whole situation.