Best tires for MPG

#1 Michelin Energy Saver A/S 195/65/15 (T)

They are sometimes hard to order but they are worth it.

 

Winter: Michelin X Ice. Car drives in snow like a little snow machine. Other: Michelin Hydroedge. I was in a flood in Columbus, IN and drove through water deeper than one should ever attempt.... but there was water every direction!

 

But he asked for the the tire that offers the best mpg.

 

It probably goes without saying but after you have made your mind which tires you are going to purchase, make sure you have your car aligned. You can seriously deminish the MPG with the front tires out of alignment. Excessive tow-in or tow out, especially. What I am trying to say is, take it to someone that knows what they are doing. Insist on optimum settings.

 

You already have the best advice, from F8L, go with it!

 

F8L,what is your opinion for the best mileage 17" tires? The ecopia's you have? If those would get me 60.6 like you, I would change right now.

 

The Ecopia EP422 is the next best mpg tire in that size. I think the OE Toyo Proxes A20 offers better fuel efficiency but they are very expensive and a pretty crummy tire overall. So the EP422 or Continental PureContact is the next best thing economically.

My 60mpg fuelly is based on my 15" Energy Saver A/S tires. When I switched to 17s I stopped updating Fuelly. I created a second Fuelly for 17s so I could better track the impact. I'm now back on 15s but I haven't updated anything yet. I have a stack of gas receipts in my center console. lol

 

I have been very happy with michelin tires, so I will look for them when mine need replacement. I am intrested how much difference in rolling resistance between the michelin defender and the energy saver. because these tires have been great on several cars for me.

how much mpg do you think would be the difference?

 

I think the difference between the Defender and Energy Saver A/S is 3+mpg in favor of the Energy Saver A/S. The Defender should last longer though so it almost evens out in the long run.

 

Thanks for your opinion. I guess I need to look at the cost of both ways.

 

Aye and make sure they have the tires you want in a size that fits your car.

If you don't mind lower mpg numbers then the Defender is a great tire which in the end won't cost a whole lot more than the Energy Saver PLUS should you ever have to replace a single tire due to a blowout, the Defender is MUCH easier to find quickly.

 

I am getting 59-62.3 MPG on factory OEM MIJ tires on my two driving to work. On a trip it goes down due to weight and speed to around 52-56 If one tire is wore out get an alignment as suggested. I also run 40-42 PSI. If you are not worried about the condition of the other tires consider buying two MIJ OEMs at Tirerack.com and put the two best old ones on the back.

I was wrong! Don't do that! Put the best ones on the back.

Maximum MPG for me in a hot climate. If you live where there is snow and ice you have safety issues to consider and that may be more important than MPG.

 

ONLY if you are going into summer (dry season) and the tires are not very worn. Otherwise the new tires (tires with the most tread depth) should go on the rear of the car.

 

If you follow the advice that the tires with the best tread should always go on the back, you would never rotate your tires. I've done it both ways. Never rotate, buy 2 new, put the new on the back. Rotate and swap all 4 at the same time. If you rotate, there will be times that the front have better tread than the back.

 

Michelin Defenders

 

im confused. Always thought that best tread should be on the front tires, since it is doing the work.

 

A matter of opinion as I put the best on the front since it is front wheel drive and under high pressure. But I understand why people put the worst on the front to wear them out quicker. I just don't do that any more IMHO. To each his own.

I was wrong put the best ones in the back.

 

Nope.

It has nothing to do with work. It has everything to do with traction in wet conditions and how the weight transfers when braking.

More reading:
Tire Tech Information - Where to Install New Pairs of Tires?

 

Here is a link to the Tire Rack LRR (low rolling resistance) tire test. This test is a little dated (2009) as several other tire makers have now introduced LRR tires. When you do a tire search for your size on Tire Rack, look at the bottom left column and you can select "only LRR tires", or just include/exclude LRR tires.

Some folks do not like LRR tires because of the poor wet as well as poor braking performance.

Tire Test Results : When Round and Black Becomes Lean and Green