Best Alternatives to Michelin Energy Saver A/S ?

The next best in terms in MPG is likely the Ecopia EP100. The dB Super E-Spec and Assurance Fuel Max are right in there too. IMO the best bang for buck is the Continental ContiProContact with EcoPlus due to its low price, great performance (better than the rest) and long 80,000 mile warranty. It is LRR although probably uses more fuel than the others. So if you want max MPG then choose one other first 3 I mentioned. If you want better performance and the long warranty and decent mpg the. Go with the ContiProContact.

The Energy Saver AS and Fuel Max are not great performers but they offer great mpg and a decent warranty.

 

Oh did you read my tire threads, particularly the tirerack.com tests? They can be found in my sig or in the GenIII Fuel Economy sticky section.

 

You're RIGHT ON with the ContiProContact EcoPlus. One of the best LRR tres in a recent Consumers Reports Tire test. Great VALUE !

 

Thanks! I don't have a subscription to CR so I just check all of the tire retailer websites, manufacture sites, and other review/test sites. Do you have any links for the test that you can post?

 

Ok good. Some people miss the sticky and the other tire tests.

The Ecopia EP100 was clearly the next best choice for MPG but it didn't do as well in the dry braking test and it has a lower tread wear rating than some of the others. Since you asked about the best mpg tire I would agree that the Ecopia EP100 is what you are looking for.

People don't seem to be raving about them because they were overshadowed by the Energy Saver A/S and because they are a summer tire. Most people go with an all-season tire. Patrick Wong loves these tires but he lives in Arizona. My roommate got excellent mpg with them on his Corolla but he recently replaced them with the ContiProContact and likes those much better despite a small mpg drop.

Personally I'm torn between the EP100 and the Contis for my next tire this summer. By then the new Michelin Defender will be out but we don't know how it will compare. I like my Yokohamas but I am not going to spend so much money on them again nor would I spend that much on the Energy Savers.

 

I just realized that Justin has become the de-facto go to guy for tyre expertise. Quite a perk for us otherwise lost PC folk.

 

If so god help us all. lol

 

Personally, I really like my Michelin Energy Saver A/S. This winter has been so mild they have truly been an "all-season" tire.

But, what I really like is the quiet ride.

 

"A Greener Tire From Continental"

A hot trend in passenger-car tires is the pursuit of lower rolling resistance. That essentially means making tires that require less energy to roll down the road, thereby saving gas. Tire rolling resistance accounts for about 4 percent of a car's fuel use in city driving and perhaps 7 percent on the highway, according to government estimates.

A new all-season tire, the continental ProContact Ecoplus +, is a good example of how the effort is shaping up. in addition to getting an excellent rolling-resistance rating in our rrecently completed tests, it also deliverd good all-around performance in our braking, handling, hydroplaning resistance and winter-driving tests. Overall, it earned a test score of 82, which places it second among 26 models in the competitive all-season-tire category. It tied with the equally fuel-efficient Michelin Energy Saver A/S, which we tested for the July 2010 issue. And the $90 we paid for the Continental in notably less than the $120 we paid for the Michelin ( although prices can vary significantly by size and retailer ).

In past years, tires than provided low rolling resistance often sacrificed wet braking performance and tread life. But the Continental and Michelin show that tiremakers are developing designs with little compromise. Moreover, in contrast with some fuel efficient tires that are tailored for hybrids and only come in a narrow range of sizes, the Continental and Michelin are available in a range of sizes to fit many passenger cars.

We calculate that the difference between the most and least fuel efficient tires in our Ratings is about 3 mpg. Yhat could save you about $100 annually at the pump. But savings would be less when you replace average worn out tires. Overall, the nation could reduce gasoline use by millions of gallons if low-rolling resistance tires became the norm.

Still, the most important consideration is choosing a tire should be safety. So first, narrow your list of potential tires to those that get good ratings in braking. handling, and hydroplaning resistance. Then use rolling resistance as a tiebreaker.


The above was word for word from the CONSUMER REPORTS article.
Also, the Michelin HydroEdge all-season tire was rated number on with an 84 rating with the Continental ProContact EcoPlus+ number 2 with an 82 rating among all season tires. The Michelin Energy Saver A/S was rated 3rd, also with an 82 rating, and the Hankook Optimo H727 was 4th, also with an 82 rating.

 

Here is a test from Popular Mechanics where they tested a tire from each market segment which included the new Primacy MXM4 and the Ecopia EP100. At least I think it was the newest Primacy MXM4.

Tire Buying Guide – Michelin, Bridgestone Tire Comparison Test - Popular Mechanics

 

If they become available again like TireRack estimates (March) then I would seriously consider them.

 

Definitely the EcoPlus. But after 9k I am starting to gain back most of the mpg loss from my Primacy tires so those are also worth a consideration.

 

Note that the "3 MPG" difference in the CR sourced paragraph above should be stated as a percentage, not an absolute. There can be more than a 10% difference, which translates to more than 5 mpg in a Prius (only 3 MPG in a 30 MPG car). The difference between LRR tires is smaller - about 2-3% with a higher difference in cold weather than in warm weather.

CR did not include Nokian the manufacturer of my favorite LRR tires in their review (as they don't stock them, remember - all information, including from me, has biases). The WRg2 is a great All Weather tire, and their new eNtyre is for summer use. The WRg2 design emphasizes traction, sacrificing tread wear (they last about 50k miles) and incurring some tire noise (but not severe) while the eNtyre is quiet and long lasting, but not for bad weather.

JeffD