Help! My math is so rusty!

no, you're not doing anything wrong, you don't save money buying new tires...period. So you can add "changing tires early" to "changing fluids early" as practices that make no sense economically or environmentally.

 

Actually you have to drive 70,000 miles on those tires to break even.

 

What you need to do is compare the price and increased gas mileage of the EAS versus another tire. That is where your savings will be.

 

I am not sure if the Yoko Avid tires will go safely 70,000 miles. Currently
my 195x65x15 Michelin Energy Saver Tires are at 65,000 miles and I will get a least
another 5-8 thousand more miles out of them.

So if gas is an average of $3.00 per gallon and I obtained 3 more mpg here are the
results in savings:

70,000 miles @ 50 mpg = 1400 gallons used
70,000 miles @ 53 mpg = 1320 gals used

80 gallons at $3 per gallon = $240.00 saved

That is if the Yoko's can safely go to 70,000 miles.

 

Swapping out a new set of S33Ds for another new tire will not result in a savings unless you get enough of a deal to wash out the initial purchase price. The S33Ds can get pretty good fuel economy so it's harder to recoup your money even with the ESAS. That being said, there are other reasons to swap your tires early. Getting high mpg tanks is fun and saves fuel. Someone else will purchase your old tires and likely save fuel vs. buying a non-LRR tire. I swapped my tires twice and I've only had the car since March. I figure if I am going to be stuck with a tire for 55,00-70,000 miles then I want to enjoy every mile. Knowing I can get 3+mpg more on the ESAS was enough for me to bite the bullet.

 

Look on the good side. If gas goes to $400 per gallon, you'll hit your break-even point 100 times quicker.

 

As tempting as it is to purchase new tires just to try and get another 2-3 mpg, as you can see it just doesn't make good financial sense.

If money is no object on the other hand, and you are doing this to reduce your emissions and help save the planet and preserve it's air quality (if that's even possible anymore) for future generations then it's easy to justify.

Can't put a price on life, so there is your justification to your spouse, yourself, and your earth.

As for the environment, and rubber. You'll have to use those tires on another vehicle, sell them for someone to use on another vehicle, or build a used tire playground out of them.

If you choose the third option, you not only dramatically slow down the time it takes for the rubber to come off those tires and pollute the environment, but you provide a place place for children to play, learn, exercise, and grow. This all leads to less stress on the parents, who then function better at home, at their place of work and are kinder to everyone they encounter. Pleasant interactions lead to friendships and relationships. Relationships lead to more children whom make up the future generations that will be able to inhabit and enjoy the earth as well as continue to think up new ways to reduce pollution and conserve energy. Some of those children will grow up to be leaders of the country, some will be engineers, some will be doctors, and some will be diesel truck drivers that go around making fun of people that drive a Prius. One can only hope that the tire playground produces more of the leaders, and engineers, rather than the careless types.

Cliffs notes: Buying new tires for your car can be justified by saying to your husband or wife that you are simply contributing to the circle of life and because of you, perhaps someday we will see a leader that doesn't put the country hundreds of trillions of dollars more in debt.

Who knew buying tires could be so complicated?

(My entire post is for entertainment purposes.) Hope you laughed.