s I'll be a monkey's uncle... fuel saver tires actually work

"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
11/11/2015 at 17:03 • Filed to: None

I swapped my OE Michelins for a new set of Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires, and holy cow. After a single tank my average fuel economy has gone from 20.9MPG to 23.6MPG under identical driving conditions. That’s not insignificant! They’re a little noisier, but still a fair trade. About $650 with roadside warranty from Discount Tire.

2008 Honda CR-V 2wd.

Just throwing that out there.

DISCUSSION (14)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 17:09

They definitely work, but what’s your impression of the new tires handling and grip? I had Goodyears on the Slobalt, in fact I think it was the Assurance Fuel Max, and I always felt like I was ice skating, especially in wet weather. I didn’t even bother asking them to do anything in snow. But fuel economy was awesome and they wore like iron, still had them on the car when it was totaled at 73k miles.

Chairman Kaga > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2015 at 17:13

It’s a CR-V so if there was any difference in handling I’d probably never notice!

Honestly, the tires that were on the car were dead and had been for some time, so I really haven’t noticed anything but improvement. I’m sure if I had a set ofPirelli P-Zeroes on there I’d feel it, but again, it’s a CR-V. As spirited as I get is the little juke I get to make when merging onto the interstate when there’s no traffic. Which is never.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 17:23

Good point. And if you’re coming from dead tires probably anything is an improvement.

I was just curious because I did the opposite on my Snuze. It came with economy tires and I hated the lack of grip, so when it came time to replace them I went to the Cooper CS-5 Ultra Touring in the H speed rating. So they are definitely grippier than the OEM tires but my fuel economy hasn’t really taken a hit. Maybe 0.5 mpg?

Nisman > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 17:45

If you drive a lot it’s probably worth it!

samssun > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 19:32

Of course rock hard gripless tires have less rolling resistance. Switch to solid aluminum and you'd improve even more. Or you could take your real tires, which were probably several psi low, and just top them off an extra 5. Smoother ride and better economy.

GLiddy > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 20:24

I was dissappointed with mine. I had some Hankook Optimo tires on my Lexus RX400h (hybrid). When they wore out I also got the Assurance Fuel Max and I haven’t seen any increase in mileage at all. If anything, my last few tanks have taken a hit. Previously my average was 26.4, and I’ve gotten as low as 24.5 recently.

epidemike > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 20:46

I had purchase a set of Continental Ecotopias on an Altima. Tires were very bad in winter and snow/slushy conditions. They feel as if they harden up.

Also saw no increase in MPG and they were driven 95% highway.

wafflesnfalafel > Chairman Kaga
11/11/2015 at 21:12

damn - that is huge. I thought it was like a 10th of a half a percentage point or something.

Chairman Kaga > samssun
11/12/2015 at 10:14

Nope. They were the original 2008 factory tires with 55,000 miles on them, and had never been rotated by the original owner. Believe me, they were done. I’d air them up to 38psi every Sunday. A week later they’d be down to about 28-30.

Chairman Kaga > wafflesnfalafel
11/12/2015 at 10:15

Maybe my CRV is just a special case.

Fueled up yesterday and after a day of driving the on-board number is 23.9 MPG, which is a full 3 MPG higher than my old average, at least according to the computer. GasCubby usually showed about 21.4 MPG per tank.

WiscoProud > Chairman Kaga
11/12/2015 at 17:43

My Land Cruiser had those on it when I bought it. I was getting a little over 20mpg with them. But I ditched them and threw on 33" ATs, and got my mileage back to 15-16 mpg where it belongs.

samssun > Chairman Kaga
11/12/2015 at 21:07

I didn’t pay attention to mine for a while and they checked in around 28-32. Inflating them up to 38 made a world of difference in how the car rolls and its turn-in, and (unless it was placebo) even how the car got moving as I let the clutch out.

Definitely worth topping up a few psi before a road trip, for rolling resistance, smooth ride, and a slightly higher effective gear than if they’re running low.

wafflesnfalafel > Chairman Kaga
11/12/2015 at 23:25

handling/ride still decent? I wouldn’t mind giving up a little stickiness as long as the ride and steering feel are still good

Chairman Kaga > wafflesnfalafel
11/16/2015 at 10:18

They ‘re noisier than the stock Michelins, bu not by much. The CRV isn’t exactly noted for its NVH, anyway. As for handling I’m not the best judge. The CRVs tires were dead and the steering rack was leaking, so it’s handled like a drunk elephant for the past year or so. Between the new rack and new tires, it’s a totally different car.

Results may vary.