What To Look For When Buying The Best Tires For Gas Savings?
Shopping for tires that will offer you savings at the pump can be challenging to find. Not every tire retailer labels the product a fuel-efficient tire. I have listed some tips below to help you identify them.
Do They Have A Low-Rolling Resistance Rating?
About ninety percent of retailers will disclose if a tire has a LRR rating. You can always double-check on the manufacturer’s website if it is not disclosed.
A tire must have this rating because if it doesn’t, it will cause more heat from the friction of the tire rolling on the pavement, causing your vehicle to need more power to push the tires along. LLR allows the tire to stay cooler and reduces the amount of friction build-up.
What is the Tread Pattern?
The tread pattern of a tire has a significant impact on the rolling resistance of the tire. Directional tires will cause the most resistance on the road( other than off-road tires). Directional tires have a tread that comes to a point in the center of the tire that will face right or left.
Asymmetrical tires’ design will be different on the inner half of the tread than on the outer half. They are made to offer better handling and all-season traction. Asymmetric tread designs are not common in a fuel-efficient tire because they do not provide the best rolling resistance.
You will find most fuel-efficient tires to be symmetrical because their tread pattern is the same on the inside and outside, allowing them to wear much more evenly and generate less resistance on the road.
When looking for Gas saving tires, look for a symmetrical tread design.
Look for Eco-Technology Verbiage In The Name Of The Tire
I have listed below the most common emblems manufacturers use on fuel-efficient products to help you identify them.
- Pirelli EcoImpact
- Yokohama BluEarth
- Sumitomo Advanced 4D Nano Design
- Falken Advanced 4D Nano Design
- Hankook Kontrol Technology
- Goodyear Fuel Max Technology
- Firestone Fuel Fighter Technology
- Michelin Green X
- Nexen N’Blue
- Bridgestone Ecopia
- Continental EcoPlus+ Technology
How Much Do Gas Saving Tires Typically Cost?
Fuel Efficient tires will typically be more expensive than your average all-season tire. I searched various retailers to come up with ballpark estimates of what you can expect to pay for these new tires.
NOTE: The pricing of these tires will heavily depend on your size and retailer.
Four New Tires
Replacing all four of your tires with a fuel-efficient option can cost you anywhere between $500 and $1500.
Two New Tires
If you are only looking to replace two tires, you can expect to pay between $300 and $800.
It is always recommended to replace all four tires simultaneously to promote even tread wear.
Single Tire
Have a tire blowout and only need to replace one of your tires?
You can expect to pay between $150 and $400 to get that replaced.
Replacing only one tire is not ideal or recommended unless your other three tires are close to brand new. Only replacing one of your tires when the other three are worn out will lead to your new tire wearing out much faster and increased fuel consumption.
Are Gas Saving Tires Worth It?
To be honest, if you don’t drive a hybrid vehicle or any vehicle with gas-saving technology, no, they are not worth it. In most cases, a consumer who doesn’t have a fuel-efficient car will not even notice the amount of gas they are saving because it is so minimal.
If you have a fuel-efficient vehicle, I have seen customers replace the tires on their Toyota Prius, not go with a low rolling resistance tire, and come back claiming their gas mileage went down as much as three miles per gallon.
It truly depends on the vehicle. Otherwise, it is a perk that comes with the tire and only a perk that should be considered with cars designed to save gas.
How Long Should Your Gas Saving Tires Last?
On average, you can expect your gas-saving tires to last you between fifty and seventy thousand miles. How long your tires will last greatly depend on you. If you think all you have to do is pay for the tires, get them put on, and drive on them, you will be in a world of hurt when they are worn out in twenty-five to thirty thousand miles.
You need to ensure that you maintain your tires; otherwise, expecting more than half of the treadwear warranty is not reasonable. I have listed tire maintenance practices you should follow below.
- Tire rotation every five to eight thousand miles
- Check and maintain your tire pressure once a month
- Make sure you get a wheel alignment annually
Follow these practices, and there’s no reason your tires won’t last.
Does the Year of Your Vehicle Matter When Buying New Gas Saving Tires?
The vehicle’s year doesn’t matter when looking for gas-saving tires. However, putting these on an older car may be a waste of money. The gas-saving tires were mainly designed for fuel-efficient vehicles, and as we all know, anything made before 1995 wasn’t exactly fuel efficient.
Anything Else Worth Knowing When Buying Gas Saving Car Tires?
Anyone looking at these for their next tire option should remember what you are losing for the extra fuel efficiency. To achieve a lower rolling resistance, they have a more shallow tread depth which makes the tire not as safe in wet and light snow conditions. Since there is less depth for the snow to pack into, it causes traction loss, and in wet weather, the siping is not deep, leading to less water evacuation.
For anyone living in severe weather conditions, it might be worth sacrificing the mpg for a safer all-season tire.