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Tyres re fuel consumption

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  • 16-04-2021 3:04pm
    #1
    Luckycharm
    Registered Users Posts: 1,538 ✭✭✭


    A few months ago when I had to get new tyres. I saw the tyres had different ratings with regard to how they performed in the rain and with to fuel consumption.
    For example one tyre had an E rating (not great) for fuel consumption while a more expensive tyre had a B rating. How much difference does it make.
    For example if I had 4 tyres with an E rating and I get 500 miles from a fuel tank, how much more on average would I get with 4 tyres with a B rating for fuel consumption?

    Or does it work differently? Say the difference was €30 per tyre would it pay for itself over the average lifetime of the tyre?


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    #2
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,664 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    Luckycharm wrote: »
    A few months ago when I had to get new tyres. I saw the tyres had different ratings with regard to how they performed in the rain and with to fuel consumption.
    For example one tyre had an E rating (not great) for fuel consumption while a more expensive tyre had a B rating. How much difference does it make.
    For example if I had 4 tyres with an E rating and I get 500 miles from a fuel tank, how much more on average would I get with 4 tyres with a B rating for fuel consumption?

    Or does it work differently? Say the difference was €30 per tyre would it pay for itself over the average lifetime of the tyre?

    It's a pretty difficult one for a punter to answer. Too many variables affecting fuel consumption to know what is due to the tyres.

    All I can confirm is that the difference in noise between tyres is noticeable, and changing the new Chinese ditchfinders the dealer had put on for proper tyres stopped the car understeering at low speed in the dry on roundabouts.


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    #3
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    In defined test scenarios, the below link shows the rated fuel savings per tyre group. In the real world, it will differ of course, but the savings can be in the hundreds of euro over a tyres lifetime.

    https://www.nokiantyres.com/innovation/facts-about-tyres/eu-tyre-label/the-three-classification-criteria-in-tyre-label/fuel-efficiency/

    fuel-efficiency-fuel-consumption.png

    My own car manual dictates 39psi front, and 46psi rear in the manual, but was in or around 34psi on both from the garage when bought. Coming up to the correct pressure saved me at least 5% on fuel on a 200km motorway run, in my estimation. Hard to say with a small sample size and other variables, but it absolutely makes a difference.


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    #4
    duffman3833
    Registered Users Posts: 1,034 ✭✭✭duffman3833


    what ever option you pick, make sure you don't cheap on on the grip. Its what's going to keep you on the road and not worth losing to save fuel


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    #5
    bazz26
    Registered Users Posts: 51,144 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    Aren't those rating done by the tyre manufacturers themselves?


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    #6
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    It's possible that a tyre will pay for itself over its lifetime but I doubt it will have such an impact.
    Your driving style will have way more impact on fuel economy than tyres.
    The most important thing is proper inflation so keep an eye on that.


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    #7
    soundman45
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭soundman45


    Tyre make in my experience has zero impact, on a work van that had everything from semperit, dunlop to kormoran and even suntek tyres I covered 2000km a week and fuel consumption did not change, in fact in my opinion the kormoran were best of them all, you can have top price/brand tyres but if under inflated etc will use more fuel, driver behaviour uses way more fuel than any tyre rating.


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    #8
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    biko wrote: »
    Your driving style will have way more impact on fuel economy than tyres.
    or as mythbusters found out, one of the biggest determinants on fuel economy is your mood.


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    #9
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    kirving wrote: »
    In the real world, it will differ of course, but the savings can be in the hundreds of euro over a tyres lifetime.
    seems to be roughly equivalent to one tank fill per each jump in efficiency band.

    so if it cost me say €15 or €20 more per corner to jump into a higher efficiency band, i'd save that in fuel, so reasonably neutral in terms of spend for me.


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    #10
    johndaman66
    Registered Users Posts: 4,095 ✭✭✭johndaman66


    soundman45 wrote: »
    Tyre make in my experience has zero impact, on a work van that had everything from semperit, dunlop to kormoran and even suntek tyres I covered 2000km a week and fuel consumption did not change, in fact in my opinion the kormoran were best of them all, you can have top price/brand tyres but if under inflated etc will use more fuel, driver behaviour uses way more fuel than any tyre rating.
    Agree, any saving in fuel consumption from one tyre to the another provided by your regular tyre fitters will be absolutely nominal. Agreed, people often focus away too much on the likes of that rather than ensuring they check their tyres periodically to ensure they are running the correct psi. Then silly driver behaviour you see all the time such accelerating hard on up to slow moving traffic up ahead and then clamping on the brakes when you reach it - the likes of this is a much bigger culprit on fuel economy.
    That said maybe you are contradicting yourself though? Maybe the Kormoran were rated the best for fuel economy and thats what you saw?...


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    #11
    soundman45
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭soundman45


    johndaman66 wrote: »
    Agree, any saving in fuel consumption from one tyre to the another provided by your regular tyre fitters will be absolutely nominal. Agreed, people often focus away too much on the likes of that rather than ensuring they check their tyres periodically to ensure they are running the correct psi. Then silly driver behaviour you see all the time such accelerating hard on up to slow moving traffic up ahead and then clamping on the brakes when you reach it - the likes of this is a much bigger culprit on fuel economy.
    That said maybe you are contradicting yourself though? Maybe the Kormoran were rated the best for fuel economy and thats what you saw?...

    Dunno what rating any of them had but the Kormoran vanpro tyre was an excellent tyre they were good in all conditions and got 40k on rear tyres on a 3.5t van that was fully loaded every day doing multi drop work.


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    #12
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    seems to be roughly equivalent to one tank fill per each jump in efficiency band.

    so if it cost me say €15 or €20 more per corner to jump into a higher efficiency band, i'd save that in fuel, so reasonably neutral in terms of spend for me.

    For me, doing 70-80% of milage at 120km/h with crusie control on the motorway, I'd probably get more benefit than most from effecient tyres. The premium also tends to go towards braking and noise performance anyway, so I don't mind.


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    #13
    johndaman66
    Registered Users Posts: 4,095 ✭✭✭johndaman66


    soundman45 wrote: »
    Dunno what rating any of them had but the Kormoran vanpro tyre was an excellent tyre they were good in all conditions and got 40k on rear tyres on a 3.5t van that was fully loaded every day doing multi drop work.
    Guessing they may have being a harder compound versus the other tyres you are comparing them against. I'm no tyre guru but I know you certainly will get more life out of harder compound tyre. Guessing you may get marginally better economy from them too all other factors being equal. Flip side is you will me sacrificing grip to a greater or lesser extent....but in reality I don't think that should be an issue for the average road user out there unless your totally dogging it.

    I had Nokian tyres once on a Vectra and found them excellent. Very decent grip for average everyday driving, no aquaplaning etc and they had a great lifespan too. No doubt the high horse brigade will dismiss them though as they aren't a big brand name like Bridgestone, Continental, Michelen etc.


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    #14
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    johndaman66 wrote: »
    No doubt the high horse brigade will dismiss them though as they aren't a big brand name like Bridgestone, Continental, Michelen etc.

    Not at all, Nokian are very well regarded, particularly for their snow tyres. They're related to Nokia, the phone manufacturer.


    Plenty of tyre shops will tell you some rubbish that "X brand are made in the same factory as Bridgestone", but this actually seems to be true for Nokian.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokian_Tyres

    "Nokian Tyres produces 23,000 tyres per day at a factory in Nokia, Finland, and 200,000 tyres a year under the Bridgestone brand name"


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    #15
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,715 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    kirving wrote: »
    My own car manual dictates 39psi front, and 46psi rear in the manual, but was in or around 34psi on both from the garage when bought. Coming up to the correct pressure saved me at least 5% on fuel on a 200km motorway run, in my estimation. Hard to say with a small sample size and other variables, but it absolutely makes a difference.

    I've noticed this a lot. Most garages/tyre places seem to inflate tyres to about 34/36 all round regardless.


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    #16
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    any car i've ever had was roughly in the 28-32psi ballpark for tyres, what car do you have that recommends 46psi?


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    #17
    soundman45
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭soundman45


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    any car i've ever had was roughly in the 28-32psi ballpark for tyres, what car do you have that recommends 46psi?

    I've always had tyres that were rated to be inflated at 45psi, current car on 235/55/17 rated 50psi max


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    #18
    Speedline
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭Speedline


    soundman45 wrote: »
    I've always had tyres that were rated to be inflated at 45psi, current car on 235/55/17 rated 50psi max

    Are you going by the figures on the actual tyre, or off the sticker inside the drivers door jamb?


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    #19
    soundman45
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭soundman45


    Speedline wrote: »
    Are you going by the figures on the actual tyre, or off the sticker inside the drivers door jamb?

    On tyre wall which is same rating as sticker on door


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    #20
    Speedline
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭Speedline


    soundman45 wrote: »
    On tyre wall which is same rating as sticker on door

    What is it that you drive?


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    #21
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    any car i've ever had was roughly in the 28-32psi ballpark for tyres, what car do you have that recommends 46psi?

    Actually just checked and that was for a loaded up car, normal should be 34/38psi which is still high on it's own, especially for a 225/50R17.

    330e PHEV so carrying 200kg or so of batteries.

    I'm not sure why lower profile sidewalls tend to recommend higher pressures?


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    #22
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    because low profile tyres have less capacity for deformation before the rim is impacted, maybe?


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    #23
    Speedline
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭Speedline


    kirving wrote: »
    Actually just checked and that was for a loaded up car, normal should be 34/38psi which is still high on it's own, especially for a 225/50R17.

    330e PHEV so carrying 200kg or so of batteries.

    I'm not sure why lower profile sidewalls tend to recommend higher pressures?
    My cars standard wheels are 205/55/16. My one has 215/45/17 from the factory as its a higher spec. The sticker has both sizes, and the pressure is higher on the bigger wheels. I'd be inclined to agree with magicbastarder.
    (I actually have 225/45/17s on as they're wider and cheaper.:))


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    #24
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    kirving wrote: »
    Actually just checked and that was for a loaded up car, normal should be 34/38psi which is still high on it's own, especially for a 225/50R17.

    330e PHEV so carrying 200kg or so of batteries.

    I'm not sure why lower profile sidewalls tend to recommend higher pressures?
    The tyres don't know what car they will be going onto, an SUV or a small Fiat.
    The specs on the tyre is for the tyre itself.

    The specs on the plate in the door jamb goes for any tyre fitted to the car.


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    #25
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    Oh yeah I know that the vehicle and tyre specs are different, but I was just surprised to see well above 40psi recommended. I now see that it was for a loaded car, but was surprised nonetheless.

    I think magicbastarder has it right that all else being equal, the lower profile sidewall can take less deformation, so needs higher pressure.


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    #26
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Some tyres like Uniroyal will need a bit extra pressure not to feel a little wobbly.


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    #27
    i57dwun4yb1pt8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,655 ✭✭✭i57dwun4yb1pt8


    my understanding is that the pressure the car reccomends is for the tyre to be the correct pressure as to be part of the overall suspension system.

    the pressure marked on the tyre is the max pressure the tyre can take overall

    car pressure is usually alot lower than max tyre pressure


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    #28
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    similar with bikes; my bicycle has tyres rated to 130psi but i run them at 80.


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