[ObsidianBlack09]

I know this sounds wrong, but I just got back from my first longer drive with my winter tires (Michelin X-Ice) and got 27.9 MPG overall. This is my second winter with the car, and don't usually get over 25 or so on a highway trip in the winter, with winter gas that usually has ethanol in it. It was a 300 mile round trip, clear roads, no wind to speak of. The winter tires are 205/65s on a 16 inch rim, as opposed to the 225/55s on a 17 inch rim that is stock, and I have the winters up to about 38 psi. I really wasn't expecting it to be so good, actually wouldn't have been too surprised if it had gone down a bit. Maybe the pressure and narrower tread patch helped?

 

[2point5awd]

I am about to take my first trip to the mountains next weekend with my new winter tires (Continental ExtremeWinterContact) and from driving around town this last week with them on I have noticed a tad bit better mpg... but I have also noticed that I'm not accelerating as fast nor taking corners as fast because of the tires.

When I have typically driven up to the mountains on my all-seasons I have noticed better mpg which I attribute to slower mountain traffic speeds. The slower downhill speeds help tremendously because I find myself coasting for a lot of the downhill behind someone.

Just my $0.02

 

[Galager]

The wheel/tire combo is probably lighter too...

 

[2point5awd]

For comparison sake, I am running Goodyear TrippleTred 215/55/17 on OEM XT rims vs Continental ExtremeWinterContact 215/60/16 on 04 WRX rims... I don't know the weight of the rims nor tires so I can't say for sure.

 

[adc]

I doubt a winter tire will ever deliver equivalent mileage of a good street tire. That has been my experience for...well..I'm 64.

 

[colinsdad]

Well....

As they would say in some commercials "Your results might vary"...mine certainly does!

I have the stock 17's with a set of Blizzak 225-55R17's on them, and the gas mileage could be best be described as "deplorable". Mind you, these tires came with the vehicle, so I'm ceratinly not complaining, but, it was pretty obvious that the previous owner was worried about potholes or other winter "impediments" or else why the size larger tires? With the stock 24 lb rim and (from my tire shops calculation) 26 lb tire, I am avg. around 20 mpg.

The tires I had previously were way too small for the XT, but, they effectively lowered the axle ratio by being 50's, (215/50R17's) rather than 55's (profile size)- with those tires (and i'm sure less weight to move) I was avg. around 25 mpg. The acceleration with this combination is also decidedly more "sprightly"- again, the lower profile and decreased mass I'm sure helps in this regard. less unsprung weight= better acceleration/braking/handling.

 

[crewzer]

Except for one apparently bad tank of gas, my '09 did quite well on this trip with winter tires.

Regards,
Jim / crewzer