Most "green" tires claim to increase fuel mileage, helping to decrease a consumer's carbon footprint. TireRack decided to see if the eco-rubber really helps improve a car's fuel economy. In a new test, TireRack fitted a 2009 Toyota Prius with six different types of tires, and put each type through a 550-mile drive, which consisted of highway, city, and rural road surfaces.
A baseline test - using run-of-the-mill Goodyear Assurance tires - returned an average fuel economy figure of 51.4 mpg. All but two tires - the Michelin HydrogEdge with Green X and the Goodyear Assurance ComforTread - improved upon that baseline figure. By far, the most efficient tire was Michelin's Energy Saver A/S, which helped boost fuel economy to 53.8 mpg -- a 4.74 percent improvement. TireRack estimates that, if driven 15,000 miles a year, these tires could help save $52.50 in annual fuel costs, and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 420 lbs.
Of course, eco-friendly tires often incur extra cost, but the second-place tire, Bridgestone's Ecopia EP100, is only $1 extra per tire than the Prius' OEM rubber.
For all the details of TireRack's surprisingly comprehensive experiment, visit their report here.
Source: TireRack