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Old 12-05-2009, 04:18 PM   #10 (permalink)
aerohead
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case-specific basis

Quote:
Originally Posted by winkosmosis View Post
I'm skeptical about the impact of wider tires on fuel use. A wider tire with the same contact patch as a narrower one is also deforming less, which has to count for something.
I don't know if sweeping generalities serve the greater good.Certainly exceptions will abound as soon as any claim is made about any topic.
With respect to my experience,Michelin's claims about fuel-savings were so clever,I went for the bait.
And after spending $1,000 (US) for their tires and 14-inch wheels to put them on,I was rewarded with Zero-mpg gain!
The only reason I didn't immediately blow my brains out was that I rationalized that I had gained excellent dry and wet traction,a quiet smooth ride,and long tread life AT NO EXPENSE to mpg,in spite of the aggravated frontal area.
It could have been different for a different vehicle,different tires.With a 345,000 mile data base on the CRX I'm pretty confident with my numbers.
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