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I'd really like to see an A-B-A-B test of this question, since I have wondered the very same thing.
At the speeds that we travel, how much of a difference in drag does a rim make ?
As we all know, it depends on the style.
I have to look at what Honda did with their mid '90s Civic VX - instead of just slapping on some smooth hub caps, they chose to use lightweight wheels instead.
If aero was such a big issue, it seems that they would have styled the wheels more streamlined than they did.
And even if it did make a difference to the drag number, at what point would it override going with a lightweight rim ?
I'd predict that you would never see a difference using 'moons' unless you drove a constant 75 - 80 MPH. And even then ... maybe a 1 - 2 MPG difference if you were lucky. Plus, your car would look dorky instead of 'cool' ( To the common non aero minded man )
( Of course you could always just get some moon wheel covers and screw them onto the a lightweight rim. Best of both worlds. )
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