14" alloys (185mm tires) vs. 14" steelies (175mm tires)

[i90east]

Hey,

The OEM 175/70-14 tires on my manual transmission 2010 Hyundai Accent Blue are a silica blend and the tread is wearing out pretty quickly (about 5/32s left at 30,000 miles). I would like to buy replacement tires within the next few months that offer the best fuel economy as possible, hopefully close to what I'm getting with the current setup. From my research it seems that the Michelin Defenders are the best bet. I'm thinking of either getting the 175mm version for my steelies or getting the lightest 14" 185mm alloys I can find which on Tirerack is a set that's 14 pounds each.

Which option do you guys think would offer the best fuel economy for nearly 100% suburban driving at speeds rarely exceeding 35mph?

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by i90east

Hey,

The OEM 175/70-14 tires on my manual transmission 2010 Hyundai Accent Blue are a silica blend and the tread is wearing out pretty quickly (about 5/32s left at 30,000 miles). I would like to buy replacement tires within the next few months that offer the best fuel economy as possible, hopefully close to what I'm getting with the current setup. From my research it seems that the Michelin Defenders are the best bet. I'm thinking of either getting the 175mm version for my steelies or getting the lightest 14" 185mm alloys I can find which on Tirerack is a set that's 14 pounds each.

Which option do you guys think would offer the best fuel economy for nearly 100% suburban driving at speeds rarely exceeding 35mph?

First, you need to realize that treadwear/traction/rolling resistance are a 3 way tradeoff in tires. So if you want better wear, you are going to have to sacrifice fuel economy.

Second, the OEM tires on your accent are projecting to about 45K - which is pretty decent for an OE tire - and those tires are likely to have much better fuel economy than anything else you will find.

So I think you are in for some F/E loss and the question you have to ask is: Which way do I want to go.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by i90east

I'm thinking of either getting the 175mm version for my steelies or getting the lightest 14" 185mm alloys I can find which on Tirerack is a set that's 14 pounds each.

While lighter wheels help, I very much doubt you'll ever recoup the additional investment.

[i90east]

Thanks for the responses capri and euro. There arn't any really good tire choices in the 175mm size that I can see for low rolling resistance. The guy at the tire shop said I could use 185mm tires on the original wheels but I don't know if that would a good option for fuel economy or not.

[2000mc]

As far as good tire choices in the size, I couldn't ask for more than what the defenders are. My stock size is 175 70 14 also, I'm planning on going to a 185 65 14. It's just a hair shorter, but with a lot of in town driving like you, I'd rather have a slightly lower gear ratio if I can't make it into top gear as it is. Also the 185 has a higher load rating which I'm hoping might give a lower rolling resistance than the 175s

I don't think the wheels will ever pay for themselves, but you might try looking for stock wheels from cars with the same bolt pattern. I found certain 15" Saturn wheels only weigh 14lbs and that a junkyard an hr away has 4 for $25ea. I just couldn't justify it on my +225k mi car