Energy Saving Tires - Is It Worth The Expense

I would not say I am a hard driver but I do expect the tire to perform the way it should. I do have a fast sports car but the tires I purchase are made for that purpose. My current tire size is 205.40.ZR19. These are very low profile and very wide tires.

I have seen an advert for some new tires that offer a reduction in miles per gallon. I would like to achieve even a little bit of saving, but is it really saving? When I first considered the money saving tires I decided to put the statistics to the test. I did a little mathematical test and came to an alarming conclusion. The amount of fuel the tires would save would be destroyed by the high cost of the purchase of the tires themselves. I would have to travel such a distance to even break-even that it is an uneconomical purchase. I am back to looking for a set of tires.

I will have a look at the same make as I have now, well they have done well and lasted a couple of punctures as well as deal with all the pot holes. Due to the size and speed rating, it is hard to find any alternative except on the internet, and they are probably imports and thus not good quality.

I have decided to drive around the local tire shops and get quotes for a set of four tires including new valves and balancing the newly fitted tires. I will allow each shop to see the last quote and try and let this work in my favor. I will have one make of tires in mind so all the quotes are for the same product. It seems the places you expect to be the most expensive are quite the opposite. One small tire shop I considered the cheapest, actually was the most expensive. They overpriced the valves and balance. Whereas the bigger tire shop included these in a sale for four tires, they also offered a free tracking check so to protect my investment from premature wear.

It pays to shop around and do not be afraid to ask for incentives. I asked for free valves and balance if I purchased four tires and got them. I also talked them in to a tracking check. If only they knew they were the cheapest by far. I was unsure whether going in such a prestigious sports car for a quote would have affected the price, but they know by the size of the tire the car is special.

In the end, I purchased a set of four tires including the valves and balance equal to the ones I replaced. I should be able to get the same mileage out of this set.