Do Tires Affect MPG?

Trips to gas stations add up quickly, so you might be brainstorming different ways to maximize your efficiency on the roads. That includes upgrading for a model with a high MPG rating, calculating how efficient your drives are, and figuring out how tires affect efficiency. Besides impacting the gas mileage, tires also will impact the performance of your vehicle. Learn more as the team at Kempthorn Motors answers the following questions and more in this guide: 

• Do bigger tires affect mpg?
• Do bigger wheels affect mpg?
• How much does tire weight affect mpg?

Do Bigger Tires Affect MPG? What is Rolling Resistance?

They do, and we have to answer “Why do bigger wheels affect mpg?” to get to the bottom of these questions. When you put your vehicle in drive, “rolling resistance” is the force that slows down your tires. Rolling resistance is the friction between your tires and the ground. So, more resistance equates to poorer fuel economy. Larger tires have more rolling resistance, so essentially, they have poor rolling resistance. 

What’s more, air drag, road quality, and other factors will also dictate how much resistance is being put on your tires in your drives. If you want to boost your mpg, you can explore low-resistance tires with thinner sidewalls, lower weight, and shallower treads.

How Much Does Tire Weight Affect MPG?

How much does tire weight affect mpg? Find out here:

• Since a smaller object takes less energy to move than a larger one, larger tires require the engine to burn more fuel to move the vehicle. 
• Smaller tires and wheels require less engine output and handle stop-and-go city traffic better. 
• Do larger, heavier tires have any benefits? Of course! Larger tires are great for heavy-duty vehicles and cover more distance once they’re rolling. This is a solid mpg boost if you mostly travel on the highway!

Learn More About Tire Care with Kempthorn Motors

Now that you know tires impact gas mileage, it’s time to learn when you need to change your tires. If you have more questions about tire care, be sure to get in touch with Kempthorn Motors and we’d be happy to help.