Tires (Summer/Winter/All-Season)

Found a rolling resistance comparison of all season tyres on Consumer reports. I'm not a member so only see a few articles. IIRC, conti extreme were way higher rolling resistance than these.
Lb for what vehicle weight?
Of these tyres, the quatrac pro and crossclimate 2 have eu ratings of C for rolling resistance. The best on the list can't be better than B. Most are US market only. The Asian manufacturers still frequently do global models, so they may have EU ratings.

 

The difference in rolling resistance between Euro A and E rated tyres is about 30-35Wh/mi.
If you run 4.5mi/kWh with As, that would drop to 3.9-4mi/kWh with Es.
It's a real shame that reliable RR data is hard to find outside Europe. Europe made it happen to encourage better fuel efficiency. You can still buy draggy tyres there if you want, but you are told about it. I've seen Euro E rated tyres claimed to be low rolling resistance here in the US.

 

That chart is very interesting. I have the Continental PureContact LS as my winter tires. During the time they are on, we get about 3.4-3.5 mi/kWh. During the time the original factory Hankook Summer tires are on, we get 4.0-4.1. Not sure how much of the difference is the tires vs. the average temps, though. We actually have not changed over yet to the summer set due to being busy.

I think when I drive it tomorrow to the dealer for service, I'll reset the average and see what it does with the Contis in warm weather (until the changeover).

rob

 

Normal city+freeway driving in mid mode is about 5.5mi/kWh for me on 17" Pirelli Cinturato P7 summer (P7C2) with black tentacle spokes. Winter driving is a completely different story but I have more than enough range so summer efficiency is pure bonus!

 

Maybe I'm alone here, but I put a much higher priority on safety (handling, stopping distance, etc.) than rolling resistance when buying tires... even with a small-battery EV, like my SE.

 

How do you like the contis? Just had those installed. I'm only going to be running a single set of wheels on the SE so went with an all-season. Ended up with these as they seem to check quite a few boxes and the current $110/$110 double rebate put them at like $411 for the set (before tax/install, I think I was $561 installed). I've only put on like 50 miles but so far they seem decent.

Value wise they seem like a good purchase, so I'm happy so far.

 

I have nearly the identical set up and results but with Nokian WRG4 and Hankook - which this chart validates. ~15% range hit. As temps got warmer the gap did widen a bit which.

 

I think the Continentals have been great. Pac NW here, so lots of rain, under 40 for most of 3-4 months and a little bit of snow and ice. We've had no issues with them Nov-Apr/May.



rob

 

Agree. The research I did showed the Conti PureContact LS tires very well rated for wet and dry traction, braking, etc. They are also considered an "eco" tire, well priced and anticipated long life. Good mileage is a good thing, too.

Rob

 

Same conclusions here. It was between these or the Pirelli P7's which also seem to be highly recommended. End price is what really decided it for me between these. Couldn't justify the ~35% cost increase over the contis (including current rebates on both tires). Time will tell how they do through both summer and winter.

 

One summer tyre possibility for speed demons: Yokohama V701. In sizes for my R53, Euro C rated. A C rated tyres is going to be up consumption by around 2/3 of the increase of good E rated tyres, so about an extra 21-22wh/mi, about a 10% range reduction. I believe that my winter WR-G4s would score a B or C if they had a Euro label.
I put V701s on my R53. Good sticky tyres. Probably the best handling Mini tyres I currently have. My autocross RT660s have more grip, but it's harder to take advantage of.
I was out in my R53 today enjoying its great handling and lack of roll. Unlike most tyres available in the US, V701s are also sold in Europe so have a rating for rolling resistance.
There are also multiple versions of the 'kooks with rolling resistance traded for something else

 

I will replace the Goodyear F1 tires this weekend with the Falken Azenis fk460 a/s. My experience since owning the SE for almost two years, my efficiency is 4.0mile/KWh. One concern I have is minimizing road noise. I will post a comparison of the decibel levels once I put the new tires on the car.

 

Do you consider the stock tyres to be inadequate?

 

Safety and rolling resistance are not mutually exclusive.

A tire that has low rolling resistance does not by default sacrifice handling and stopping distance and etc.

For example, the Nokian hakkapaeliita R5 has outstanding handling and safety and at the same time very low rolling resistance. I didn't experience any range loss with them and they are one of the top rated tires in its category.

 

A 195/55-16 Hakka R5 is a euro B for rolling resistance. You probably won't find a better snow tyre, let alone one that is as low rolling resistance. Most others are Ds, some Cs. Fortunately, snow tyres tend to be global models, so we can sleuth their rolling resistance from European ratings.

My all weather WR-G4s are probably about the same rolling resistance as the Hakkas. A US model so no Euro rating. They roll better than the summer C tyres on my R53, but not quite as well as the summer 'kooks on my SE.

 

Since the reset two weeks ago, my Contis have averaged 3.8. Seems to be in the middle between "cold Conti A/S" and "warm Hankook Summer" efficiency.

Rob

 

I’ve been using the Pirelli P7s for late Fall/Winter/early Spring service with a good results - over 4.0 mi/kWh during cold and 4.3 and above during warmer temps. We did not have the usual harsh conditions this winter in New England, however. I haven’t yet swapped them for the OEM Hankook Ventus Prime3s due to surgery (lift limitations). The P7s are fairly comfortable and quiet, even on the highway.

 

Update: My first impression of The Falken Azenis fk460 a/s tires is great. The tires are notably quieter, stickier and more responsive. However, the car is now averaging 3.9 miles/kwH in mixed driving compared to 4.0 miles/kwH with the Goodyear F1 Assemtric. Something to note is that the original Goodyear F1 Assemtric tire size is 205/45-17. The Falken Azenis fk460 tire size is 205/50-17, so these are not direct replacement. A test I performed with the speedometer indicated 45 mph, I opened Waze. It too matched the 45 mph.

The cost for the Goodyear tires would have been about $1,200. The cost of the Falken tires installed was less than $600.

Only time will tell if the Falken tires last longer than the Goodyear tires which lasted only 13,400 miles before I hit the wear bars. So far I am pleased with the choice of changing to the Falken tires.

Here is something that is very important for those of you with the Mini Power Stoke Corona wheels. They are difficult, if not impossible, to balance without a weight adapter. The adapter is Mini part number, 83302471407, 83-30-2-471-407, 83 30 2 471 407 or 83.30.2.471.407. This part compensates for the weight of the plastic rectangle covering one arm of this wheel.

 

Good of you to mention that essential fact about the Power Spoke wheels.



Here's a tale of Power-Spoke balancing woe from the UK:



I mount my Power Spokes on my SE only 1 or 2 days a year and yesterday was one of those days. I drove to Sandy Munro's Open House yesterday and wanted my SE to look its best when the other car-people saw it in Munro & Associates' parking lot. The rest of the year I keep my Power Spokes in the basement where their distinctive Energetic Yellow stripes are safe from the evil concrete curbs. At this rate, I'll probably never need my Power-Spoke balancing accessory.

At the open house I was happy to speak with the Munro associate who 23 years ago advised BMW just after they bought the Mini brand and were designing their first MINI Cooper. He helped them design the process of customization for each MINI customer's option choices. BMW at that time sent each nearly-finished BMW to a separate facility for customization, but that process wouldn't fly for the lower-priced MINI.