Wednesday 24 October 2012

Be careful when buying new tyres for your car

I was advised at my last service that I needed new tyres on the car, and was given 3 different prices.

I asked about fuel economy, and was pointed toward the most expensive offer, with the statement that they’re what you have at the moment.

So, I called around a few places and got quotes, and eventually the dealer matched the quote, so I had the tyres fitted this morning.

However, when I got back to the car, I noticed that the new front tyres weren’t Michelin Energy like the rear tyres, and so my hunt for the difference began.

Bridgestone has a good document that describes the efficiency.

tyre efficiency 

What I cant determine is if the increase in consumption is per tyre or per set of 4.   Let’s assume it’s per tyre (as that’s the worst case).

My new tyre is rated E, and the tyre available elsewhere is rated B, so that’s a difference between them of 0.04 l /100 km.

On this set of tyres, I drove 43,000 km (or 26,500 miles) so that looks like it will cost me 43,000 km * 0.04  l / 100 km = 17.2 l which at the current price of fuel for diesel at £1.42/l = £24.42.

That’s £100 if the rating is for each tyre, which is quite a difference for just fitting a different tyre to the car.

So, look for the label and choose wisely!  Clearly if the price per tyre is more than the savings a lower rating may be a better choice, though at the same price, it’s a no brainer.

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