Anyone know anyting abougt low resistant tires? I did a quick google and found many irrelevant results, so I assume htey're not popular.

This tire came into mind, when I re-researched the insight. Low resistant tires are oen of many things about the insight that helps it get good mileage. Anyone have any info? Where to buy them? How much? Do they help much? Is it uncomfy driving w/ them? Most importantly: is it even possible to get low resistant wheels on the Fit? I'm guessing mprobably not, cuz when I got my bicycle's wheels to be more low resistant, the newer wheel's width were skinnier.

 

Low resistance tires sound like they would have horrible traction. You usually want as high "resistance" as you can get. On a fit even with really light rims and tires you probably wouldn't get much better mileage.

 

Traction is better only if the floor is smooth. Traction is terrible when rainy, rocky, etc. For bikes, low resistance usually means faster (indy racing uses bald tires) and better mileage. The question is whether this is worth sacrificing ride comfortability and slipping.

Do you know if they sell them? Is "low resistance" even a real type of tire? or just a marketing word used for the insight?

 

yeah they sold low rolling resistance tires with the older Honda Civic VX models back 10 years ago or so. The VX has the special tranny gearing and the low rolling resistance tires to get 40+ MPG back in the 90's. My uncle still has one but he stopped putting on the special tires long ago, they don't have as much traction.

 

The stock tires are LRR, because it helps on the EPA test, but they have the short life typical of OEM tires.

It's hard to find information about rolling resistance. This list is from a Consumer Reports test in 2006 (the ratings are the overall rating, nothing to do with RR):
1. Michelin X Radial DT (only available to shopping club members, i.e. Costco, Sam's Club, etc.). Rating: 79%.
2. Michelin Agility Touring (Sold only at Sears). Rating: 62%.
3. Michelin Harmony. Rating: 61%.
4. Hankook Mileage Plus GT H707. Rating: 58%.
5. Kumho Touring 795 A/S. Rating: 57%.
6. Toyo 800 Ultra. Rating: 51%.
7. Sumitomo HTR T4. Rating: 44%

 

Above poster is correct- it's hard to find info on LRR tires; I spoke with someone at tirerack.com and they don't have info on what brand or model tires are LRR. I would look at cars that have LRR (ie, Toyota Prius?) and buy the tires that they come with stock.

As far as "short life typical of OEM tires", what does that mean? Less than 30k miles? I've gotten well over 50k on my stock CRX Si tires and project the stock 99 Civic EX tires will be getting well over 60k miles.

 

There is a lot of info on this topic in Europe, but not much Stateside. The TireRack downplay is not surprising either.

For more info, see this thread:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/eco-...tire-time.html

 

What happens when the stock tires wear out? today I rotated the tires. one more year (maybe less, cuz my job is now 70miles a day, instead of 20), and I need new tires. I have to get "regular" ones?

 

I think LRR tires are essentially just a combination of hard rubber compound and stiff sidewalls. Pick something with a very long treadlife (hard compound) and high max PSI (stiff sidewalls) and you should be in good shape. The stock tires are LRR, according to tirerack. I get about 3.5 - 4 MPG better with my Falken 512's (not LRR) at 38 PSI than I did with the stock tires ate 30PSI.

 

Why not replace with another set that are rated LRR? Once the Dunlops are gone, Nokian i3s or Michelin Harmony for me....

 

Lrr tires are usually marked by the manuf. in some way. ie Michelin calls theirs energy or green. Some are called eco.... etc.

 

I suppose I'll find out about low rolling resistance tires. I just put 4 Kumho Ecowing KH 30 tires on my 2009 fit sport. I liked that they have a 60K warranty for $114 each. Additionally, they are 205/50R16 87V. So far they ride much better then my OEM tires, which lasted almost 29K miles. I think Discount Tire is the sole purveyor of KH30s.

According to the slim information I could find online about LRR tires, they might improve gas mileage between 2 and 5 percent. That's a big range, so apparently not all LRR tires are the same, but I couldn't find any information about what the differences are. On my OEM tires (which presumably were also LRR), I was getting 37MPG for my mixed hwy and city commute. I think I'll be lucky to notice 1 MPG improvement, but we'll see. But the 205 width might reduce the MPG some, so who knows. I'll report back after I drive on snow with them. As other posters mentioned, there is a question as to how LRR features mix with snow and ice. But the KH30s are are advertised as all-weather for rain and light snow.

 

i rotated mine not too long ago.. i'll most likely run the stock tires for 50k... am i the only person getting decent life out of these stock tires?

 

Yes, that could be. I have never had the tires on a new car last like the replacement tires do. Some have been downright pathetic. In this case, for the Fit, I could have maybe driven a little longer, to 30K or 32K, but winter is coming and worn tires are not that great on ice and snow.

 

I earlier posted about buying Kumho Ecowing KH 30 205/50R16 87V.tires on my 2009 fit sport. I had been getting 37 mpg on my very worn original tires. My mpg actually went down, back to what it was for city driving when the original tires were new, which is about 32-33 mpg. I guess I underestimated how good of mileage bald tires get!!

However, these low rolling resistance tires are very good in the snow. I waited to post until about 3 snowstorms, and they have been really great. Of course they slide on ice, but every all-weather tire will. But they get good traction, the one thing I was concerned about with low rolling resistance tires. My fears were unfounded with these tires.

 

Tire Tech Information - Tire Rolling Resistance Part 2: Defining Rolling Resistance

 

Thanks for sharing you experience with these tires. Nice to know they are good in snow. I am also in Colorado and find the OEM Dunlops are not the best in snow.