Michelin advertises that these new Energy Saver tires should get up to 8% better gas mileage. If that's true that could save me a good amount of money over 5 years of driving.

I'm for anything that really helps the gas mileage. I find the hybrid itself was the biggest jump. Using the mobil one 0W-20 oil gave me a 1 1/2 mpg boost.

Figuring at 59.5 mpg and the 8% these Saver tires should give me another 4.4 mpg. So far my increase is 4.9 mpg. This is my first tank with these tires. It will take a good 6 months of driving to get a more accurate number.

My previous last tank was 59.5 mpg at 803 miles using the oem Energy S8 tires. So far with the Saver tires i'm at 693 miles at 64.4 mpg with a little over 1/4 tank left to go. That's the 4.9 mpg difference I mentioned.

I'm looking forward to comparing this winter's mpg readings to last winters.

 

Their are other tires that are LRR. The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire shows to be a long lasting tire that don't cost that much. The ad also mentions a 4% mpg increase.

Hankook and Kumho are other LRR tires that mention a 3% to 5% mpg increase. Other tire manufactures are said to be coming out with competiting LRR tires in 2010/11.

 

Don't get hung up on the speed ratings of the tires on a TCH. While cars capable of high speed running require V rated tires for the speed rating, the TCH uses V rated tires for their other property which is LRR. The chemical composition and materials to create a LRR tire also create a tire which has the heat dissipation required of a V rated tire.

 

Try telling that to the installers and sales people at many tire dealerships, Costco in particular.

Costco refused to install tires on a previous Camry I owned because they didn't have the same speed rating as the OEM tires.

 

Unfortunately, we can only blame the propensity of lawsuits for that. Costco lawyers decided that they are not going to risk someone buying a lower speed rated tire, being involved in an accident and suing them that they got sold the wrong tire. It becomes a blanket policy without regard for any valid exceptions.

My original comment was from the angle that we buy LRR tires, and because of the way they are manufactured that happens to make them V rated where a performance car owner will buy a V rated tire because of the speed rating and they may get a LRR tire as a secondary benefit.