At just over 40K miles, it's time to replace the OEM Michelin Energy LX4s. From what I've been seeing, we're limited on what tires we can choose from because of the size Honda chose for our vans.

Right now, since I don't want to change the stock wheels or alter the stock tire size, I can choose between Michelin Energy LX4, Yokohama Avid TRZ, Big O Euro Tour, and Goodyear Assurance ComforTred.

I'd like to replace the Michelins because of the road noise, and what seems like extraneous wear on the outsides of the contact patch. Other than that, I'm happy with the Michelins. They're about $677 installed at CostCo. The reviews at www.tirerack.com lead me to believe they're a good balance between performance and fuel economy. They handle just fine if you're not driving your minivan like a hot rod. But everyone agrees about the road noise and what looks like premature wear.

Next, I looked at the Goodyear tire because they'll be a lot quieter and they'll only cost me about $480 installed. But I see most that choose that tire and posted comments on www.tirerack.com are having problems with them staying balanced and they're losing around 2 MPG in fuel economy. 2 MPG might not seem like much, but after 50,000 miles (I hope) of wear, and with gas costing an average of $3.50 (wishful thinking) per gallon, since I'm currently getting an average of 20 MPG, if I were to get 18 MPG, I'd have spent an extra $972.22 for fuel. So, I'd save about $200 now, but end up paying nearly an extra $1,000 in the long run. I also hear the tire has a thinner sidewall as the Michelin, so you'll feel a lot more wandering back and forth when driving down the highway. So the Goodyears are pretty much out.

I can't find any information at all on the Big O Tire. They'll probably cost about $540 installed. But, what about fuel economy? Would I be in the same boat as the Goodyears? Saving some now so I can spend a lot later?

And lastly, the Yokohamas. All the reviews I've read on www.tirerack.com makes me feel like they're pretty good tires. I haven't found a single person unhappy with them. I'm sure there are a few out there, but they're far and few between. So quality and performance are a definite plus for Yokohama. However, like the Big O tire, I'm unsure about the fuel economy. I can get them for $440 installed.

With the information I've gathered, I've racked and stacked these tires in this order:
1) Michelin Energy LX4
2) Yokohama Avid TRZ
3) Big O Euro Tour
4) Goodyear Assurance ComforTred

Anyone else have any experience with the fuel economy gain/loss/breakeven with the Yokohama or Big O tires? That might help sway my decision as to what to replace my tires with. But for now, looks like the Michelins will come out on top. Afterall, I can put up with road noise if it means I'll save $1,000.

My issue has, for the most part, been undiscussed. I did a search for replacement tires as it pertains to fuel economy and only came back with one thread that even mentions it. But that was it. Someone asked about the fuel economy, but never got a reply. And that post was made a year ago. So, maybe the people that have been replacing their tires really haven't been paying much attention to their MPGs and haven't noticed any discernable difference. Afterall, it's only about 2 MPG. But then again, like I said above, 2 MPG adds up over time and I'll end up spending close to an additional $1,000 in fuel over the life of the tires.

I decided to go for the Michelin Energy LX4s. I just can't pass up the fuel savings with these tires. Especially with escalating fuel prices. A trip that costed me $110 a year ago costed me $170 this past weekend. If I calculated correctly, by losing 2 MPG, this trip would have cost me $189. I think $19 is significant enough in just one trip to understand how much additional money I'd spend on fuel in the long run with such a mileage drop.

Someone will have to check my math, but attached is a spreadsheet showing what it would cost to choose between two different tires. I broke it down to cost per mile so it would be easier to differentiate between two tires that are supposed to last for different total miles. The Michelins have lasted on average approximately 40K miles. The Yokohamas approximately 50K miles.

Something else I've read in other forums is that for the people that live in the northern states, they would rather have a tradeoff of less fuel economy to gain traction to cut through the snow. That's totally understandable. However, I doubt I'll ever see snow where I live. So I'd rather have the more fuel efficient Michelins. But if I were concerned about snow, I'd get the Yokohamas. There have been a lot of people saying they notice a big improvement when switching from the OEM Michelins to the Yokohama Avid TRZs. Driving through rain feels pretty sure footed on the Michelins, however there are probably gains to be had with the Yokohamas. But I drive cautiously enough in the rain that I'd more than likely never benefit from the increased traction of the Yokohamas.

I put all this out there in hopes that it'll help someone else make a better decision when it comes time to replace their own tires.

Okay, this forum doesn't allow uploads of *.XLS files. If anyone wants to see it, PM me and I'll email it to you.