I see this question from time-to-time: "How much will it affect mileage if I switch from OEM to [a better tire]?" Well here's 9 months worth of data for your review.
I drove on my OEM tires (Bridgestone Ecopia) for about 15 months before replacing them with Michelin Cross Climate 2. Now after driving on the CC-2s for 9 months, I'm posting my mileage results >> comparing the same 9 month period for both tires. Assuming all other variables unchanged, the CC-2s lowered my MPG by about 4.5%.
No real surprise here, I was expecting a slight mileage drop since the CC-2s are about 3 lbs heavier and have better traction than the Ecopia. Since I spend about $1,200/year on fuel, the 4.5% mileage drop only costs me about $54/year (less than the annual cost of Toyota's Remote Connect service).
My Opinion: The additional fuel cost (~$54/year) due to the mileage drop is WELL worth it for the smoother, quieter ride, and improved handling on wet roads. (And I'm likely to make up the difference with the longer life of the CC-2 tires.)
Anyway, here's the summary data and charts.
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Each data point below is a tank fill, regardless of the number of days, but data points are plotted to fall on the week when refill occurred.
![Image]()
A little easier to see trend change on the moving-average chart:
![Image]()
Additional information:
I drove on my OEM tires (Bridgestone Ecopia) for about 15 months before replacing them with Michelin Cross Climate 2. Now after driving on the CC-2s for 9 months, I'm posting my mileage results >> comparing the same 9 month period for both tires. Assuming all other variables unchanged, the CC-2s lowered my MPG by about 4.5%.
No real surprise here, I was expecting a slight mileage drop since the CC-2s are about 3 lbs heavier and have better traction than the Ecopia. Since I spend about $1,200/year on fuel, the 4.5% mileage drop only costs me about $54/year (less than the annual cost of Toyota's Remote Connect service).
My Opinion: The additional fuel cost (~$54/year) due to the mileage drop is WELL worth it for the smoother, quieter ride, and improved handling on wet roads. (And I'm likely to make up the difference with the longer life of the CC-2 tires.)
Anyway, here's the summary data and charts.
Each data point below is a tank fill, regardless of the number of days, but data points are plotted to fall on the week when refill occurred.
A little easier to see trend change on the moving-average chart:
Additional information:
- Ecopia data was primarily 2021 and CC-2 data primarily during 2022.
- From Apr-July 2022 (CC-2), the average air temperature was 6°F hotter than the same period in 2021 (Ecopia).
- I was still working from home half the week during Jan-Feb 2021 and during 2021, I tended to let DTE get closer to zero before refueling (fewer fill-ups).
- My daily route was unchanged during these time periods.
- In my opinion, the amount of construction and delays on this route varied more in 2022 (less predictable).
- In my opinion, my average speed was higher in 2022 (when not delayed) because of the smoother ride of the CC-2s (less white knuckle steering).
- My daily drive goes N-S through Dallas, TX.
