Pirelli, Hankook top Which? Fuel efficiency test

ERJ staff report (DS)

London - The UK Consumers Association through its publication Which? says fuel-efficient tyres can save motorists 6 percent on their fuel bills. The publication which claims to be the only independent agency to test tyres in the UK, adds that keeping tyre pressures topped up can save 10 percent on fuel costs.

The group tested some popular tyres in size 205/55 R16V on a Peugeot 308. It measured an increase in fuel consumption of around 3% when tyre pressures were reduced by one bar (on a typical inflation pressure of 2.5 bar). The same exercise showed drastic changes to handling and braking, making running with the correct pressures crucial to a safe journey.

Which? added, “But your choice of tyre can actually make a bigger difference to fuel economy - so it's important to choose the best tyres from the outset and then maintain them properly.”

Pirelli's Cinturato P7 and the Hankook Kinergy Eco K425 came top for fuel efficiency. Both beat big names like the Continental PremiumContact 5, Goodyear OptiGrip and Bridgestone Turanza T001 for rolling resistance.

The group added, “Pirelli was among the lowest priced tyres in our test batch (at £68 each), you'll be saving money from the moment you visit the tyre retailer.”

Which commented, “In fact, fitted to a car returning 40mpg, either the Pirelli or the Hankook would give you an extra 2.4mpg (around 6%) compared with the worst tyre in our test for rolling resistance, the Nexen N8000. That equates to around £50 a year at today's record fuel prices.”

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Press release from Which?