rosencra38

I just replaced the old wore down tires that came on my suburban when I bought it back in April. I replaced them with Firestone Destination A/T tires, they have a nice ride and great traction. Today was the first time filling up the tank after I had them put on and I am down 3 mpg. I called the tire place and asked if they by chance had a satisfaction guarantee cause if I am going to end up with 13mpg then I'd rather swap them for a highway tire. The person I spoke with is contacting their distributor to ask about it but did mention that you do lose some mpg with new tires. I've never heard of this before. Can't say if this has ever happened to me before cause I never really watched my MPG's as much as I do now with my burb and todays high gas prices so who knows...

It was a toss up for me on the decision of the A/T tires versus a highway tread. I was afraid that I would end up stuck in the snow with the highway tread. Living in West Michigan and dealing with the snow and all. I was prepared to lose a little bit of mpg but not almost 20%.

rosencra38

Just heard back from the company right after I hit submit. They can swap out the A/T for the LE, more of a highway tred if I want. Their distributor did say that what I was experiencing was a little excessive. Any opinions out there on using a highway tire in the winter time? I'm really on the fence about this.

73shark

You might want to wait for another tankful. A lot of things can affect mpg. Tire pressure is a biggie. New tire rubber is softer initially plus a deeper tread adds friction, a mpg killer. Also may weigh more than the take-offs.

Was your number calculated or off the DIC?

rosencra38

Calculated, I don't trust the reading from the DIC. Losing the mpg does sound logical to me but it still hurts. I've been reading the reviews on the LE version of that tire and they are definitely scaring me away from making the switch.

Firestone Destination LE

ChevyFreak

Tires alone can actually have a big effect on gas mileage. That, combined with personal driving habits, and terrain can cause either increases or decreases in mpg. The problem is finding a good tire based on your personal use, while also keeping mpg rather steady (if not better). You might be better waiting a while longer to allow the new tires to "break in."

On that note, I have the Firestone Destination LE's on my Tahoe. They are pretty good. I seem to get good grip all year around. I have not had any problems with them in Upstate NY snow and/or rain. Some people have mentioned excessive tread wear after so many miles, and more road noise, but I have not noticed any of these occurrences, or had really any problems. They still provide a "truck like" look with decent size tread. Of course, this is based on my particular use, and for you it may be different. There are definitely better tires out there, and I may try something different the next go around, but for what they are worth, and for what I have to drive through, they seem to be a decent tire.

rosencra38

Thanks for the positive review on those tires. The shop went ahead and ordered them for me either way. I have until the 29th of the month to decide if I want to keep what I have or swap for the LE's. They'll just keep the LE's for stock if I decide I don't want them.

73shark

Before you change 'em out, might check Tirerack if you haven't already. They do a lot of testing in house.

mercracing

All above correct!! It's mostly about more rolling mass and softer rubber the deeper the tread

SWHouston

I'd focus on the Inflation Pressure first, and give them another (tank) try.
I rarely pay much attention to the "recommended" pressure, and use the Maximum Inflation Pressure as a reference. I reduce that number by about 10% and use that as the standard Cold Inflation pressure. That'd put you using 40 Lbs as normal.
Those look like a great set of tires, and I'd give them another chance.

MDTAHOE

Tire can have a great effect on MPG. A few companies out there that make a low rolling resistance tire. Some are called "green" or "eco" tires. They are suppose to increase fuel economy.