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Date:         Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:09:07 -0400
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Rolling resistance
Comments: To: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; delsp=no

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 11:07 AM , Kim Brennan wrote:

If you look at almost all the high fuel > economy vehicles, one thing they'll have in common is small diameter > tires.

So, a few years ago almost all small cars (Corola and similar) had 13 inch wheels with something like 165-80 tires. small wheel, high aspect ratio tire. Now they typically have (at least my Prius does) 15 inch wheels, with 185-65 tires. Bigger wheel, thinner tires. In part, I thought this might be a part of the current fad toward thin tires big wheels, but somehow I doubt that Toyota in designing the Prius went that way -- My general thoughts are that Toyota tried to maximize fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety.

So far as vanagon content -- I still have the original 14 inch wheels, and run 195-75 tires. This is slightly wider but not significantly so than the original 185s, same aspect, so a tad taller too. Am I sacrificing, gaining, or is it a wash? I get about 22 mpg on long drives, unless I get on the interstate and the traffic is so heavy that I feel compelled to try to keep up to keep from getting run over -- in which case I try to get off onto a more sensible road as soon as possible.

Dave Mc


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