Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Golf returning poor fuel economy - are the new tyres to blame?

Golf returning poor fuel economy - are the new tyres to blame?

I recently replaced old "Event" tyres with new Michelin ones on my wife's 2006 Volkswagen Golf diesel. On a regular round trip of 120 miles, her on-board fuel consumption has gone from over 60mpg to below 50mpg. Is this a coincidence or have the tyres reduced the fuel economy?

Asked on 11 November 2014 by Jon Homer

Answered by Honest John
Because the old tyres were worn and the new tyres are unworn, the new tyres are of slightly greater rolling circumference. So, though the odometer is measuring distance by the rotation of the tyres, the actual distances travelled are the same.

Real MPG enables you to register the fuel economy you are actually getting against your make and model of car, its engine and type of transmission.

Every time you enter an average consumption figure against your car, the overall average automatically adjusts to reflect it.

Real MPG

From choosing the right tyre to what to do when it goes wrong - we have the answers.

Tyre News And Advice
Similar questions
Car manufacturers are continuing to manufacture diesel cars despite all the adverse publicity about diesel. Nearly all motoring websites continue to recommend diesel as the best buy in versions of automatic,...
Would changing the tyre spec of a car change the mpg? If so, by how much? The Ines we are looking at come with an 18-inch alloy and we are looking at the 17-inch optional extra for comfort. Also would...
I'm waiting to view and test drive a Peugeot 308 Allure 1.2 (130) auto that is being moved to a more local dealership. It's a 2015 reg with only 4000 miles for £10,400. It looks a lovely car but I have...
Related models
Decent handling and comfortable on the move, impressive TSI engines, massive improvement over the previous Golf, high-economy Bluemotion models, high quality feel of interior, five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.