Gas mileage vs bigger wheels...

[ArizonaGeek]

I am curious, since I haven't done it, how much gas mileage do you lose by going to a bigger wheel? For instance I have the upgraded stock wheels but would like to go with an 18" nice chrome wheel at some point but I also drive around 50 miles round trip (thru traffic) for work. Do you lose a lot, a little, is it worth it to be cool? Just wondering... Thanks for any info! Cheers Rob

[evosky]

well, your reading will go off a bit because the odometer is set for the standard 15's.
the difference is minimal from my experience with my 18" TRD's. because gas mileage is so subjective and so variable-dependent, i'd say don't worry about it. however, remember that if you get really heavy wheels, you will be losing the feeling of "power" and you may mash the gas pedal more and thus kill gas mileage that way.
overall, i'd say go for the 18's if you really want them. tire choice is also a factor.

[Gsnorgathon]

"Gas mileage is subjective"? Well, now I know!

Snark aside, those are all good points. Your odo reading is already off if you've got the stock 15/185/60 tires on. It reads about 4% short, so you're getting 4% better fuel efficiency than you thought you were! No matter what the diameter of your wheels, if you get tires with a smaller circumference, your odo will tend to read more accurately (unless you go for super-short tires, in which case your odo will start reading long).

Hunt around for threads on wheels/tires/fuel efficiency; you'll find more details.

[wwjdd]

I've got 205/40/17's and I drive about 100 miles a day. I currently get 32-33 mpg. I was having a problem with the tires for a while and put the stock 15's back on for 2 weeks. During that time I got 34-35 mpg. In the big picture....not that much difference. About 3 gallons or $7.00 more per week to run the larger tires.....for me.

[OldYeller]

It is more the weight of the wheels then the size that will make the difference. I consistantly get over 30 with my 17s