can i change my tyres from 185/65R14 to 205/60R15 and will the extra width increase fuel costs? and would energy saver tyres help in reducing the fuel consumption?
Energy saver tyres will help but you're not going up in size that drastically so you will probably suffer no issues. In fact even though its a small increase the cars engine will actually be working slightly less to maintain the same speed as before ( bigger wheel travels further per rotation) so you may just see a very slight improvement. Be aware that with larger wheels your speedo will mis read
Many factors come into role when it comes to tire size in relation to effects on fuel consumption. I will do my best to explain the relationship. In theory, a wide tire will weigh more than a narrow one (if the tires height are the same). Combine this with addition rolling friction created by the wide track of the wider tire, and more fuel is needed to move the wide tire. In most scenarios, the added fuel consumption will be marginal, and most likely unmeasurable. Taller tires (I know this was not part of your question, but I will expand upon the issue), also suffer similar effects. A taller tire weighs more, and thus requires more fuel to get them moving. However, a taller tire also gives you a higher over all gear ratio, lowering your RPM while driving. Given this, it is hard to judge whether a taller tire will require more fuel to turn or not. The final variable to the issue of tire size vs. fuel consumption is application. For example, a 4 cylinder engine might suffer more from wider tires than a V-8, due to the difference in torque. The stronger the engine, the less likely that a small increase in load or rolling resistance is going to require more fuel to operate. For the final part of your question, energy saving tires typically refers to a tire with a tread pattern or material composition that has less rolling resistance than a typical tire. Fuel savings will be marginal at best, again depending on the application. I hope this helps answer your question.
