I have a little IS250 as my main commuter. The stock 225/45r17 tires have been fragile and offer poor ride quality, so I went to smaller 16" wheels that allowed me to drop down to 205/60r16 tires. The weight of wheel/tire assembly is about EIGHT POUNDS LESS PER WHEEL.
And that's with steel wheels instead of aluminum.
My MPG is consistently at least 3mpg better. Before I would barely crack 29-30 on extended highway runs, now I can get 32+ even a shorter hwy runs. Around town was 22mpg and now I'm getting 26mpg in the city.
Low profile tires and large wheels are an aesthetic choice with real MPG costs to attain.
And that's with steel wheels instead of aluminum.
My MPG is consistently at least 3mpg better. Before I would barely crack 29-30 on extended highway runs, now I can get 32+ even a shorter hwy runs. Around town was 22mpg and now I'm getting 26mpg in the city.
Low profile tires and large wheels are an aesthetic choice with real MPG costs to attain.