Best MPG to Performance ratio snow tire

I just bought some BFG KO2'S from discounttiredirect.com with free shipping and $100 off $400 or more so I bought two sets of two. Their website also said the tires wouldn't fit but I assume it's because I didn't get the same size that came with the truck. They fit fine, drive smooth, and no really noticeable drastic change in mpg. I have 17's so instead of the stock 265 65 17's I went with 265 70 17's. No issues. In addition, with the TPMS I didn't even have to reset them.

 

My parents both have General Altimax Arctics on their Outbacks and they work great. I was going to go that route for my Tacoma but got an incredible price on the Yokos last fall.

Either way, a snow tire has softer rubber and will always be better in snow/ice than an A/T or all season will. Plus, they'll probably be cheaper.

 

The BFG website is saying the KO2 will not fit because they are referencing the appicability not the size of this tire to a Tacoma. What they want to say is the load range is too much for the truck. I think it has somthing to do with liability if they recommend the tire. I have the KO's in stock size with no problems, ride great, quiet for an AT tire and very stable while turning. The gas mileage will go down around 20% in city and local driving or any driving where you have to repeately accelerate from a stop such as red lights and stop signs. On the highway cruising without stopping the gas mileage is virtually the same as the lighter stock BFG Rugged trails.

 

Yea thanks for input. I think I'll go with a dedicated snow tire. That's what I will use it for. Especially in winter there will be no chance of me off roading with it besides up a bit of unplowed access road.

Anyone who has ran snow tires and can let me know about MPG loss would be great

 

MPG loss due to snow tires will be minimal (<5%). MPG loss due to Winter weather, however could be in the neighbourhood of 20%, depending on the severity of your weather and local gasoline formulations. This has been my experience with a 2.7L. Depending on how much you idle, your results may vary. I don't idle, unless I need to be sitting in the truck. I as a rule start and go within 10 seconds.

 

I would not run KOs as a Winter tire. My son had them and they were pretty bad on ice and plowed roads. Just my two cents FWIW.

 

Dunlop grandtrek SJ6,

Trust me.

 

My Blizzaks hit me for a 1-2 MPG loss ... About the same as my heavy Summer LT AT tires hit me. Both compared to the first Summer with the truck on GY Wrangler SRA hwy treads averaged 22.5. My MPG averages out to about 20.5 yr round, as high as 21.5 in Summer and low as 18.5 in Winter with extreme cold/snow/4x4 use. Note I'm 4cyl.

 

It's been about 3-1/2 weeks now since I traded my Yokohama Geolanders for new Goodyear Duratracs. (265/75/r16's in both cases) The Geolanders were "car tires" in my eyes. You didn't want to say the word mud, much less drive in it with those tires. But they did OK in snow. Not great, but OK.... I haven't had the opportunity to try the Duratracs in snow yet, but I'm told by a number of people who run them that they're pretty good snow tires. The first couple tanks of gas after the swap, I was playing with tire pressures. Had one tank on 30psi tires that saw the gas gauge implode. Pumped 'em up to 35psi and things looked a LOT better. I've adapted my driving style a little bit to compensate for the difference in tires. We've taken a several long road trips in the past few weeks. End result, after nearly 2000 miles of driving on the Duratracs, gas mileage dropped about 1/2-mile per gallon to as much as 1 mpg from what I was getting on the Geo's. Honestly, I was expecting far worse. Just don't run 'em at low pressures.

 

Did you go up a size or stay with the stock size?

 

Wut?

I went with tires that are likely less "fuel efficient" than the BFG's and dropped something like 2-1/2 to 5%. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised, but none the less....20% drop in MPG's is WAY off what I'm hearing from just about everyone else.

 

They discontinued those tires a while back if I remember right. At least in the size I was running on my Subaru STI. I still have a set and love them, but I can't get replacements.

 

2 1/2% is within the margin of error, and I wouldn't even bother reporting such a MPG difference. I have tracked every tankful on two trucks (V6 and I4) and 150k miles, and those have been my findings. Driven for mileage, I've never seen 19mpg with the BFGs (I have gotten close, at 18.8 on one tankful). With the Grandtreks, 22mpg is fairly easy to attain, with a best of 22.5. I have gotten a 26.6mpg tankful with the 2.7l, but most have been around 24. With E rated tires, the 2.7 averaged 20.

This test seems to echo what I have been saying, with a 15% difference in a semi controlled test:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/129-1104-tires-and-fuel-economy/

 

I put 265/75-16C Duratracs on my '11 TRDOR with none of those issues.

 

Yes I was more so concerned with seeing like a 5 point drop like you hear about from people with bigger tires. Sounds like just some same sized winter tires won't be effecting me like that. I am not concerned with a 2 mpg drop for the sake of great winter traction. That's big part of why I wanted a truck was to have a solid 4x4 vehicle with good snow tires for winters up here.

 

The tire won't affect mileage much, the weather will. Keep in mind, a 2mpg drop is 10-12%. Last year, I burned $11000 worth of gas, 10% of that isn't a sum to sneeze at, I need to work quite a bit to land $1100 in my pocket.

 

Yea very true, which is why I'm trying to find best mpg to performance ratio for a snow tire. Appreciate the suggestions!

 

Well there is the problem. You have an under powered 4 banger that is already taxed. Add heavier tires and it is over taxed knocking the shit out of your MPGs. I ran 10 ply MTRs on my 2009 V6 with virtually no impact on MPGs

 

50 thousand of those miles are on a '14 DCLB V6.

 

Well I guess you are just one of the unlucky ones whose driving habits with AT causes their mileage to drop.