Do Bigger Tires = Worse Gas Mileage?

[kerrywins]

I have these tiny little tires on my escort...and I got cheaper ones at dscount tires...but they are a little bit bigger.
I'm just curious....

[bahrbearian]

1. You'll get a litlle worse on an Escort ,but you get a nicer ride.

If it were a larger car it would be worse still.

[tridim]

2. Just because they're bigger

doesn't mean they're heavier. If they are heavier it means your engine has to work a bit harder to spin them and you'll get slightly worse mileage, but probably not enough that you'll even notice.

[kerrywins]

3. My performance has decreased

as well as my braking power...but just a little.

[dweller]

4. bigger how, height or width, or both?

dp

[kerrywins]

5. a little bit of both

you have to understand that the stock tires were small....real small.

[dweller]

6. what size were the stock

and what size did you put on?

dp

[kerrywins]

7. unfortunately I don't know

that off the top of my head....

[MadAsHell]

8. You have a complicated set of dynamics there ...

A heavier tire does require more horsepower to spin up ( or stop) but a larger diameter tire rolls easier (has a lower rolling resistance). If the tires still fit in the wheelwells without modification, you should not notice to difference. By the way, it will be much more of a factor to make sure the tires are properly inflated.