hotwings

I don't understand the sticker when I see this on Michelin's website

ndunn

Handling nor ride quality are mentioned.

For those willing to sacrifice the last .1 mpg in fuel economy which model of tire would be preferred?

hotwings

Slightly off topic but it makes no sense to me car makers squeeze fractions of a MPG by using low viscocity oils, getting rid of the spare tire, using more efficient tire tread and then they BLOW IT ALL by intalling overweight wheels and oversized tires.

The MPG difference for the 2024 camry hybrid :

LE with 16" wheels 52 MPG combined HW/City
SE with 18" wheels 46 MPG combined HW/City

I'm willing to bet wheels/tires are a big part of it.

E46CT

light wheels=expensive and prone to damage. that means more warranty claims. bad for business.
large wheels=nicer, helps sell cars

at the end of the day it's a business. a balance is struck between profit margins and fuel economy targets and everything else. it's all packaging with the overall aim at making shareholders happy, as with any other business.

Given es300h can achieve 40 ish mpg with large heavy wheels and tires is great already. i would not compromise its looks with dorky tiny wheels and tires just so i can say i get 42mpg lol. not to mention while paying more to do so.

hotwings

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this. The Engineering clearly says lighter smaller wheels make more sense. Less unsprung weight.Less susceptible to pot hole damage on higher profile tires. Much cheaper to make. Better gas mileage. Better traction and handling. It has nothing to do with ligher is more prone to damage, that makes no sense.

One supporting source: Unsprung weight

Yes I agree more people prefer the larger wheels/tires but the science does not support it.
Yes I agree they can look better in some cases. But If I had my choice I'd pick the sensible option.

Car makers are chasing their tails trying to get marginal improvements in MPG and then blowing it on the impractical extra weight of larger tires