LVSpark
Member
Hello, I did some efficiency tests before and after replacing the tires on my spark and decided to share the results in case anyone is curious about the Cooper CS5 Ultra tires effect on range and efficiency.
I replaced the factory Bridgestones with some new Cooper CS5 Ultra tires (195 all around). Before I got the new tires, I found a strip of road that allowed me to set the cruise control and not have to touch anything. So, I turned off the climate controls, set cruise at 35mph, then hit the trip reset button as I passed a specific light post. Then, I recorded the mi/kwh once I passed another specific post (about .9 miles later). I repeated this test with the factory tires 3 times each session, on three separate sessions over the span of a month to help eliminate any weather related effects. Each test was either 5.3 mi/kwh or 5.4 mi/kwh. So, I know the test was very consistent.
I bought a set of Cooper CS5 Ultra tires (195 width on all four tires) and repeated the tests a few times over the next 3 weeks. The Coopers delivered a consistent 4.9 mi/kwh.
So, if you drive around the city mostly, you should lose about 9% of your range if you switch to Cooper CS5 Ultra tires from the factory tires. I drive a lot of highway, and my range dropped from 75 to 65 (13%) after a couple weeks of having the new tires. So, I think the efficiency reduced even more at high speeds. I didnt consider testing on the highway mostly because it's difficult to control highway conditions and takes longer to repeat each test.
Thanks
I replaced the factory Bridgestones with some new Cooper CS5 Ultra tires (195 all around). Before I got the new tires, I found a strip of road that allowed me to set the cruise control and not have to touch anything. So, I turned off the climate controls, set cruise at 35mph, then hit the trip reset button as I passed a specific light post. Then, I recorded the mi/kwh once I passed another specific post (about .9 miles later). I repeated this test with the factory tires 3 times each session, on three separate sessions over the span of a month to help eliminate any weather related effects. Each test was either 5.3 mi/kwh or 5.4 mi/kwh. So, I know the test was very consistent.
I bought a set of Cooper CS5 Ultra tires (195 width on all four tires) and repeated the tests a few times over the next 3 weeks. The Coopers delivered a consistent 4.9 mi/kwh.
So, if you drive around the city mostly, you should lose about 9% of your range if you switch to Cooper CS5 Ultra tires from the factory tires. I drive a lot of highway, and my range dropped from 75 to 65 (13%) after a couple weeks of having the new tires. So, I think the efficiency reduced even more at high speeds. I didnt consider testing on the highway mostly because it's difficult to control highway conditions and takes longer to repeat each test.
Thanks
