The Truth: Will All-Terrain Tires Kill Your Gas Mileage?

Until the day everyone is driving electric cars (or better yet, teleporting), fuel economy will remain a deciding factor when selecting tires. Every mile per gallon counts, which is why it’s important to select the correct tire for your vehicle, driving style, weather and road conditions.

Tread type has a definite effect on gas mileage; so if you’re thinking about a set of all-terrain tires, you need to consider how they’ll change what you pay at the pump as well as how they will change the way that you drive.

What Does All Terrain Tires Mean?

The meaning "all terrain" refers to tires that provide a smooth drive on pavement with extra grip in the deep snow, gravel, and even sandy beaches. All terrain tires mean they are designed for all-weather capability and some off-road adventures.

If your current vehicle takes you off the beaten path, then a simple highway tire isn’t going to do you any good. This is why many major tire manufacturers have made the move to tires with low rolling resistance, including all terrain tires.

All Terrain vs. Highway Terrain

The major difference between A/T tires and highway (also known as street) tires is all-terrain varieties are designed to grip a variety of surfaces including off-road conditions. As a result, you might forefeit a quiet ride and some fuel economy. That said, today's manufacturers of all terrain tires have made big strides in maximizing fuel efficiency for A/T tires.

Highway tires are designed more for fuel efficiency, smooth rides, and longer tread life. On pavement, highway tires are more fuel efficient; conversely, in off-road conditions, all-terrain tires are more efficient than highway tires.

All Terrain vs. Mud Terrain

Mud terrain tires are designed for vehicles that spend most of their time off road, and because they have wide channels, they aren't good in wet pavement and rainy conditions. Choose mud terrain if you've got an adventure vehicle or work truck that spends the majority of time in muddy terrain. Mud terrain tires are not designed for pavement — they're loud, lack on-road traction, and aren't fuel efficient.

All terrain tires tend to have shorter lives than highway and street tires, because of their treadwear. Check the manufacturers' warranties to get an idea of how long the tires are expected to last. Any tire's life also depends on the driver, too. If you push your vehicle to the max — off-roading, for example — you'll wear them more quickly.

All Terrain Tires vs Street Tires

Tread design can have a much greater effect on gas mileage. For example, a really aggressive, heavy all-terrain tire can cause a vehicle to get 1 to 2 mpg less than it would with an ultra-fuel-efficient highway or street tire.

This is why many tire manufacturers have designed fuel efficient tires and not just highway and street tires. Many tire manufacturers have jumped on board to make good all terrain tires and even mud terrain tires designed for increased fuel economy. Good all terrain tires don’t have to be fuel sucking monsters, which is why some of the best all terrain tire manufacturers have created fuel efficient A/T models.

Do All-Terrain Tires Affect Fuel Economy?

Fuel efficient tires are specifically designed to reduce the amount of effort required for your tires to keep rolling. Tires designed with low rolling resistance save you money at the gas pump by reducing overall fuel consumption. All terrain tires won’t have the same fuel efficiency as passenger car tires, but still don’t increase fuel consumption as much as their mud terrain cousins.

Aggressive all terrain tires have a different tread pattern than highway tires, which means they are going to grip the road (and off-road), better. Consequently, all terrain tires have a greater rolling resistance than their pavement-bound counterparts. They also have a larger effect on fuel economy.

How much do A/T tires affect fuel efficiency? It depends on a lot of factors, including the vehicle, age of tires, driving style, vehicle weight, and even the climate. While we didn't find scientific tests that compared fuel efficiency of A/T tires to A/S tires, the general thoughts from industry experts range from 2% to 10%.

No matter what type of vehicle or tire you drive, maintaining proper tire pressure will save on fuel economy. Several studies confirm a direct relationship between under-inflated tires and increased fuel consumption (Tire Science and Technology, U.S. Dept. of Energy): In other words, don't ignore the low-tire-pressure light; it's costing you more at the gas pump.

Are A/T tires right for you?

If you’re taking your vehicle off-road, you’ll certainly need an all terrain tire. They are made for smooth driving on the highway with enough bite to grip harsh landscapes like beaches, gravel and snow.

Switching to all terrain tires isn't necessarily going to increase fuel economy. But manufacturers are making it possible to have your all terrain tires with low rolling resistance tires, too.

Ask yourself a couple of questions: do you have a four-wheel drive vehicle? Secondly, do you plan on taking it off-road? If you answered “no” to either of these, stick with a highway tire … and even better, tires designed specifically for fuel efficiency, unless you prefer the look. An aggressive looking tire may not be necessary if you are looking to save more money at the gas pump. All-terrains are designed for trucks and SUVs that venture off pavement on a regular basis. But if you answered "yes," you'll want to check out the tires listed below.

For those who are unwilling to give up their all terrain adventures to a more fuel efficient tire, there are options. Fuel efficiency is a crucial topic in many industries, and tires are no exception. You won’t have to give up your love for all terrain exploration with these A/T tires developed for fuel economy!

A/T tires with low rolling resistance

If you choose an all-terrain tire with extremely low rolling resistance — like the Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 – gas mileage loss will be next to nothing. With optimal performance in muddy situations, this all terrain tire has a sipe-in-groove pattern that also prevents stones and debris from getting lodged in the tread. This unique pattern also helps to expel mud and dirt from the tread to keep you going through tougher terrains.

Fuel efficient all terrain tire

The Continental TerrainContact A/T is known for being fuel efficient. With Continental's TractionPlus™ Technology this tire offers all terrain capability with off-road traction and durability. Excelling in wet braking and providing a comfortable ride, this aggressive all terrain tire is an exception to the rule. Continental isn’t the only manufacturer upping their fuel efficient all terrain game either- more and more of the best all terrain truck tires are being designed with low rolling resistance tread patterns.

Better traction and durability

The Kumho Road Venture AT51 and AT52 are not specifically designated fuel efficient tires. Let's face it: All-terrain tires by design are going to be more aggressive and, therefore, less fuel efficient than highway touring tires. But as far as off-road tires go, the AT51 and AT52. However, its fuel efficiency is reasonable and average for this segment.

Mid-range fuel efficiency

Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme is built with lower rolling resistance, which makes it better than average in terms of fuel efficiency for tires in this class. This tire is also noted for its quieter performance and impressive 70,000-mile warranty.

Are All Terrain Tires Worth It?

Let’s do the math. If you drive 15,000 miles a year while getting 20 mpg, and the price of gas is $3 per gallon, you’ll spend $67.50 more per year with a set of A/Ts. Not significant, but there’s no reason to spend extra money if you don’t have to.

Though many of these all-terrain tires are designed for maximum fuel economy, they will never be as fuel efficient as highway tires. Not only do A/Ts adversely affect fuel mileage, but they also wear out faster than highway tires. So if you’re not in need of all terrain tires, you can stick with highway tires, and even find the ones that are most fuel efficient.

The verdict: The overall price of ownership tends to be less for a highway tire, if you do most of your driving on paved roads. Switch to all-terrains if you do a lot of off-roading, or if aesthetics are a priority (you can't beat the look of built-for-anything A/T tires) .