What is the best tire pressure for comfort and efficiency on e-golf?

[Skibs12]

I recently checked the tire pressures on my car after owning it for about 2 months and I found that all four tires are sitting at around 36 psi. According to the handbook, the standard pressure is 41 psi for all tires, while 36 psi is labeled as the 'comfort' setting, which could affect efficiency....Uhm I have to say, I find the ride quality at 36 psi to be quite good. It feels smooth and comfortable, so I’m a bit hesitant to increase the pressure and make the ride firmer,but I'm curious if others are using the standard 41 psi or sticking with a lower pressure like mine.

Have any of you experimented with different tire pressures? What do you recommend for balancing ride quality and efficiency?

 

[23_Granny78]

Go with what is more important to you. So, which one? Comfort or efficiency?

 

[CAsurfMobile]

My tires have always been at LEAST 41PSI, because I have a 2015, and need every mile. Higher pressures (and, uh, drafting behind big trucks : ) gets you the best MPG. OK, drafting ...at a SAFE distance. Also, look ahead - if the light is red, there's no sense in racing up to it. I do a lot of coasting, very light on the 'gas'.

 

[Curly]

Obviously different drivers in different climates on different roads may have wildly different preferences on this, most of which will be irrelevant to you. This is a zero-to-low-cost, easily reversible test you can do yourself. Just do it!

If you're really interested in improving efficiency, you should commit to a month or more at the higher pressure, because it may feel too firm at first, but you may well become used to it if you give it time.

 

[UranoMausBosch]

Tire pressure matters - both for efficiency and performance as well as comfort.
As Curly suggested, experiment to find your preferred balance of comfort vs. efficiency/range - it's the cheapest and easiest modification you can make to your cars performance!

Here's some references/notes - summary: a few psi drop will also drop mi/kWh and your overall range.
In your case, your efficiency would probably improve 0.1 mi/kWh if you go from 36 - 41psi. (+5psi gain)
Temperature up/down also has an effect - about 10degrees (F) to one psi., if weather high/low is more than 20 degrees in a day, set your pressure cold, before driving, in the morning - yes it will go up both as you drive and with the air temp, but setting pressure "hot" will have you below your target in the morning.

3-5psi drop = ~0.1 mi/kWh reduction

43psi seems “good” for maximym efficiency, 40-41psi improves comfort

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-ga...W4PsV7YGO1QKOQgHm9c6LPo2cx6mu-7YIzhNpCzMYQkpJ

ORNL Study Tire Pressure vs Fuel Economy 2014. 2009 Corolla (F35/32psi) 75% = 26psi (about 3%)

https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-826-june-23-2014-effect-tire-pressure-fuel-economy

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, for every 1 PSI drop in pressure on all four tires, gas mileage decreases by 0.2%. 1psi ~ 0.2% (5psi ~1% - 1.5%)

I used to SCCA Auto-Cross (car slalom racing around cones in a parking lot) and tire psi made a significant difference in balance and handling - adjusting pressures front/rear could change vehicle behavior noticeably. I would even use an infrared thermometer to check tire temperatures after a timed run and adjust pressure to get surface temperature even from outside edge to center.

Last bit - new tires have taller tread blocks which increase rolling resistance and decrease maximum cornering grip.
As tread blocks wear down, they get stiffer and rolling resistance decreases (efficiency goes up) and cornering grip also improves - part of why racing tires have "no tread" and some competitors "shave" treaded tires down ahead of a crucial event to get a combination of fresh rubber with minimal tread flex...

 

[mpulsiv]

I recently checked the tire pressures on my car after owning it for about 2 months and I found that all four tires are sitting at around 36 psi. According to the handbook, the standard pressure is 41 psi for all tires, while 36 psi is labeled as the 'comfort' setting, which could affect efficiency....Uhm I have to say, I find the ride quality at 36 psi to be quite good. It feels smooth and comfortable, so I’m a bit hesitant to increase the pressure and make the ride firmer,but I'm curious if others are using the standard 41 psi or sticking with a lower pressure like mine.

Have any of you experimented with different tire pressures? What do you recommend for balancing ride quality and efficiency?

If you are running low resistance OEM tire (e.g., Bridgestone Ecopia) then it’s totally fine to bump it to 41 psi. Low resistance tires have a stiff sidewall to reduce flex and improve efficiency. They are meant to run at high pressure. Now, if you install high performance sticky tire like Michelin Pilot Sport, running them at high psi defeats the purpose, in respect to overall grip and cornering.

 

[Skibs12]

Go with what is more important to you. So, which one? Comfort or efficiency?

I value comfort, especially for daily driving, but I also want to be mindful of efficiency. I guess I’m just trying to find a balance that works for my needs...

 

[Skibs12]

My tires have always been at LEAST 41PSI, because I have a 2015, and need every mile. Higher pressures (and, uh, drafting behind big trucks : ) gets you the best MPG. OK, drafting ...at a SAFE distance. Also, look ahead - if the light is red, there's no sense in racing up to it. I do a lot of coasting, very light on the 'gas'.

Thanks for the tips! I can see how 41 PSI would help with mileage, but I’m curious, have you noticed a big difference in ride quality at that pressure?

 

[Skibs12]

Obviously different drivers in different climates on different roads may have wildly different preferences on this, most of which will be irrelevant to you. This is a zero-to-low-cost, easily reversible test you can do yourself. Just do it!

If you're really interested in improving efficiency, you should commit to a month or more at the higher pressure, because it may feel too firm at first, but you may well become used to it if you give it time.

Yeah yeah, makes a lot of sense. I think I’ll commit to a month at the higher pressure to see how it feels. It might take some adjusting, thanks

 

[Skibs12]

Tire pressure matters - both for efficiency and performance as well as comfort.
As Curly suggested, experiment to find your preferred balance of comfort vs. efficiency/range - it's the cheapest and easiest modification you can make to your cars performance!

Here's some references/notes - summary: a few psi drop will also drop mi/kWh and your overall range.
In your case, your efficiency would probably improve 0.1 mi/kWh if you go from 36 - 41psi. (+5psi gain)
Temperature up/down also has an effect - about 10degrees (F) to one psi., if weather high/low is more than 20 degrees in a day, set your pressure cold, before driving, in the morning - yes it will go up both as you drive and with the air temp, but setting pressure "hot" will have you below your target in the morning.

3-5psi drop = ~0.1 mi/kWh reduction

43psi seems “good” for maximym efficiency, 40-41psi improves comfort

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-ga...W4PsV7YGO1QKOQgHm9c6LPo2cx6mu-7YIzhNpCzMYQkpJ

ORNL Study Tire Pressure vs Fuel Economy 2014. 2009 Corolla (F35/32psi) 75% = 26psi (about 3%)

https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-826-june-23-2014-effect-tire-pressure-fuel-economy

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, for every 1 PSI drop in pressure on all four tires, gas mileage decreases by 0.2%. 1psi ~ 0.2% (5psi ~1% - 1.5%)

I used to SCCA Auto-Cross (car slalom racing around cones in a parking lot) and tire psi made a significant difference in balance and handling - adjusting pressures front/rear could change vehicle behavior noticeably. I would even use an infrared thermometer to check tire temperatures after a timed run and adjust pressure to get surface temperature even from outside edge to center.

Last bit - new tires have taller tread blocks which increase rolling resistance and decrease maximum cornering grip.
As tread blocks wear down, they get stiffer and rolling resistance decreases (efficiency goes up) and cornering grip also improves - part of why racing tires have "no tread" and some competitors "shave" treaded tires down ahead of a crucial event to get a combination of fresh rubber with minimal tread flex...

Thanks for the detailed information! It's very clear that tire pressure plays a crucial role in both efficiency and performance. I will be trying higher pressures to see how it impacts my range. The links and data you provided are super helpful, I’ll be sure to keep the temperature effects in mind as well.

 

[Skibs12]

If you are running low resistance OEM tire (e.g., Bridgestone Ecopia) then it’s totally fine to bump it to 41 psi. Low resistance tires have a stiff sidewall to reduce flex and improve efficiency. They are meant to run at high pressure. Now, if you install high performance sticky tire like Michelin Pilot Sport, running them at high psi defeats the purpose, in respect to overall grip and cornering.

I have low rolling resistance OEM tires, so bumping them up to 41 PSI might make sense for improving efficiency. Thanks

 

[miamor]

I recently checked the tire pressures on my car after owning it for about 2 months and I found that all four tires are sitting at around 36 psi. According to the handbook, the standard pressure is 41 psi for all tires, while 36 psi is labeled as the 'comfort' setting, which could affect efficiency....Uhm I have to say, I find the ride quality at 36 psi to be quite good. It feels smooth and comfortable, so I’m a bit hesitant to increase the pressure and make the ride firmer,but I'm curious if others are using the standard 41 psi or sticking with a lower pressure like mine.

Have any of you experimented with different tire pressures? What do you recommend for balancing ride quality and efficiency?

I have been recording the tread wear numbers whenever I go to a tire shop. They have been evenly same height as go across tire. Each month I put them to 40 PSI cold.
Have them measure the tread height and let us know what part is higher/lower. at some point, the pressure is too low, and wear will be less in the center, tread will be higher.