Ceteris paribus on construction and compound etc., if you replace a tire with one with larger contact patch, you'll lose some fuel efficiency. A wider tire will also increase aerodynamic drag, Mercedes are famous for quoting the always impressive CoD of their E-Class on the narrowest tires they offer.
Not to mention, that if the overall weight of new tire+wheel is more, that too will take a toll on your fuel efficiency.
Of course, it does not make sense to run with overinflated skinny tires and hard compounds if you are concerned about stability and safety. Thus in many cases, a small drop in FE is considered acceptable compared to benefits.
EDIT: Particularly for passenger cars owners where FE is more dependent on driving habits in cities. Commercial goods and taxi-tourist drivers / operators have to keep in mind costs and viability of their business too and such are more sensitive to concerns of fuel efficiency when selecting tires.
Last edited by SuperSyn : 20th July 2008 at 10:27.
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