Honda Fit Wheels and Tires

capriracer · May 2011

Just so you know:

Better ride and better handling are opposing characteristics.

But you should also be aware that there are several schools of thought regarding inflation pressure when you change tire sizes. One says to match the original load carrying capacity at the specified pressure. If you follow that one, then the load capacity of a 175/65R15 at 33 psi equals what a 195/60R15 does at 28 psi.

204meca · May 2011

In the past I have made similar changes w/o significant penalty. E.G., our 2010 Outback went from Continentlal OEM 60 series tires to Michelin MxV 55 series with no ride or noise penalty. Perhaps those OEM Dunlops on the Fit are a better choice than most think for a quiet, smooth riding, high mpg tire. I

Your description of load capacity makes sense. So I assume that if if I had tires at 28 psi I would have the same load carrying capacity & a smoother ride but would also be penalized in handling & mpg.

I am still wondering if going to a 185/60 would result in a quieter softer ride with improved handling characteristic over the 175x65 OEMs.

bradv59 · May 2011

Not surprised to see other people having trouble with their Fit Sport tires. I have a 2010 fit sport, barely over 9k miles, and have already had 2 flats. My first one was when I picked up a nail on my way to vacation - I saw the TPMS light come on but was thrilled when I saw a Firestone store a half mile away. Needless to say, they didn't have my size - this was around 5 on a Saturday night - we weren't able to get to our destination until Monday because the only place in town that had the right tire size was a Honda dealership that didn't open til Monday.

My second flat happened this past Sunday night - I ended up with a leaky tire that couldn't be fixed because I hit a pothole at about 15 MPH. This time I was able to find a Honda dealership that had my size - NINETY miles from my house. I had a Saturn LS1 and a 2001 Accord before this and haven't had a flat in the last ~10 years - I have had two in the last two months in my Fit. Obviously the nail is not Honda's fault and maybe the pothole would have caused a flat in other tires, but the difficulty in buying new tires for this car is absolutely absurd.

I have liked my Fit but after this latest flat, I really wish I had got something else. For a car marketed around practicality, this is ridiculous.

honchogeek · May 2011

I have 4 15" steel wheels I bought for the Fit Sport. You can buy tire pressure monitors for these rims that work fine with the Sport's TPMS. Note: you also have to buy some expensive nuts to install them. All in all I think it was about $15/wheel

johnk15 · May 2011

My 2009 Fit Sport (manual w/nav) has 25k miles and the Bridgestone Turanza tires are about worn out. Even when they were new, they performed poorly in snow. I was dismayed to find out that there are only three tires made in the stock size, and they all have poor reviews. My mechanic recommends against putting a different size tire on the wheels the car came with. So, my choices for new all-season tires boil down to 1) pay about $600 total for four poor-quality tires that will probably need to be replaced again in 25k miles, and are terrible in snow, or 2) pay about $1300 to get new wheels in a different size, along with good-quality tires of my choice. I was happy with my Fit until now, but this has me really upset with Honda, and I am telling everyone I know about it.

204meca · May 2011

Contrary to the last several posts, there is a wide selection of alternative tire that you can get other than the OEM size. You have to be willing to get a different size, but as long as it is within 2% of the diameter or revolutions (rpms) of the OEM, no problems.

If the tire is 1-2% larger your acceleration & in town mileage may decrease slightly, but your highway mileage will probably increase slightly unless the tire is significanly heavier than OEM.

If the tire is 1-2% smaller, your acceleration will probably increase slightly as well as your mpg - at least in town, due to lighter weight.

For example. OEM tire on 2009 -2011 Fit Sport is 185/55x16. Going to Tirerack's website, put that tire in, click on a tire of that size, & click on the specs tab. There you will find the RPMs & diameter of the tire (a few tires don't list that info & it can take a little hunting). I like to use the RPMs - in the case of the 185/55 x16 the rpms is 863.

Then go to a popular tire that has a wide variety of sizes such as General's Altimax HP. Click on it & open up the specs window. Scan it for a 16" tire that has Rpms within +/- 2% of the OEM tire. Low & behold I find that the 195/50 tire has 853 rmps. If then take that tire size & search by it, I find there are 49 tires in that size. Surely one is just right for your driving preferences.

Another way to do this can be found at Discount Tires website. Type in your vehicle & it will bring up the OEM size. It will also show "optional/plus sizes" & has an icon that you can click on to explain what that means. Regardless or your OEM tire sizes there are reasonalble optional sizes to be had without changing rim size.

OR just ask your tire guy, but don't get stuck with a crummy tire or buy a different set of wheels or car just because Honda for some reason picked a unusual size tire for their Fit. Admittedly it takes a little poking around & if you aren't into research, just ask a tire guy at a good shop.

I have bought tires from Discount for decades, they know their stuff & will match anyone's prices 9just have to present them with a quote) & provide great products & service. Because all they sell is tires & wheels you don't find yourself hearing about your "worn out" shocks or brakes.

204meca · May 2011

Update on post 157. I took my own advice as shown in post 166. Here is what I found regarding tires sizes suitable for the 09-11 Fit Base OEM tire size 175/65x15 :

Tire Dia tread width rpms wt %Dif
Dunlop sp31 175/65x15 24. 5.5"? 872 17 OEM
Hankook 727 185/60x15 23.7 6.4 875 17 .05%Hankook 195/60x15 24.2 6.7 858 20 2.6% (so when actual speed is 65, speedo will read 66.69)

After lots of consideration I decided that I was OK with the stiffer ride, but but not the noise. I reasoned that becasue the 195 has a 2.2" wider footprint that would affect my city mileage - (where I drive most) as would the greater weight. I also reasoned that at least part of the problems of the significant increase in road noise. I decided it could live with the stiff ride of the 60 series, but wanted less road noise & was willing to sacrifice some gains in handling that come with the wider footprint for the better acceleration & mpg with the smaller 185/60 tire.

So I called the guys at Discount & told them I had errored in my judgement and want a somewhat smaller tire. Since the 195s had only 100 miles on them & the smaller size had a $5 lower price tag, the graciously offered to swap the 195s for 185s at no charge. I am blessed or what? They did say this was a one time only deal & the wouldn't put the OEMs back on at NC - nor would I expect them to!

So after I get the smaller 185s on I will update this forum with how that has impacted the ride & noise of the car. May not make a lot of difference, but I pretty confident that I will have a longer wearing, better handling tire then the OEM Dunlops that everyone loves to hate and not sacrifice too much in the ride & noise category.

seanokenney · June 2011

First of all thanks for any assistance...

My wife's Honda Fit is in need of new tires. Any high-recommendations out there?

Thanks Again...

eli8 · June 2011

hi Sean
researched a lot about the tires...as for my experience went thru 4 dunlap tires..2 at 10,000 and 2 at 27,000...cupping...they came with my sport 2007
after much research, i chose Michelin Plt Exalto A/S they were highly recommended for this car....heard a lot of not so good stuff about bridgestone as you may have found out by now (or maybe you havent) there is not a great deal of choice.
The Michelin are wonderful....all season...quiet...great!! and i dont have the awful thumping i had with the dunlaps.. a little expensive but for me now i want the best...a lot on tires at this site...take a look and happy hunting
eli d

seanokenney · June 2011

Thanks, Eli....Will check them out. I am just beginning this research, so this thread will help!!!

ujjo · June 2011

I have a 2008 Honda Fit Sport. I love it. I haul everything in it, including stoves and kayaks. I had it about 2 weeks and I hit a steel curb and wrecked the tire. It was December 2007, and there still were not many Fits around. My tire guy had to get the replacement from the dealer and it cost me $145 installed.

Those Dumlops lasted 25k. I replaced them with Nitto Neo Gen VR
205/50r15 xl 89v. They shipped for $380, and I paid $88 to have them installed and balanced. I was not out of the lot and I could tell the difference. The tires are great. I have made three winter trips to Canada facing temps of -40F. My brother's lake place has an insane steep driveway that rises 40 ft in 200 yards while going around a 180 Degree corner. No way I can get up that hill with chains. So I have chains. With the chains I go any where even through the 30" snow storm we had winter before last.

Alas, I picked up a utility knife blade somehow that cut through too many cords to plug. I have 25K on these tires, and might have gotten another 10k, but I am going to replace them all. ( can't stand mixed tires ).
I would like to get 50 or 60K out of a set of tires, but I also like to drive like I own a sports car.

The Nittos were great. I might still buy them again, they give me a lot of confidence on the highway and in tight fast corners. Noise is not a big deal as I use roof racks and often have a kayak tied to the roof. ( I used to haul the kayaks inside but I got a dog and he likes the front seat).

seanokenney · June 2011

Thanks, ujjo...will check them out!!!

johnk15 · July 2011

I posted previously about trying to find 185 55 R16 tires for my 2009 Fit Sport. The Bridgestone Turanza tires that came on the car new were worn out at 25k miles. My repair shop said that the only ones available to them in that size are Dunlop Sport 7000 A/S. Although others on this forum say there is no problem with putting a different size tire on the wheels that came with the car, my mechanic recommended against it, so I decided not to. I considered buying new wheels, but finally decided to just buy the Dunlops despite the bad reviews I have read of them. I got them today. When the tire shop went to align the wheels, they found that the rear wheels are out of alignment, and cannot be adjusted. They say since it's a solid axle, the car must have come that way (it's never been in an accident), and the fix is to replace the axle. The old rear tires wore unevenly. They advised me to take it to the dealer, as it is under warranty. I have made an appointment. Meanwhile, on the drive home, I found that the car felt like it was drifting around on the road. I don't know if that's just due to the tires, or if the misalignment is involved. All in all, given the tire situation and the fact that the car apparently came with an axle problem, I am no longer happy with my purchase of a Fit.

johnk15 · July 2011

Update - I took the car to the dealer. They agreed that it was misaligned, and after consulting with Honda they are going to replace the rear axle under warranty. Hopefully the car will handle better once it's replaced.

dianeinhawaii · August 2011

I just bought new ecopia tires for a 2010 honda fit standard .. i am all over the road. its very windy. the last tires were dunlap and i replaced at 25k miles..

what michelins are you referring to.

mahalo, diane

eli8 · August 2011

i chose Michelin Plt Exalto A/S

bprenderson · August 2011

Buster put a new set of Michelin Plt Exalto A/S on our 2007 Fit Sport. They're wonderful and very quiet!

Bubbette :shades:

dianeinhawaii · August 2011

sorry. it says honda fit sport tire.?.

is that for a honda fit basic.?thnx

any other suggestions to stabilize this car in the wind??

eli8 · August 2011

Honda Fit Sport..

billnet · November 2011

Hi:
Had my first blowout on a used 2009 fit. Should have read this forum beforehand. Thought Hondas were such great vehicles. Guess I'll try to trade it without buying new tires and the donut on one wheel. What a drag!

judymalone · November 2011

Sorry to hear the news, but not surprised. If you have read back thru the previous posts, you NOW know that many of us have shared the same problem with the Honda Fit 'tires'. And don't blame yourself. How many of us think we should HAVE to research the tires that a particular car requires? Not me, at least.
I can only tell you to bite the bullet and replace all the tires--if you keep the Fit. And check this out. I saw a person driving an older Honda Fit, it might be 2008 model and later when I made contact with them, I asked if they had problems. They said no, but that they liked Good Year tires and the first thing they did was to buy Good Year All Seasons 195/55 R 15 tires and they have been great. Now, nobody told me that I GoodYear would even go on my Honda Fit, but I will def look into it when I need another tire. They said they got a good deal and what they paid was a lot cheaper than the approx 500.00 I landed up spending for 4 tires.
All my papers are in my car, but I think I have posted what I bought.. IF not, I can double ck and post again. So far..so good, but then I haven't been on any long trips or bad roads lately.
Sincerely,
judy malone

billnet · November 2011

Hi Judy;
Did some research and came up with Goodyear also; I think GT. But I can tell you for for four it was over $500.00 with rebates. Dunlop was $700.00 for four--no rebate. I've never liked Dunlop. Think I had them on some old VW's back in the 70's. Do feel like a jerk, but that's life with vehicles and I do get great gas mileage.

ed_c_f · December 2011

205/50 R16 work great.

This link with rebate should get $66. $12 to ship, so $78 each.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+4X&partnu- m=05WR6E4X&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

fit_owner_2010 · January 2012

Hi,
I've been researching winter tires for my 2010 Honda Fit Sport. My mechanic said the best thing to do would be to go to tirerack.com and buy tires and wheels, all mounted and balanced and set to go. His reason: removing and remounting the tires on the same wheels damages the tires a bit each time it is done. I know this is true, but I'm not sure he's advising me to get the whole package (much more expensive than just the tires) to save him some work. I'm a woman and have been fooled by lousy mechanics in the past, but this mechanic seems trustworthy.

Tirerack.com suggests a package of the 185/70R14 General Altimax Arctic Blackwall, for $60 each ($240 total). (Consumer Reports rating is 76, I think that's the 3rd highest rating for snow tires). They recommend a package deal with new 14x6 steel painted wheels and $144 for new TPMS sensors in the wheels. If I don't get new sensors, I could use the old ones, and the area dealerships charge a lot to reinstall the current sensors on the new wheels. It's more cost effective to buy the new sensors in that case. I'm not sure if my mechanic would reinstall the sensors and initialize them, but that would cost something too.

Also, Tirerack.com recommends a smaller wheel for the snow tires (14") than the OEM wheel (16") because they say a 14" tire performs better in the snow and ice on this car. What do people on this forum think of this?

I'd rather get the tires alone, just to save money; but I'd have to use the 16" wheels. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what to do and why?

Thanks so much!

2010_Fit_Owner

maxx4me · January 2012

Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors are rediculous and should never have been installed on cars. Just buy the winter tires mounted on rims and live with the TPMS light on during the winter months. I never replace my aluminum stems since they break so often and cost so much to replace. I just have my mechanic put on rubber stems when the aluminum ones break and then put a piece of black electrical tape over the area of the dash to cover up the warning light. You don't fail inspection because the TPMS warning light is always on. I too believe that constant tire rotation on/off your one set of rims is a bad idea for the tires. The bead does become compromised over time.

fit_owner_2010 · January 2012

Maxx4me, Thanks for the advice. My husband agrees with you about the sensors; to just take the chance of not having them and make sure I check the tire pressure regularly during the winters. I can do that; easy! And I can understand now that the bead would break down a little bit each time, so it makes sense to get wheels...

fitowner2 · January 2012

I have a 2009 FIT basic model with oem tire size 175/65/15. I thought about changing the wheel to 16" for better handling in snow, but Discount Tire recommend that I keep the same 15" wheel and just get a larger tire size.

So I replaced it with 195/60/15 today. The ride is just as stiff as before, not sure about noise yet. But definitely no more sliding in snow/ice after the replacement (actually had 2 inches last night here).

I should know more during normal commuting..

Good luck!

Fitowner2

coastofmaine · March 2012

My '08 Fit Sport has had a problem from day one. It developed a vibration in the rear tires very soon. I'm an old guy, so my experience tells me to look for wear in the fronts to tell me to rotate. After all, the front tires have most of the weight, do the powering and turning. I really didn't expect the rears to need to have their wear equalized by shifting them to the front before the fronts needed it. My mistake. At 30,000 miles my Dunlop tires were so scalloped in the rear (both sides) I decided to get an alignment and new tires. I chose the Kumho Ecsta Platinum LX from Tire Rack because they had a treadwear of 600. My mechanic told me my rear alignment was out of the specified range but there was no provision for adjustment, so I needed a shim kit. Fine, fix it.
I considered the matter fixed until I noticed the vibration return, again in the rear. This time, at 60,000+ (30,000+ on the Kumhos). I returned to my mechanic and told him when I rotated my tires to the front the vibration was unbearable. I asked him why his solution didn't work. He ranted at me about not rotating often enough. I responded by asking why the cupping occurred in the first place. He accused me of driving underinflated, through potholes, etc. Blame the victim. I read about the problems with the Toyota Matrix, which had a similar problem.
I developed a theory:
1) The Honda Fit camber specs are excessively negative (tipped inward at the top) to allow better handling and wider stance for increased rollover resistance.
2) This negative camber, along with the very light rear axle weight causes the tires to "scuff" at certain frequencies resulting in scalloping.
3) The official response to this situation by Honda and supported by unimaginative mechanics is to encourage excessive rotation to mask the uneven tire wear.
4) People have become desensitized to unusually poor tire life because they are participating in the ruse, if they rotate every 3,000 miles or so the treads get erased evenly.

Sorry this is so long! My solution was to find another mechanic with an alignment machine and tell him to get yet another shim kit and bring the camber to vertical. After telling him three times, the British mechanic finally "got it" and my rear wheels are now straight up and down, actually -.25 degree, just slightly out of spec. BTW, don't expect every spec to be the same on every machine. The recent alignment from my old mechanic came out out of specs on the second machine. My new tires are General General G-MAX AS-03. I have no idea if this will work but I really want to make the Fit a car that stops eating tires!

eli8 · March 2012

tks for this message...i am about to have my tires rotated...for the 1st time after having the same cupping/scalloping problems with Dunlops that came with my 07 Sport model when i first bought it...thumping etc...
i hope and pray i dont have a problem after rotating these Michelin tires that i love...but the above info is very intesting and i will save it for the future...i too believe that what you are reporting is totally accurate and Honda has messed up with this Fit...
p.s. i also got did not rotate enough; drove with underinflated tires etc..

tks.

perhaps the Fit people should start making sure they send in complaints to Honda and safety people...it worked for the light problem. honda did a recall

coastofmaine · March 2012

Thanks Eli8,

It's good to hear that maybe I'm not crazy. I have a long drive coming up and I may be able to get enough miles on to test my remedy. You're right about reporting to Honda, I'm sure it's a matter of complaint volume. After spending over a thousand dollars on this problem I should let Honda know. Hey, maybe they read these forums! Please let us know if your Michelins are cupped.

judymalone · March 2012

What worries me the most is that it will take a major "disaster" before
Honda steps up to plate on this. Should send out letters to everyone that
has purchased Honda Fit..from earliest one to current one and have them
take the Honda Fit in for a FREE inspection and having the tire/the balance/and all related issues fixed. My 2009 Honda Fit will be paid for next Feb 2013 and I will be looking for another car. There are others with better gas milage (and that also had not proved to be very good for many on this post) and comfort than the "Hondas" that we were used to being so reliable. I will never feel safe driving a long distance with my grandkids and I also will never buy another car that only has a 10 gallon gas tank.
I get nervous when there is long distance between gas stations when I am on interstate...plus always worrying when one of the wheels will go bad. I try and avoid every little crack in road, the curbs, and anything that might jolt too hard against the wheels. Never dreamed I would have all this to think abt when I should be out driving for pleasure.
judy

capriracer · March 2012

A couple of thoughts:

First, unless the alignment is absolutely perfect, tires are going to wear unevenly. The further away from perfect the alignment is, the faster that occurs. There real problem here is that once a tire starts an uneven wear pattern, it is difficult to wear a different pattern into the tire. That's why the generalized 5K to 8K rotation.

Second, because most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode, even vehicles with perfect alignment COULD get uneven wear patterns. Again, the 5K to 8K rotation schedule prevents this.

judymalone · March 2012

I do keep my tires rotated and all, but if you look back on this forum, you will see that many of us had new tires and the problems started anyway. To have a new tire or tires and then the tire goes bad--that is our big issue and many of us have spent much money we never thought we would have to spend getting new tires.

coastofmaine · March 2012

If Honda makes the Fit without the provision for alignment (rear) than having the perfect alignment is "but a fleeting illusion". My beef is not only uneven wear, which may be masked by frequent rotations, but rapid wear, its evil twin. Uneven wear in the rear has a discrete cause, it is not caused by not rotating. Also, I do not accept your premise that uneven wear is practically unavoidable, especially on the rears. There are MANY cars on the road now which experience no uneven wear on the rears. Why do Fit owners have to put up with this? I just talked with a Ford engineer today who never rotates his Focus tires. He just replaces his fronts with his rears and buys 2 new ones for the rears. This is what I did for 40 years before I bought a Fit.

coastofmaine · April 2012

Well, it's been over 3000 miles since I've had my rears aligned to -1/4 degree of camber (essentially vertical) and I can report that there is no cupping/scalloping whatsoever. I am becoming more convinced that this problem (excessive negative camber), seen with many light hatchbacks or SUVs is just a titanic mistake by engineers from many manufacturers. Amazingly, their first remedy is to blame the owners for not rotating. When that fails, they blame the tires. In some cases they have found tires which seem to resist the wear--this would work best if the tires were actually made with the inner diameter smaller than the outer, but fine, whatever works. The easiest remedy however, is to buck up and find a mechanic who is willing to do away with the negative camber by inserting shims in the case of the Fit (from Napa). Good luck to all, if I end up with the problem down the road I will post it here. As for rotating, I am trying to be scientific, which means I have to change only one variable at a time. That means no rotating for me until I get to at least 20,000 on these tires. By then I will know for sure if the cupping problem is solved.

noone3 · September 2012

That don't sound very intelligent. All cars come with cheap tires and only good for about 25k when they are 36k warranty, only a moron would use that warranty to get the same cheap tires. Go spend $800 on a great set of all season all surface tires for the smoothest ride 80k warranty and the best traction even on icy snow covered roads. Done this with a 2003 eclipse, drove thru blizzards and snow storms for 4 consecutive days, rescued several people stranded in the ditch and lead many others to nearest town driving thru the night.
Distance between gas stations on the interstate, must be joking. I have never driven anywhere in this country I didn't see a gas stop along a interstate for more than 40 miles. That would be less than 1.5 gallons why worry. Have you ever driven thru Wyoming? that is probably the worst place for gas stops and still I seen one every 40 miles or less on their highways.

pantsdontfit · November 2012

Hello, I went ahead and got rid of the factory original tires, & went with 1" wider Yokohama 205/50R-16 tires on my 2009 Honda Fit sport several days ago. It has made a very noticeable difference in the way the car feels. It just seems to hug the road better & the steering responds better. I would recommend these tires to anyone.

liquidfire · December 2012

I got a Fit this spring but have a set of one season old snow tires on steel wheels from my prior vehicle. I'm wondering if they are compatible or how I can find out if they are. I believe my Fit still has the factory wheels/ tires = 175/65 R15. My snow tires are already mounted and balanced on steel wheels = 185/65 R14. They both have 4 lug nuts.
Can anyone please help?

m1lp · December 2012

I just had my tires rotated at Walmart (not balanced) and was charged a $20.00 fee for resetting the TPMS. Is this necessary if the tires were not removed from the rims?

PF_Flyer · December 2012

I'm not sure if the Fit's TMPS is a basic one that rests itself or not. If the light comes on in my Versa (like it did on an extremely cold morning the other day), after getting the tires back up to proper pressure, the light goes off on its own after a mile or so. Some makes and models DO require a "procedure"to reset the light. I have a friend who operates a tire shop/garage and some they are able to reset (combinations of key turns and things like that) but some need to go to the dealer.

If they simply rotated the tires and didn't mess with pressures, I don't think the system would need to be reset. (Whether a "procedure" is required or not) $20 seems steep from my perspective as my friend's shop resets the light (as long as it's not a silly one that needs to go to the dealer) if it stays on after a tire change or pressure at no charge, at least no charge that I've ever seen. I'll check with him tomorrow and ask about the Fit and what he thinks about the $20 fee too.

PF_Flyer · December 2012

You didn't say what year your Fit was, but I asked my buddy about the 2009 Fit. There's no procedure to reset the TPMS light after you refill tires, just drive for a bit and it goes off. If you check your owner's manual, you should be able to confirm this if your Fit isn't a 2009. Sometimes manufacturers change how these things work, but I'd bet the Fit is a pretty basic TPMS.

As far as the $20 goes, if they drove your car to get the light to go off (something that you would have done anyway) I suppose they could justify charging for their time, but it still seems steep. And consider this story they told me. A customer came in who was comparison shopping for tires, and they had a quote from Walmart and a charge for resetting the TPMS light was part of the quote. Given that a lot of TPMS lights simply reset themselves, that $20 is a nice little bonus and sure feels like a ripoff to me.

Like I said, check your manual and you'll know for sure.

pinkmermaid5 · December 2012

With your new tires, did you lose any mpg's?

I would feel more comfortable driving through winter if my tires had a little more traction. If it was summer, I would just keep driving with my old ones, but in WI...

pantsdontfit · December 2012

As far as mpg, I have not noticed any change. We recently had 3.5 inches of snow here & as any Fit owner knows a Fit does not do that whippy in the snow. The wider tires did make a improvement in traction. As far as hydroplaning, I have been in several rainstorms, & the Yokohamas channel the water better than any tire I have owned. I have no idea why Honda did NOT put the wider tires on a Fit, it makes I night and day difference in the way this car handles. I was reluctant at first as I do not have a lot of money, but people, I promise you it will really make your Fit come alive, & the steering will not act so squirrly & over responsive.
My Fit is a 2009 Sport model.

pantsdontfit · December 2012

One other thing of mention, the wider Yokohama tires should last far longer than the junk Dunlop factory tires that I only got 40,000 miles out of. I had the Dunlop tires rotated on a regular basis, & most of those miles were highway.

Sandman6472 · January 2013

Have these on my '06 Civic and the car handles very well though I would prefer a larger sidewall, something in a 60 or 65 series. Not going to change though since I just bought new sneakers in August and haven't even put 500 miles on them yet. Really like the 16" size but should have gone with the 60's...lesson learned for next time though I doubt I will be buying anymore tires for this car. At the rate I'm going, by it's 10th year, I won't even have 50k miles on her and by then, I'll probably be ready for a change anyways.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Kirstie_H · January 2013

A reporter is looking for a subcompact car owner or shopper to weigh in on what kind of impact a sleeker design, like the "Furia" concept released in Detroit, would have on their purchase decision. If you own or are looking for a subcompact car, and think a sleeker design would impact which car you buy, please send your daytime contact info to pr@edmunds.com no later than Monday, January 21, 2013 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET.

Sandman6472 · April 2013

Started a new part time job the last week of January and now have just over 40k on the clock...I drive 26 miles each way and though it's only a part time gig, the miles are starting to pile up on the Civic. But the 10 year plan is still in effect unless my son takes it which is a very real possibility! But any new vehicle I'd get would have to have 16" tires on it as tires any bigger than this get to be pretty expensive.

The Sandman

kennybeeak · November 2013

We just bought a new 2013 Honda Fit Sport. Today, at 584 miles, my wife took the car in to the local Honda dealership to have the snow tires put on. They told her an alignment should be done with every tire change, and sold her a lifetime alignment plan for $170. A lifetime of alignments for $170 might not be so bad, mind you, except that we'll be moving out of the area next June. Now I know little about mechanics, but the idea that a car should be aligned with every tire change arouses my suspicion. I've been having tires changed for 35 years and never before have I been told such a thing. Is there something I've been missing?

pantsdontfit · November 2013

Hello, unless your roads are filled with pot-holes I would not get the alignment. Our 2009 Honda Fit sport model has 54,000 miles on it, and has never had an alignment, & the tires all run true. I have always done what little maintenance there is (oil changes, air filter & cabin filter). I would keep on with the tire rotation. Ours has been a great car so far!

capriracer · November 2013

The idea is that mis-algnment can wearout a set of tires pretty rapidly. Getting an alignment every time a NEW set of tires is purchased is so that the tires get the lowest risk of wearing out before their time.

Yes, a pot hole or a curb could knock the alignment off at any time, but if you don't measure the alignment, you won't know if the alignment is good or not.

But it seems like the dealer really stretched a point. Not only should the vehicle have been aligned from the factory, but you aren't really putting "New" tires on.

So is it a good idea to get an alignment when purchasing tires? Depends on how much risk you are willing to take. Some folks don't want to accept any risk at all = and some are willing to accept a huge amount. Which one are you?

Honda Fit Wheels and Tires

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