Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My wife's Honda Fit is in need of new tires. Any high-recommendations out there?
Thanks Again...
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
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).
what michelins are you referring to.
mahalo, diane
Bubbette :shades:
is that for a honda fit basic.?thnx
any other suggestions to stabilize this car in the wind??
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!
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
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.
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
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
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
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Can anyone please help?
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.
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.
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...
My Fit is a 2009 Sport model.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
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?