New tire suggestion for 13' hyundai accent?

[nubbzcummins]

Need suggestions. Looking for more miles per cost of tire and more miles in general, higher mpg, better handling, and maybe quieter ride. Still running factory 175/70 14 that came on it. Need suggestions on tire to get, same or different diameter and/or width or aspect ratio ect for best results. So far a little over 31k miles on this set and they may make it to 36k-40k miles. Avg over 40mpg with good mix of driving conditions, ride is a little rough, little louder than I would like, and handling/road grip is so-so to ok. What are the good tires out there in same or similar sizes for 14" wheel?

[oil pan 4]

If you want a smoother ride go big, The problem with tiny tires is they go deeper into holes.

With every car I have changed around tire size on I have found that you can go 1 inch taller and 1 size wider (10mm) with out any problem.
Trucks can usually go 2 or 3 inches taller with out issue.

Our 08 Hyundai has 1 inch over OEM spec taller tires on the back (but still on the factory rim). I already installed and tested them on the front. It looks funny with bigger tires on the front and plus I want the old smaller tires to wear out faster (that's why the new ones are on the back).

[nubbzcummins]

With oem tires it will always downshift on anything more than a slight incline however will pull most hills in the downshifted 5th gear and mpg does not suffer much. If I go bigger I wonder if it will still hold 5th gear or dowshift to 4th due to gearing change from taller tire plus heavier tire of 4-6lbs/tire. On a few hills when it drops to 4th mpg goes to the mid teens vs mid to low 20's in 5th. Per tire rack oem tire is 15lbs and all other tires I have looked at same size or larger are in the 19-21 lb range. Also wonder if taller heavier tire will make up loss of the up hill with the flat and down hill parts of commute? Also will taller tire affect suspension/rubbing if hitting a bump or hole in the road. I know I have one inch clearance from side of tire to anything it would hit while turning so could run a tire almost 2" wider but do not know how much up travel clearance I have. Maybe 2-3" from top of tire to fender normal stance on level ground.

[mcrews]

nubbz,
have you read all the threads on taller tires?
The will really answer your question.

FACT: (on cars) taller tires will return better mpg (same rim...taller tire).

Please show the exact data you are quoting on the weight(size, brand etc)........something is VERY wrong there.
upsizing 18's was only 1 pound difference.
please do a search using my name mcrews q45 & kia sportage. Both of my threads discussed clearance.
It really is very easy to look and see the clearance on the top side of the tire. (again refer to my threads)

[mcrews]

the way to tell what will happen is really simple.
using a scangauge......
run mpg test at 45,50,55,60,65. (atleast 5 miles)
record the mpg, mph and rpm. record when the trany shifts.
taller tires will lower the rpm.
so what happens at say 60 on the stock tires will happen at 55 on taller tires. (you will be going 60, but the rpms will be in the same range as the 55mph on the stock tires.)

[Sven7]

Tire Size Calculator

If you're worried about weight, start searching for some lighter wheels that will offset the tire weight. Rota makes cheap alloys, and you can look for used wheels on Craigslist too. Find out your bolt patter, aka PCD, and start searching.

If you're worried about your tire hitting the fender liner over bumps (too much jounce), settle down. Unless you're rally racing over two-track roads you'll be just fine. Wider tires may rub a bit on the fender liner on tight parking lot maneuvers, but if you buy new wheels with lower offset (ET32 instead of ET45, for instance) you'll be fine.

Also remember that you can have Price, Performance and Comfort- pick two.

[nubbzcummins]

Oem is hankook optimo H724 175/70/14 on 5.5"x14" steel wheel. Per tire rack this tire is 15lbs, 23.7" tall, and 4.5" tread width. Not buying diff wheel just tire change is what I am looking at doing. I put suspension in a few binds using 9" high ramps by driving up with one corner then driving up with opposite corners at same time and took many clearance measurements. I feel very strongly that I could not replicate this on the street especially under normal driving conditions.
With this being said I am looking at the michelin defender lineup: 185/70/14 listed as 19lbs, 24.3" tall, and 5.7" tread width. 195/70/14 listed as 21lbs, 24.8" tall and 7.4" tread width. 205/70/14 listed as 22lbs, 25.4" tall, 7.6" tread width.
Under conditions which I measured stated above and if wheel were turned the 185 should not rub, 195 very close and could go either way, and 205 would rub.
I can test using oem trip mpg and real time mpg functions and have a scan tool to view live data via obd2. Any suggestions on where to go from here?

[oil pan 4]

Tire weight is a secondary concern. Think of it as more meat between your car and the harsh road surface.

If you can climb mountains in top gear then you are wasting engine revs all the time you spend driving on flatter ground.
Try the 185s if you cant go with a taller aspect ratio.

[nubbzcummins]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Tire weight is a secondary concern. Think of it as more meat between your car and the harsh road surface.

If you can climb mountains in top gear then you are wasting engine revs all the time you spend driving on flatter ground.
Try the 185s if you cant go with a taller aspect ratio.

Only reason I worry about the weight is for stop and go at times and pulling the hills without a further downshift. Right now most of the hills on common roads I trave it will pull them in 5th gear at 90%+ load and even gain speed very slowly at 100% load without downshift to 4th. On flat ground running in 6th gear it is 40-50%+ load all of the time depending on speed. 6th on flat is same as 5th on most hills I frequent daily. Do not feel it is wasting any rpms or power in 6th on the flat as it barely has the power to accel in this gear. Load will change quickly with any road imperfection, rise, or fall. Maybe I do not understand what you mean by that? I should be able to go with the taller ones per my measurements. I worry mainly on how much suspension up travel is when hitting a bumb in the road while in a curve which would be the only way large two sizes would rub. Maybe I can get someone with a go pro to see how much it flexes in certain conditions.....

[oil pan 4]

When I went from P235/70R15 tires on my suburban to 31x10.5 tires the 31s were 2 or 3 inches taller, each tire by its self was an 11 or 12 pound increase.
Starting and stopping times seemed unchanged. It was just as lethargic as ever, no worse.

And you have a 6 speed transmission? You don't need to worry about accelerating in 6th, use the other 5 gears for that.