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Originally Posted by BHarvey
Stock wheels (16x6.5) and tires (Kumho KH25 205-65-16).
I haven't seen any current Kumho rated in comparisons but the ones I have seen are not rated well compared to the top LRR tires so this makes me yearn for some REAL efficient tires with a low RR.
I do however have 30,800 miles on them and here is what I can say.
They seem to coast pretty well, are quiet on smooth pavement, a little loud on bad pavement, have good grip wet or dry and has been the best rain tire I have ever used. You would never notice puddles or even small lakes. It would just slice right through with no steering input.
Now that tread is half of new, it shows a preference for wherever the deeper water is and you get the 'slowing' effect when you hit thicker areas.
Closing on 2 years with this car, and STILL have not decided which tire to get for replacement when the time comes...
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Are those the steel wheels? The optima comes with Nexan tires, so far I have found they are good, comfortable, quiet, enough grip to handle my needs, not long enough for me to test wear and I haven't really got a chance to test them in the wet. However in a 6 mid size comparison car and driver tested the Optima last in a few classes and far below the mostly equal Sonata and attributed it to the tires, I think the quote was "tires by Nexan, who?".
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vs. 2012 Honda Accord EX-L, 2012 Hyundai Sonata SE, 2012 Kia Optima EX, 2012 Toyota Camry SE, 2012 Volkswagen Passat 2.5 SE Comparison Tests - Page 5 - Car and Driver. As much as I love fuel economy a tire that causes a car to get LAST in the braking test when it's cousin car ties for first is a major downside to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SentraSE-R
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Yes I read your tall tire test before I did the 8% increase on the miata. You also had a weight increase in the taller tires and still saw a MPG increase right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by CapriRacer
Tire size? Larger is better - and you measure that by load carrying capacity (Load Index). But the effect is small, so a sacrifice in this area won't have any major effects.
LRR? Beware - that only means that the tire has better RR compared to comparable tires - same treadwear and traction rating. It is NOT a measure of absolute RR.
Max pressure? Pay no attention to that value. It is abitrarily assigned and has no real meaning.
You are probably better staying with the 16" and the higher aspect ratio. More likely to have true LRR tires in that size. Lower aspect ratios - not so much.
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I know in my mind I want to stay 16 and keep the old tires (but see above about stopping distance). However I have the urge to make the car look better and try a fuel economy experiment at the same time. I really am not happy with the way the car looks on 16s. The tires look tiny. I really like the 15s on my prius and had no urge to go bigger but these ones don't look right. I understand this is not the most economical solution which is why I want to find the most economical factors to consider in a non economical decision if that makes any sense.