Best 13" Tires? And are skinny tires okay on stock rims?

[AaronMartinSole]

So for my '92 Civic DX Sedan the manufacturer recommends 175/70R13 tires.

What would be the best tires for it?

I've read that low rolling resistance tires and skinny tires are good for fuel economy.

Michelin Defenders (LRR tires) are available at that size on tirerack for $320 with a warranty of 90,000 miles.

Cornell 1000's (Non-LRR, but skinner at 155/80R/13) are available at pepboys for $200 with a warranty of 40,000 miles.

Kumho Solus KR21's (155/80R13) are available at tirerack for $220 with an 85,000 warranty, but shipping would cost $40 more totaling $260.

+If I were to get the 20mm skinnier tires, would they be alright on the stock wheels, or would I need to buy new ones?

[justme1969]

Not able to absolutly answer your question but watch tire height friend.
yes about width being more aero but there is a limit to all things. you still need control surface and such.
Th tire height can also change you final drive ratio. read 2nd car kia sephia in the sucess stories by me. it will explain some.

[Ryland]

I think you are going to have the best luck with the stock size in LRR.
The narrower tires are going to be pushing the limit of their weight range so you are going to have to have them at max pressure just to compensate for the cars weight.

The per mile cost of a 40,000 mile tire compared to a 90,000 mile tire also needs to be kept in mind, even if they 40,000 mile tire was half the price you would still have to pay for mounting tires twice, here that is $20 per tire.

Michelin Defenders tires also have some of the best reviews.

[p38fln]

The tires should have detailed specs that indicate the rim size required, in both diameter and width - as long as you're staying within the correct rim size, you will probably be fine, keeping in mind what everyone else said. Mounting a tire that requires a narrower rim can be deadly.

For example, the Michelin Defender P175/70R13 requires 4.5"-6" width rims, and is recommended for the Honda Civic DX, while the Firestone Winterforce P155/80R13 requires 4"-5" width rims.

Not that I'd recommend a Winterforce tire to save on fuel (Firestone rates it as a "5" for fuel efficiency), I was just using it as an example to show the difference in rim width requirements.