Help picking tires for Honda Fit
 

I'm doing some reading for replacement tires for our Fit Sport. We won't need them until next year probably, but I got a bit into reading about tire options.

Stock size: 195/55r15
Base model: 175/65r14

The base model's tires are 1.7% smaller. I doubt they corrected for the difference in the VSS/cluster, but I'm curious if anyone might know about that.

Anyhow, 195/55r15 seems to be a very uncommon tire size, used in cars like the Acura Integra Type-R and Del Sol VTEC trim, and (unsurprisingly) the options in that size are predominantly sporty/grippy/sticky tires. I've so far been unable to find anything branded as LRR in the size.

Some similar sizes that will fit her 15" rims:

185/60r15: +1.3%
185/55r15: -1.7%
175/60r15: -0.4%
165/65r15: 0%

In 14", which I'll probably get for snow tires:

195/60r14: -0.9%
185/65r14: +0.4%
175/70r14: +0.9%
175/65r14: -1.7%
165/70r14: -1.3%
165/65r14: -4.3% (threw that on there because I may be able to get these free)

What I've been able to find:

In 195/55r15 - Sport trim stock tire size
-Firestone Champion Fuel Fighters at ~$100 per tire

In 185/60r15 - This may be a viable option but if the Sport and Base trims have a correction factor for their slightly different tire sizes
-Bridgestone Ecopia EP422's, 640AB ~$100
-Firestone Champion Fuel Fighters, 600AB ~$100
-Michelin Defender, 820AB ~$90 - I've used these and like them well enough
-Michelin Defender T+H, 820AB ~$105
-Nokian Entyre, 700AA ~$50
-Nokian Entyre 2.0, 720AA, $72

185/55r15 - These are idential in circumference to the base model's tire size, ~1.7% smaller than Sport trim tires
-Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus, 640AA ~$113
-Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter, 600AA ~$95
-Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 380BB ~$100
-Goodyear Integrity, 460AB ~$91

175/60r15:
Dunlop Enasave 01, 340AA - $148

165/65r14:
No LRR tires

Wider sizes (205, 215) have no LRR tires either.

~

In the stock size, the Firestones don't look bad.

For non-stock sizes, what it comes down to is whether the Sport and Base trims have different VSS corrections. If they don't, the 185/55r15 has a couple of good choices and it's the same circumference as the base model's tires. This makes gearing 1.7% shorter, of course. If they do, I'd either opt for the 195/55 or 185/60, the latter giving 1.3% taller gearing. I'd probably opt for the Nokians due to very long tread life and low price.

This leaves out the fact that I have no experience with any of these tires except the Michelin Defenders, which I know from firsthand experience last forever and then some, and deliver decent economy.

Thoughts? Specific tire recommendations?

Links to the Nokian tires:

https://www.amazon.com/Nokian-eNTYRE-All-Season-Radial-Tire/dp/B0100OLCUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528127329&sr=8-1&keywords=Nokian+Entyre+185%2F60r15

https://www.amazon.com/Nokian-eNTYRE-All-Season-Radial-Tire/dp/B01BFWOHIC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1528127329&sr=8-2&keywords=Nokian+Entyre+185%2F60r15

https://www.continental-tires.com/ca...tact5?cartype=

I ordered some Continental EcoContact 195/55/R15's for my wife's '17 Fit Sport... they wore like iron and she got pretty good gas mileage out of them (for her... she's a no-look-ahead, automatic driver).

The Yokohama Avid Ascend is available in the 185/55/15 and 185/60/15. It does well on Fits.

Are you looking for economy, or something else? Are the engine RPM's at highway speeds higher than you think they should be?

Economy, primarily. Wet grip is also important. She'll be putting a lot of low-speed rural driving miles on them.

RPM are on the high side by my estimation, but my experience with larger diameter tires on my Insight has been very negative for both fuel economy and handling. The added rotating mass doesn't make up for the difference in gearing. Plus, it would throw off the speedo and odo.

Does anyone know if the different trims correct for the different tire sizes, or is it small enough they just don't bother? If I were to correct for different tire sizes, what would need to be done?

I have a set of Nokian Entyres for my Cobalt, I mounted myself and used balance beads, they are about half worn but aren't wearing great. Recommended them to brother for his Traverse because they were half price on closest tire and not wearing great either, still OK for half price though. Maybe the 2.0 are better.

WRG3 on the other hand on Katie's cobalt have been wearing great, LLR. Paid to have G3/G3 SUV's mounted on the Rogues. No need for winter tire swap, Toyo Celcius is a new tire I just heard in the all weather variety like the WRGx (G4's are out as well in 195-60-15 $87, Celcius $82 (don't know if LLR like the WRG's).


Very happy with the WRGx, worn out 6, have 12 currently on my cars. 2 on spares. I can't really say how the LLR is, but traction and wear is been good.

I'll take a look, sounds promising!

I discovered these are also available in 145/65r15, which is identical in size to the Insight's factory 165/65r14.

https://www.amazon.com/Continental-ContiEcoContact-EP-Radial-Tire/dp/B00E5AZWBS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528129110&sr=8-1&keywords=ContiEcoContact

The two best tires for economy that I have used are Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, and Michelin Energy Saver A/S. I think the Michelins are better in the wet.

Consumer Reports mentioned it looked like their Entyre 2.0's were wearing more quickly than their rating suggested too. LRR is a primary consideration, but not if the tire wears so quickly it can't make up the difference.

On the other hand, they're easily cheaper than any other tire I've seen.