I really like my 2007 Fit Sport (which I got used, a real deal), but wouldn’t have bought it had I known the “performance” tires only get about 30,000 miles. (That’s appalling!! I got 82,000 miles from the original brand-x tires on a Saturn SL2.) They’re very expensive, plus that’s bad for the environment. SO–
Dealer said modifying to accommodate standard tires would cost $1,200 (which I doubt includes tires). My questions:
1) Do axles have to be replaced, or only the wheels?
2) Is this something any competent mechanic can safely & reliably do, or would it be foolish to have anyone but a dealer do it?
3) Does that price sound right? (I live in SC.)
4) To help me run the numbers, I’m figuring to drive the Fit at least 200,000 miles and hope to get more like 300,000. How realistic is this?
I wouldn’t be surprised if the $1200 was just for four new Honda rims. OEM parts from the dealer are expensive. Add tires and installation it’s going to be pricey.
I checked www.tirerack.com for tires for a Fit Sport, there were two sizes listed, 195/55R15 and 205/45R15. There were 33 15" tires and 26 16" tires available. The performance all season tires are the least expensive and should last longer than the high performance summer tires.
Another option is an aftermarket wheel and tire set
My preference is to keep the stock wheels though.
The Tire Rack site has a lot of good information about tires and the their performance classifications to help you make a good choice. My choice would be to keep the original rims and install all season performance tires with the longest treadwear rating.
Good luck,
Ed B.
I agree with edb - don’t do anything except buy tires that wear well. Go to tirerack.com and find tires that match the size of those on your car but that are very highly rated for tread wear. You’ll be money ahead. Also be very careful in checking your tire pressure weekly with a quality dial gauge, and rotate them as recommended by the manual. You’ll do fine. Imagine how environmentally wasteful it would be to spend all that money on new rims!
You need simply to choose tires that fit your rims and are long wearing.
In performance size a long lasting and decent tire is the Yokohama Avid H4S(60k). Another great choice if they fit is the Bridgestone G019 Grid(50k).
If you want to downsize check out tirerack.com for the 14" rims/tires. Those definitely will be much longer wearing.
Some people think tires as long as they hold air and are round are fine and last. Others like the better adhesion of performance oriented tires especially if they both buying the stiffer riding Fit Sport.
You have plenty of choices, some performance tires last much longer than others. Michelin tires are expensive but generally last a long time. Price of the tire does not really mean longer lasting.
You could buy new wheels and tires from any good tire specialty shop. You don’t need new wheels, just new tires.
My guess is you can get 4 new tires for under $500 installed on your current wheels that are good quality and will last 50,000 miles, no problem.
30k out of a set of summer performance tires sounds about right. I get about 25-27k out of a set of BFG KDW2’s on my Mustang, they cost around $800 a set but I find the excellent grip they provide is well worth the money. Remember tires are a saftey issue, it’s not a area where it’s prudent be cheap.
$1200 sounds about right for a set of OEM wheels and a set of tires. If you went with aftermarket wheels you could probably save a couple hundered bucks.
You could buy a set of summer touring tires for your current rims, then buy a set of aftermarket steel wheels for winter tires. You will be amazed how long they last when you are swapping the wheels twice a year. Some tire places will even store the wheels that are not in use for you. The other plus with this is having specific tires for the seasons rather than one set of “jack of all master of none” tires.
The OP says he lives in South Carolina. I doubt he needs winter tires, unless he plans on driving up Yankee-way during the winter. Otherwise, some decent all-seasons should do.
You’re right! I read passed that part. Winter tires will not be needed for the OP unless s/he run around the mountains a lot.
Really sound advice, Ed. You’ve convinced me that changing out the wheels is not necessary and would be silly.
If I could go to 195/65 instead of 55, there are many more tires to choose from and often at better prices. Is there any reason not to go to the slightly higher aspect ratio?
Have always been good about regular rotation, but sounds as if I need to get in the habit of frequent pressure checks. Thanks!
60,000 miles sure sounds a lot better than 30,000! Thanks.
(Didn’t find the Bridgestones. Also no luck searching that tire size on a 14" rim.)
rosie
Am feeling better about the options here. No longer think changing wheels makes any sense. Sure agree that higher price doesn’t guarantee longer treat life.
Thanks a lot, Uncle Turbo.
I’m guessing your pockets are deeper than mine, FoDaddy. Or maybe I’m just a cheapskate, lol!
I’m with you about not cutting corners on safety.
Wish I’d had your counsel when I lived in Chicago & Philadelphia. Winters are much easier down here in the Sun Belt!
If the temp drops below 40F in the winter in their locale often Summer Tires can be treacherous in difficult slippery conditions(wet, sleet, snowy).
The 195/55/R15 has a diameter of of 23.4". A 195/65R15 tire has a diameter of 25" or 7% increase in diameter. The speedometer would read 7% low or 50 mph when the car is actually going 53.5 mph. I don’t know if there would be any effects on the ABS and/or stability control systems. Considering the size of the Fit, the increase in tire diameter might cause fitment problems, I don’t know for sure. If it was my car, I wouldn’t take the chance.
Tire Rack also has 195/60R15 tires with a 24.2" diameter, or 3.5% larger.
The Michelin Exalto and the Yokohama Avid T4 are available in 195/55/R15. Both are highly rated in their category. The price of Yokohama seems reasonable for this tire size.
Ed B.
We don’t get many days of those conditions down here. But we do get a few occasionally, so this is good to know. All-seasons seem to be the way to go. Thanks.
You’re a wealth of knowledge, Ed B.!
What’s the best source of info on tread wear? The UTQG ratings only compare a given tire to that same manufacturer’s own test tire (whose tread life–or even the identity of the test tire–is never provided). Therefore, we can’t tell how many miles we’ll get out of, say, Hankooks compared to BFG, but only one Bridgestone compared to another (unidentified) Bridgestone. At least that’s my understanding of what the UTQG numbers mean.
Where are folks finding the actual mileage ratings?
Thanks.
rosie
I live in NE Ohio, right in the snow belt and we get hit pretty hard each year. Even when my house doesn’t get much snow, I always end up driving through the worst of it. The way I promote winter/snow tires I should be on the tire manufacturers’ payrolls. They are better than FWD, AWD, 4WD, everything but tracks basically. They keeps my RWD pickup from driving sideways in the wintertime.