When I got new tires, I went from BFGoodrich Comp TA 225 50 16s to Michelin Energy MXV4+ 215 55 16s with the OEM 6.5" 97-99 SE wheels. My reasons for going back to stock size is cause I do not like the overbuldging of the tire over the skinny rim. This is a import car not a muscle car. Also, I didnt like how my speedomter was a teeny bit off and the car would have more wheel gap then what there used to be.

However when I went back to stock size, 2 things I'm very unhappy with. 1) Acceleration feels soooo slow now. Probably because the increase in tire diamter as well as the extra weight with the 400 wear rating. Either that or something else went wrong inside my car (like flex busting).

2) My handling went from not good to bad. This car cant handle at all anymore. It plows like nuts and after you corner it all girates and twists and wobbles. Grrr.

So basic question is, if you have 215 55 16s on the OEM rim what tire did you use? ANd if you switched back, did you notice the same things I notice?

 

If anything I'd think you'd have a better feel since you've got a smaller contact patch, the correct width for a 6.5" rim, and 50 to 55 series is negligible. I went from 55 to 40 and everyone said be careful, one pothole and you'll ruin your rim, etc. I believed them but when I got the tires on it was like WTF what a bunch of bologna. The car may be capable of higher g's with a 235 but it still handles like a soft, mushy japanese car. Only difference with a 40-series is difficulty in parking in the city.

THe Michelin is an expensive touring tire that's been around for more than 3-5 years, comes on Accords, Sonatas, etc. That Green label you're paying many $ for. I've heard good things about the Dunlop A2 which has a AA traction rating and costs about 1/2. Newer technology usually performs better. But remember, the Max does not handle anyway so if you want the German road feel you'd have to get an RS-X or buy a German car.

 

I'm running 225/55/16 (stock '97 SE rims) Daytona HR/4. I believe they have excellent wet/dry traction, and I like the fit. Will take pictures upon request. Will have to email them because I can't do attachments. PM or email me. Dumb question, but would a 400 treadwear rating really affect acceleration? I don't think the handling is bad at all (and I push it. You can read my profile). Only suspension mods are FSTB and RSTB. I have 67,000 miles, but unknown on tires (atleast 14,000). Treadwear is 400, Traction and Temp both A. Only dislike is LOUD. Will get different tires when time to change because of that. Also with this size, steering during parking is a lot stiffer than my '96 GXE (RIP), but I don't mind that at all. I had Toyo 800 Ultra's (POS) in stock 15" on my '96 GXE. Excellent wet traction (maybe the best I've used), but Toyo's prone to sidewall blowouts (remember reading a recall about an unknown Toyo model for that. I'm ready for flames. No, I don't know what model, and have been unable to find out since. Unfortunately, my car was wrecked because of sidewall blowout about a month before I read about it). If it wasn't for the noise, I would stick with these Daytona's. I do like the SE rims, but I also like Jay25's. Jay25, if you read this, can you give me the specs (size, color, price, weight)on your rims? Do you think they'd look good on an Arctic Pearl white (?) '97? Thanks. Hope this helps. Any questions can be emailed to me at davidnancy2000@worldnet.att.net.

Dave

 

Answer is here

 

I've got wide 7.5" 16s on my 96 and I did the exact opposite. I went from V-rated all-season performance 215/55s to Z-rated summer 225/50s. The difference is night and day. The 225s are also .75" wider bringing up the total width to 9.5" with 8.7" contact patch.

I've learned that there is NO such thing as all-season performance. It's either all or nothing.


Dave

 

Dude, you are kidding right? You can't seriously be deriding the
road characteristics of your car based on tire size when your opening
line states, "I went from BFGoodrich Comp TA 225 50 16s to Michelin
Energy MXV4+ 215 55 16s ".

The energy is an eco-friendly tire that will last you for years. It
is not so much a function of tire size as it is composition and
design. The BFGs are designed to provide elevated performance over
stock, hence, "Comp T/A" in their very name. The Michelin's are
designed to be quiet, improve fuel efficiency and stay out of the
landfill for a longer period of time, hence, "Energy" in their name.
The Michelin's can't grip as well because the tread compound is SO
hard.

BTW, UTQG is not regulated by anyone and it may well have no basis
in fact. So, It's important to note that no government body checks
what goes on the sidewall, just that there is a number on the
sidewall. Think what you will, but there is no oversight of UTQG values. It's somewhat useful for rating tires across brands if they
are reputable brands but it's actually only valuable within a brand.

Don't believe me?
(TireRack's summation)
The Department of Transportation requires each manufacturer to grade its tires under the Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) labeling system and establish ratings for treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. These tests are conducted independently by each manufacturer following government guidelines to assign values that represent a comparison between the tested tire and a control tire. While traction and temperature resistance ratings are specific performance levels, the treadwear ratings are assigned by the manufacturers following field testing and are most accurate when comparing tires of the same brand.

Specifically, the NHTSA states the following regarding treadwear:
TREADWEAR: The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested undercontrolled conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1½) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.

So, obviously, even the car used in the test could provide differing
results for treadwear ratings with heavier cars giving smaller values
and lighter cars giving larger, more favorable values. Which do you
think they'd use? And no, not every manufacturer has to use the same
vehicle when arriving at this number. Basically, it's all gibberish.

Last thing, I swear, is that traction isn't really an indication of
roadholding. They test a tire for straight-line braking performance
and then slap on the traction rating. The rating has nothing to do
with roadholding/cornering/launch characteristics though one may be
able to assume that better braking performance means better road
holding, that may not always be the case.

Buy tires that look, sound, grip, etc. like you want regardless of
what's stamped on the sidewall. I've had Road Hugger, Micheling XGT,
GoodYear Eagle GT & RSA, Pirelli P7000SS, Nitto NT450 and Nitto NT555
for tires. IMHO, Nitto provides the best bang for the buck in
general and the NT555 is the best of the bunch outright.

Wow - this got to be a long reply. My apologies but hopefully
there's good info in here for the casual reader.

Cheers,

 

Um, yeah, right, ok. Buy the tire based on looks, not gibberish. That's like saying inflate your tires based on looks, not what the pressure gauge says. Man that was long. To make a long story short Consumer Reports doesn't agree with this poster, but then maybe they should also make their decision based on looks and sound too. And don't go swimming for at least 30 min after you eat too.

 

He said looks, sound, and grip... maybe the order should be reversed, but what else is their to tires except for tread life? Your post on the otherhand doesnt make much sense, nor does it add anything of value to this conversation.

I agree with him, the MXV4's pretty much suck... my buddies CL-S came with those tires and they don't grip anything. Check with the store, go tell them your very unhappy with the tires and you want to know what you options are... also check with Michelin, they might have a short money back garuntee...

 

You're not an athlete, are you? Any true athlete knows that during periods of maximum physical exertion, blood is routed from basic functions (especially digestion) to the muscles with the more immediate need (part of the fight or flight mechanism). If this happens following a meal, it can mean severe abdominal cramping, which really sucks when you are a mile or two from shore.
I don't think he said anywhere to buy a tire based solely on looks (he had mentioned 3 different things, plus an "etc"). His point is to not rely solely on what is stamped on the sidewall. I wholeheartedly agree with his post as I have seen several sources that verify the info he gave.

 

Sure I am, soccer, baseball, and ice hockey. Had to do something in high school besides studying and chasing skirt. Good analogy and all with the blood as it pertains to tires. You don't work for the DOT, now do you? Or is it USDA?

 

Alright well heres my situation: My mom paid for the new tires. Of course, she is VERY NON performance (after all she drives a camry, forced me to buy a family sedan and was totally opposed to the sport bike haha). She tells me these performance tires are too expensive and they dont have good snow grip. I'm like sheesh, you already screwed me over for what kinda car I got and now the tires too. I do not like 225 50 16s on the stock SE rims cause the stock SE rims are only 6.5" wide. They are too narrow to hold a 225 and look ridiculous.

Well we'll see, if I complain loudly enough to the tire store (and my mom) maybe they will budge and get me something better like the Michelin Pilots. The cheapest Michelin Pilot tires are $150 a piece. So it will cost probably around $160 extra for the Pilots. The Energys are designed for maximum quiet ride and maximum treadlife. However-the high treadware rating might be better for me, because I'll probably wind up smoking the crap out of them anyway.

 

If i were you I'd just try to go for a tire that's less $$$. Those Michelens are nice if you have a fat wallet, but if your on a budget I think their a huge rip off.

I'm running LeMans HR tires that I picked up for $260 with 40,000 mi tread life warranty, road hazard, and lifetime (of the tire) rotation and balancing.

Their not the best tires out there, but they do very well for me and their cheap as hell. Thier pretty sticky, very quiet and they have great wet traction.

http://www.lemanstire.com/tire-catalog/lemans-hr.html

Like I said, my buddy has MXV4's on his CL-S and I'm not impressed with them at all, especially compared to my cheap tires. They aren't all that quiet and they don't grip anything.

 

I went from stock Toyo's in 215/55/16 to Kumho's in 225/50/16 on the stock 16 inch 97SE rims. I wanted the wider tire for a more aggressive look. 225/50 is the closest circumference to the stock 215/55 size. The tires stick out a bit, but thats fine with me, helps me from scraping the rims on curbs