Hi everyone. This is my first time buying winter tires for my 2009 honda fit sport. I live in Vancouver, Canada. I am looking at getting the Michelin-X-Ice Xi3 from Costco for my winter tires.

My question is my original tires for my stock 16 inch rims are 185/55/16.

Should I get tire size 175/65/15, 185/65/15 or should I get 185/70/14?

I read about minus sizing for winter tires. I guess I am wondering if going down 2 inches in rim size is okay?

Also the differences in choosing 15 inch to 14 inch rims in performance since one is 1 inch and one is 2 inch smaller rims then my original stock rims.


Thanks for your input.

 

I just put 185/70-14 Michelin Xi3s and steel wheels on my 2017 last week. They fit great.

The extra sidewall will mean that your cornering will be a bit squishier, but the ride is better and they are more forgiving to potholes and frost heaves. They were also less expensive as a package. (I bought from Tire Rack)

As an aside, Michelin makes an excellent winter tire.

 

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are by far the best winter tire hands down. If your looking for something cheaper than maybe look at General Altimax?

 

I have Hakkas on my Forester and they are excellent. The Xi3 is a much better tire than the Altimax Arctic, however, and since Michelin runs rebates often it can be very price competitive.

 

Really how much snow you going to see in Van? Anyways I am running 185/65R15 BFG Winter Slalom tires. Ihad them on steelies and now on some old Civic SI rims. Much softer ride over my 16" Rotas.

 

I'd always be concerned about brake caliper clearance when dropping from a 16" rim to a 14" rim.

Are you planning to have a second set of wheels ($) or run one set and just switch rubber ($)? Are you going to add the TPMS sensors (not sure what yr FIT you have) to the snows ($). Are you going to reprogram the car twice a yr to accept the tire changes ($)?

If you don't see a bunch of snow, I'd stick to a "snow worthy" all-season tire and save your $

 

Why? If they fit, it's not like the clearance is going to change over time. If it does, you have bigger problems.

My 14" steelies fit great.

 

OK, great, you did it. I have no experience dropping from 16" to 14" and simply stated that making that sort of move is significant and all rims might not be the same. Glad it worked and others can learn from your experiences.

 

It's not significant. The Fit in other markets comes with 14" wheels from the factory.

Of course not all rims are the same. I'd hope that's a given. Anytime we change wheels we simply need to be aware of fitment. Offset, hub bore, lug spacing, tire width, sidewall height, clearance, etc. It's not a big deal.

 

Just shows how small the factory brakes are. Not many modern cars can run a 14" wheel regardless of specs.

In this case (winter tire selection), it's a plus.

 

It's a very light car. It doesn't weigh much more than a Miata.

With winter potholes, having more sidewall is indeed a benefit.

 

If you haven't bought them already I would recommend you go with 175/65/15 which is the stock size for the base model (and LX in Canada). That's the size that was likely put to most tests and had best results in terms of cost, performance, comfort, fuel efficiency, braking, etc.

I got a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 (made in Japan) last year from Costco and they were under $500 Canadian including installation & taxes for the 175/65/15 size. That was with the $70 rebate deal and I already had 15" steel rims. The tires are great in snow, ice & dry pavement. Only annoyance is on wet pavement they whistle a bit, but handling is great all around. I think most winter tires are noisy when wet. But crank up the music and you're good.

Get the Blizzaks and save yourself some cash.
Check out some tire reviews at:
APA (Automobile Protection Association) 2017 - 2018 Passenger Car and Minivan Tire Reviews
They cover many winter tire brands, but don't provide specs or too much info.

 

Brake rotor to rim size - This is a Buick Cascada I parked beside yesterday (20x8 rims):



In high school, the girls used a lot of Kleenex to fill in the difference.

 

at least dat car has rear rotors vs ur drums (and basic silver calipers)

 

Car and Driver 70-0 Braking...

Honda Fit - 179 ft
Corolla iM - 175 ft
Buick Cascada - 174 ft
VW Golf (not GTI/R) - 168 ft
Civic Hatch (not type R) - 166 ft

4 wheel disc brakes are not just for looks.

For reference...

2007 Honda Fit - 176 ft
2009 Honda Fit - 190 ft

 

That's most likely the rear wheel? Not a fair comparison of the wheel to rotor size of the Buick

 

Here is the winter setup I have:

Michelin XI3 185/70-14s on BMW steel wheels.

I LOVE these tires!

I am a courier that drives all over southern New England and New York delivering medical supplies to people in need. I need to get where I'm going no matter the weather.

Advantages to this setup are: 14 inch tires are cheaper than 15 or 16 inch tires; and BMW steelies have a shallower offset, so you get a wider track. This helps in stability while driving and tends to throw more snow and slush out, away from the car, rather than piling up in the wheel wells.

I can drive through anything with these wheels. The only times I can't go any further, is when the snow is so deep, the front of my Sport acts like a snow plow and starts piling snow up in front until it stops me. I don't get stuck, I just have to turn around and go back.

14 inch BMW steelies can be found on ebay, craigslist or a website that sells them new, I forget the name at the moment, they were about $70 each two years ago.

I can't wait for our first snowfall here in New England so I can change over!

P.S.

I put a piece of black electrical tape over my TPS light!

 

I just mounted up a set of 175 65-15 Hakka 8 studded. It's 50 degrees today! Lets go old man winter, lets see what you got!
https://vt-stromer.smugmug.com/13-Honda-Fit/i-ZnrB334/A

 

Winter is dead. I've been ice-fishing since 1978 and the winters / ice ain't like it used to be. I couldn't go last year (and other years before that).

"Be Prepared" is always a good motto to live by.

 

I agree...ordered the same from tire rack and shipped to the house...just finished pulling my stock Fit Sport wheels and tires and bolted up the 14 inch steelies with Michelin Xi3s already balanced...even with dropping from 16” to 14” the tall sidewalk of the winter package is slightly taller than stock. They fit great and I’m ready for the winter. Very pleased with the setup fwiw