I just got a set of Falken Ziex ZE 912's, 205/50-16 in place of my stock Dunlops..(stockers are for sale in the Classifieds in case anyone is interested!)

I paid $105 a tire (mounted and balanced), but that was at my local mechanic...Discount Tire Direct has them for $81 a piece, not a bad deal...

I've had these tires on my last 2 cars, and they are just as awesome on the Fit. Now, they do ride a little firmer (I may lower the pressure a bit, he set it at 35), but the handling difference is night and day. And like others have said prior, the wider tire helps with braking A LOT, I mean A LOT.

My gas mileage has gone down a bit, maybe 2mpgs average (also could be attributed to the colder weather setting in too) - I expected this, and take it as a trade off for the much better handling.

CrystalFive, I'll try and take some pictures if no one else does for ya - honestly, there is little visual difference from the 185's - the 205's just look a little more beefy.

Hope that helps!

 

Those are 6-1/2 X 16...what does the GE come with?

 

Thanks. I'm considering making the switch, though I'm happy with the OEM Dunlops right now.

 

I'll have to check the rim tomorrow when it's light outside.

Can anyone tell me if there's a palpable increase in wheel/tire weight while driving?

 

I just checked...the GEs have;

Base 15 X 5-1/2J
Sport 16 X6J

 

The only other pic I currently have is a crappy cell phone pic. I can get more later.
I don't sense any extra weight from the wider tires...I actually feel like I have better acceleration now. Feels more nimble around turns and bends now too.

 

Thanks for doing that. Keep 'em coming!

 

more crappy cell phone pics..


Just for comparison this is an old pic with the stock 185's




Here is a new pic with the 205's



another pic of the rear with 205's

 

Looks so much more proper. If looks are your thing, a 10mm spacer would be of little consequence to the handling (if you think about the fact that all aftermarket wheels, at least that I've seen, on here are lower offset than stock.)

 

From those pics I can definitely see some extra width. Thanks!

 

put the 205/50R16 ExtremeContact DWS on today. feels so planted and it holds its line better.

 

I had a set of Yokohama S. drives put on today (205/50-16). Today was short trip/errand day so I haven't driven all that much to get a feel for any differences, other than a little more steering effort due to the wider tread.

 

Well i installed bridgestone potenzas g019 grids. My mpgs are a little lower but thats because costco filled them at 29 psi with nitrogen (ok whatever). Gonna fill them to 35 so i expect a little higher mpg. But traction is great!

 

In early December I replaced my worn-out stock Bridgestones with 205/50/16 Sumitomo HTR A/S PO1s. I’ve driven about 1k on them.

They are noticeably quieter than the Bridgestones, especially when on concrete on the highway. They seem better on the highway in the rain as well–I can drive over puddles without feeling the steering go numb.

On the downside, handling does suffer. I get blown around on the highway in cross winds more than with the Bridgestones, and they seem a bit less responsive, with the result that I tend initially to understeer and then oversteer to compensate (I’m running them at 35psi right now, and might try 37psi to see if it helps). My gas mileage is lower these days, but I can’t tell whether this is because of the new tires or because of the cold, snowy winter we’re having in the northeast (or both).

On balance, while it’s nice to have the quieter ride, I somewhat regret my decision to buy these tires.

 

really? that's weird. maybe its in the construction of the tire.

looking at tire rack... those are 84 each... hum, no offense, but while I've been trying to spend less, I'm feeling a bit of "you get what you paid for" there.

if I were to buy a set new tires now... i might end up getting the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S (at a wallet draining 131 per tire). my alternative would be the Continental ExtremeContact DWS... but, i'm quite biased towards the Michelin tires, to the point where I'd get the alternative only if the Michelin were out of stock. but, since I only just got my Fit almost 7 months ago... I expect that I won't be buying new tires anytime soon.

on tirerack.com there's one reviewer that mentioned the Sumitomo's straight line stability (or lack of).

 

Yeah, it was something of a gamble, but they were the only all-season tires given an ‘excellent’ rating for noise in the CR rankings, and the noise from the Bridgestones was interfering with the music I was listening to on the stereo (long story, but suffice to say I’m fussy about this). As well, the Sumitomos were rated highly in the other categories CR measures, although they don’t rank handling, and so this problem didn’t show up. I just wanted to warn people in case they were thinking of trying these tires as well.

 

CR? as in Consumer Reports?

haha... sorry. I actually don't have anything against them, i'm just remembering how I read on this forum and a few random others that HATE CR.

But, to give my opinion about reviews... I would try to get a better idea from sites like TireRack, DiscountTires, etc... that deal specifically with tires. CR is just too... general.

Although, I do shop at Amazon a LOT, I use their reviews ALONG with whatever I can find elsewhere.

CR also reminds me of movie critics... there have been so many movies that I've enjoyed... that got HORRIBLE reviews... so I basically ignore them altogether.

 

the stock wheels look too narrow for a 205... but it sure does look more comfy with those rubbers

 

Yes, CR is Consumer Reports. I don’t really see a need for the hate, only a need to recognize the limitations of what they do, and they don’t care about handling, and so that doesn’t show up in their rankings. And, for what it’s worth, as far as I can tell their rankings are accurate given what they do measure.

Thanks for the pointer to the Tire Rack comments. I did look there, and now recall one person saying something about taking off-ramps a bit more slowly with the Sumitomos, but you never know how seriously to take a single comment. Guess I should have.

Then again, I'm quite sensitive to small differences in handling that some others might not even notice, and so if someone is looking for a quiet tire at a reasonable price, maybe these are worth a try.

 

Check your tire pressure, it maybe too low. A higher pressure should lower the steering effort.