Just received my new Kosei K4R's w/Kumho Ecsta 4X's 205/50R16's from TireRack. Thought I would share.

Needed to replace tires, but wanted to move away from stock tire size due to limited availability and choice. Didn't want to sacrifice un-sprung weight by just increasing tire size.

Weight of tire/wheel package without TPMS ranged from 33 lbs 6 oz to 33 lbs 10 oz. Which is about 1 pound less than my worn out stock Dunlop SP7000's on stock Sport wheels with TPMS.

Have just driven around neighborhood. So no review on "performance". Maybe later.

Mark

 

I put the same wheels and size tires on my GD3 about 6 weeks ago. Your OEM tires must not have had hardly any rubber left on the tread to have been as light as they were...

 

is that gunmetal? i think that might be the color iam going for

 

Tire Rack calls it gray but I believe Kosei calls it dark silver metallic... I'll check on the boxes mine came in later and make sure that is right..

 

I like the wheels. That's a tall tire for the GD. Any rubbing issues?

 

It's about 6/10" taller and 4/10" wider.. I don't have much of a problem but every so often I can hear the rear tires hit on something and on a bumpy road with a curve the front wheels make contact with the fenders... That is with Swift springs on the front and Buddy Club coilovers in the rear set pretty close to the highest position with the dampers on the softest setting... I'm taking a break from doing some stuff to the car now and will hopefully have the coilovers on the front and raised up some in a little while.. Rolling the fenders a little and trimming a piece in the rear will eliminate the occasional tire rubbing... There would probably be no rubbing at all with stock wheels, and any less offset than 45 MM with a 16" wheel would be worse, especially if 7" wide or more.

 

OEM tires have approximately 1-2/32" left before wear indicators. I got 48,250 miles from these tires with about as even wear as one could hope for. Rotated at every 5000 miles regardless of what Maintenance Minder said. They each (tire/wheel combined) weighed the same at 34.4 lbs when I pulled them off.

Mark

 

TireRack calls it "Light Grey". Kosei calls it "Street Silver". It is probably a shade or 2 lighter than most gunmetal greys.

I am a fan of gunmetal/anthracite and am happy with this color as a substitute.

Mark

 

The stock wheels and tires weighed somewhere around 37Lbs.. The Kosei K4Rs and Eagle GT tires are 5Lbs per corner heavier than the Enkei RPF1s and 195-55-15" Conti Pro Contacts and even with a boosted engine you can feel the difference... I like the look and fit of the Kosei wheels and the traction of the new tires enough that I consider it a toss up when I consider the weight increase...If my car wasn't boosted the lighter wheels and tires would win out... The mileage you got out of your OEM tires is remarkable.. +

 

I have the front coil overs installed at about stock GD height as is the rear... It feels a little firm but otherwise all is fine.

 

Not a bad looking wheel. Just need to replace the Kosei centercap with a Honda centercap.

To that point...is the center of that centercap a sticker? Basically...can it be removed easily? Thinking about ordering those wheels as they are fairly light.

 

I noticed a big difference in acceleration between the 15" RPF1s with 195-55-15"s and the K4Rs with 205-50-16"s... I hadn't checked the weight of the Goodyear GT tires before I bought them because I got a great price and needed tires right then. At 24lbs each just the tires alone are just ounces lighter than the wheels and tires I had been using... I wish I could have the same wet and dry traction with the lighter tires.. Where I had wheel spin to contend with in 1st and 2nd, I now have clutch slip... My wife won't say anything when I get new tires put on the RPF1s until she gets in one of her impossible to deal with moods and pulls out a list of every dime that I have spent on my car.. I should have said every dime she knows about but she does have one hell of a list.. I'll need to order new wheels and tires for her Forester if she ever wears out the ones that came on it.

 

The center cap does appear to have some kind of sticker/stick-on. It is also recessed. Haven't tried to remove, nor do I plan to. You might could even stick another on top and it still be recessed.

Mark

 

I installed the Kosei K4Rs and 205/50R16 Continental ContiProContact tires. I've driven about 6000 miles on the new tires. No rubbing problems. Handling is much improved over the stock 185/55 tires. Before the handling was somewhat busy as I was having to do a lot of minor corrections to track straight on the highway, now it rides like its on rails and corners significantly better. Fuel economy was maybe been slightly reduced but I still average 37-39 mpg. I averaged 38.8 during a 3000 mile road trip from Oregon to Colorado.

Picture below shows the relative width of the stock tire on left and the new one on the right.

 

If you say your otherwise stock Honda Fit on all-season tires handles like its on rails, how can anyone take your word for that?

That suggests you've never driven a car with any handling prowess.

My lowered car on proper summer tyres still handled like a steaming pile of s*** next to my old Civic, a stock BRZ, FG2 Si, Focus ST and others.

 

Relatively speaking, compared to stock sport handling, it is much improved. And I have the sport model with the rear stabilizer for what its worth You are correct I have never owned or had the opportunity to drive any performance car. I've owned only two vehicles in the last 15 years and they are/were lifted suvs. Maybe I should have just said that my Fit handles better than a 4runner. My lack of knowledge is obvious when I don't recognize the cars you listed in your response.

 

What Fit2012 says is on the money... I have the same wheels but with Goodyear GT tires.... Why bring up all of the more costly cars in comparison to a Fit on a Fit Forum? Sorry Mike, I forgot that it is Christmas and you didn't receive any presents.... Be glad that you don't have grown children and grandchildren you have to buy silly shit or send gift cards to.

 

Ha, touché
Here's mine :

It appears we have similar tastes for cars and wheels lol

 

I had 3k invested (including the car) in my Civic.

IIRC Fit's cost more than that (even if their resale has TANKED recently)

 

I wouldn't say the Fit "handles on rails" either but it's a relative thing. All those cars posted are sport oriented though, so they'd better handle better than the Fit or that should be a problem.

Old Civics don't count, they're a weird byproduct of times when Honda gave a sh*t about driving.