The Firestones that came with both my Fits give a smooth ride on the hwy, but they almost knock your teeth out in the city to say nothing of the backwoods. You feel every bump, line, even the painted turn signs feel like a 'mountain' when you drive over them. Anyone know of a good tire to put on for a softer or smoother ride?

 

Yes. I have been a big fan of the Pirelli P7 Plus Cinturanto. I think it is every bit as good as the Michelin MXV4's I've used for years. I don't know if they make it in the size of the Fit however. As I recall, they didn't when I looked to buy them for my Fit, so you'll have to look it up on tirerack.com and see. At the time I wrote the Pirelli Representative, I ended up going with the General Altimax RT43 which is also a good tire.

 

I think very good tires are very important.
In terms of safety and operation of a motor vehicle.
But I also think 2 things.

The tire manufacturers often over hype the magical qualities of their tires. Promising to turn gas guzzlers into fuel sippers, or sloth vehicles into Ferrari's. Or loud vehicles into cathedrals of silence.

Yes...technology has improved. Tires can be designed to help.

But secondly, Owners expect too much.
We buy the hype.

IMO road feel, is dictated much more by the actual surface you are driving on than the tires you have on that surface.

The Fit is a sub-compact. It's never going to have a luxury cruiser ride, regardless of what tires you put on it. Nature of the beast.

What PSI are you running with your Firestones? If you are inflating ABOVE the recommendation? You are going counter to your own "softer" ride desires.

I've "bought" they hype over the years, and changed tires. And Yes, I notice differences. But in something as basic as road feel? I think it has a lot more to do with the vehicle itself--suspension, and the road surfaces you happen to be driving on.

Long term, I've never felt any 2nd set tire lived up to magical claims of Noise Reduction or significantly smoother rides.

Traction, Wet/Dry performance, Snow and Ice...I think tire design can affect these conditions much more directly.

Just my opinion. I know many will disagree.

 

Yep, the Fit ain't no Lincoln Continental. However, Michelin tires are a definite cut above every other brand, both in longevity, quiet ride, rolling resistance and handling. Despite that fact, there are some tires, not many, but some that are a better value than the high costing Michelin. The Pirelli P7 Plus is definitely one of them. It is extremely quiet, outstanding in handling and rolling resistance, and it pretty good in cornering. Your points about tire hype are right on. There are a LOT of junk tires out there, and very few that are worthy of putting on one's car, especially those of us that live in snow and ice. I just did a quick check on tirerack.com and it appears as though Pirelli does not make the P7 Plus in the smaller sizes yet; too bad. I did see that the Kumho PA31 did come up for the base model Fit. Given its low price and good ratings, I'd probably go with that one if I owned a second gen Fit.

 

I don't know. In short, I'm still going to say that in terms of "Quietness" and "Ride"...those attributes are usually over hyped by Tire Manufactures and peoples expectations often too high.

Those qualities I think are far more influenced by the vehicle itself and the surfaces you are driving on, than any tire you can choose to put on the vehicle.

When I went to get tires for my 2010 Fit...I told the tire shop guy I wanted a "quieter" tire. He told me he NEVER sold a tire to a customer touting noise reduction because it so often lead to disappointment. That all tires were designed to be good..and that the noise feedback was so much the vehicle and the surface, which the tires can't really change.

That being said, yeah, I think there are better tires, and not as good. But in comparison to advertised "claims" by most manufacturers? Well...I think in most cases the improvements are imagined short term, and a disappointment in the long term.

Handling, Traction. Wet/Dry characteristics...tire tread longevity...Those I think very tangible and real. Road Noise and to an extent "ride"...much more subjective and I think overblown by most advertising.

 

Yokohama S-Drive with 55 series Tires. GRippy but tall enough to not feel the bumps like a 50 series.

Smaller profile tires will be a harsher ride than that of a taller series. S-drive has a rating of 300 AA A.

 

Yes, Yokohama has always been a good ride on my older Honda's..

 

General Altimax RT43 H-rated give a good ride. Not expensive and $50 rebate until Oct. 15th .