I purchased my Fit to have Honda quality with good mileage for my 70 mile round trip commute to work each day. I opted for the Sport AT car because of all the extras you get in the Sport package. The car is more fun than I expected, especially with the great handling. However, for me I'm not really into performance and handling as much as I'm into a smoother ride. In other words, once I get a smoother ride, I'll enjoy all the performance and handling that's left over.

The roads I drive on in my 2-3 hours per day commute to work are about 60% acceptable & 40% poorly repaired. 40% of 2-3 hours, equals at least an hour of bumpy driving per day - a little too much for me.

So I'm thinking about "swimming upstream" and changing my wheels/tires in the opposite way of just about everyone that's posted here. Before I purchased my Fit, I test drove a base model with the 14" wheels and it actually rode noticable smoother than my Sport model.

I'm considering removing the 15" Honda wheels and the stock Dunlop 195/55R15's, and replacing them with Tirerack's Borbet Type CA 14x6 alloy wheels with Yokohama 185/65R14 Avid H4S's. The overall tire diameters are within 0.1% of each other so the speedometer should still be right on. These tires have very good performance ratings (leaning to the quiet/comfort side, while still maintaining some level of performance), and the added sidewall height in moving from the 15 to the 14 should also contribute to comfort.

Is this a mistake if my first priority is comfort? I don't have any hairpin curves on my way to work. It's pretty flat, straight and level so for a commuter car, I'm thinking this "backwards" wheel/tire change would be best for me.

The big question is how much of the overall firm ride is attributed to the wheels & tires, and how much is attributed to the suspension? If it's at least 50/50, I think the tire/wheel change would be a nice improvement for me.

Comments anyone?

 

I am not sure about how Honda does this, but..............

When GM sets up a vehicle, after all the engineering is done, there are DAYS and DAYS of driving and changing springs and bushings and what not before they have the final set-up for the car.

You don't have access to that, but you do have the real-world next best thing - your friendly neighborhood Honda dealer.

I bet that the service manager will go along with you on an experiment that will benefit you both. Explain your desire for comfort over performance. Tell him that you remember the base model having a smoother ride, and that you believe it was due to the greater sidewall height and you are thinking about putting 14 inch wheels and tires on, but you are not sure how the sport suspension will work in tandem with the different size tires. Then point out that he will probably have some customers that come back concerned (customers do not complain, they have concerns) about the stiff ride on their sport models. I can tell you from my experience in the business if the dealership is any size at all, he will have customers that bought the sport model for it's look without any thought to what difference the wheels and tires will make and will be back, bothered by the stiff ride.

Together you can perform an experiment - he can take the wheels and tires off a base model on the lot and put them on your car. You both ride together before and after and compare your experience. You get to see if the tires make a difference with the sport suspension (if there is any, I can't tell from the few specs I've looked at), and what that difference is, he gets to see if this is an option he can present to owners. For the both of you, it's a win-win arrangement.

 

I dont think you have to go through such a thorough experiment with your local Honda dealer. It is pretty common knowledge that tires play a huge role in overall stiffness or comfort of your car's overall ride quality. If sporty handling isnt what your after which you've made pretty clear isnt what your after then there shouldnt be any hesitation for what you suggest in your pick for wheels/tires.

65 series tires over 55 series should make a nice difference in comfort but it might also make your ride a bit more bouncy since that extra comfort is handled by a larger area of rubber in the sidewall But I think you would be pretty happy since your gonna be traveling for a few hours not 10 mins so the difference should be more apparent.

 

The suspension is the same whether or not you get the Sport version. I went the opposite and went from 15" wheels to 16" and definitely noticed a difference in ride quality. With the 16" HFP alloys, I "feel" more of the road. When I see a bump in the road, I know I'm going to feel it. I'm actually considering going back to 15s and a thicker sidewall. I know my Fit isn't a sports car, so I won't see a big performance loss with my style of driving. I'd still like to lower my car about an inch for looks and better handling. I'd definitely take a hit with ride softness with the drop.

 

If the suspension is the same between the Sport Model and Base Model (and everything I've read says they are)and you definitely noticed the Base Model with 14 inch wheels rode smoother, then its reasonable to assume the wheels are what makes the difference.

Maybe you should go test drive a Base Model on a road which you have also driven your Sport Model just to be sure before purchasing the smaller wheels.

 

Do it !

It will do the effect you want... but you will loose
a bit of cornering / handling...

Philippe

 

You could go up to a 195-60-15 tire size and get a smoother ride. It would change your gear ratio slightly and a few other things. For ride quality you could deflate your tires a couple psi. Both are compromises with slight effects on ride. Some tires have better ratings for smooth ride than others of the same size. That could be something you look at when replacing tires. A touring tire as opposed to a sport tire. Different characteristics in the same size.

 

Boooo! Certain performance looks and upgrades must come at a sacrifice just for the look.

Just like ladies who wear high-heels; It looks sexy as hell, gets attention although the trade off of ultra comfortable will be sacrificed.

As long as your dental fillings aren't popping out and you don't need a chiropracter you should be fine. In the end, your commute to and from work is quite important and will be done over numerous years so do as you see Fit.

 

i would not recommend a lower psi than the factory stated psi. a tire with +1 size sidewall is ok. i would rather recommend 185/60/15. there is less rolling resistance as well. but always keep the psi the same. it is dangerous to run with a lower psi tire (they overheat) and you would see a decrease in mpg.

 

I agree, some have stiffer sidewalls than others.

 

a smoother ride isnt just because of a taller sidewall. unsprung weight also makes a differance. get a lightweight wheel and tire package and that would help your ride quality. because, your suspention can control a lighter wheel easyer then a heavyer one.

 

I don't mean to doubt you, but how does wheel weight make that big of a difference? Wouldn't the entire weight of the car make more of a difference on a car's suspension than the wheels?

 

In a ground vehicle with a suspension, the unsprung weight is mass of the suspension, wheels or tracks (as applicable), and other components directly connected to them, rather than supported by the suspension. (The mass of the body and other components supported by the suspension is the sprung mass.)

The reaction forces of the wheels or tracks to bumps and surface imperfections are transmitted by the suspension to the body. The greater the unsprung mass, the larger the forces exerted on the body and its occupants. Therefore, the smoothness and stability of the ride and the mechanical loads are closely related to the ratio of unsprung mass to sprung mass.

The inertia of the unsprung mass affects the suspension's ability to follow the shape of the road, ground or track. As a result, high unsprung weight has a negative effect on overall handling and braking ability, especially on imperfect surfaces. This increases the risk of a collision or a rollover, including one severe enough to result in death or disability.

High unsprung weight also exacerbates wheel control under hard acceleration or braking. If the vehicle does not have adequate wheel location in the vertical plane (such as a rear-wheel drive car with Hotchkiss drive, a live axle supported by simple leaf springs), vertical forces exerted by acceleration or hard braking combined with high unsprung mass can lead to severe wheel hop, compromising traction and steering control.

(From the 'net)

Reducing unsprung weight will provide less road shock. A high sprung weight along with a low unsprung weight provides improved ride and also improved tire traction.

(From Monroe)

ryotto knows suspensions.

 

Thanks for the lesson. So, basically, the heavier the wheel, the more vibrations the car picks up off the road are felt. Also, the heavier the wheel, the more work your suspension has to do.

So, if I had a SUV with 26" rims, I'd have to upgrade my suspension so my brakes can handle the heavier wheels or else I'd increase the chance of getting into an accident because I can't stop on a dime?

 

To some extent yes i agree, sprung and unsprung weight is all relative when it comes to handling and ride quality, in what he is looking for though it's not so much of the unsprung weight cause the sport wheels are not heavy to begin with. Also take materials into consideration if you want to be technical when it comes to bump absorbing. Again, tires differs, some are stiffer than others i.e. run flat tires being the worst IMO.

 

if your buying new wheels and tires anyway just for ride quality. you might as well buy some of the lightest 14" wheels in your price range. buy tires with a tall soft sidewall. and if you could find light ones, thats even better.
i dont know the weight of the sport wheels, but im guessing their 15-16lbs a piece. lightweight 14" wheels should be between 10-12lbs.

 

I dont understand people that buy frugal cars, then spend 100s of dollars taking off perfectly fine working parts. If i wanted a smoother ride and had 100s extra in my pocket, i'd just buy a civic in the first place. If i wanted a sports car, i'd just buy one in the first place.... not buy the wrong car then replace the brand new parts, * confused *

Im being really normal and leaving my fit sport just like I bought it cause that seems like the most sensible thing to do. Its plenty smooth riding as is.

 

It's like I was saying to a co-worker yesterday:

Isn't it strange how one man will look at a woman and say, "That's the finest thing I ever saw, I gotta have that" while the man next to him will look, turn his nose up and say, "you can have it." And it's a good thing, too. Otherwise, all the men in the world would be chasing one woman.

Or, each to their own taste said the old lady as she kissed the cow.

(Sometimes I can't help but be delighted in the sheer diversity of the human zoo.)

 

Show me a 4 door Civic with the hatch and magic seats.

 

Amen, well said...