Low Rolling Restistance tires in 165/65/14

[McPatrick]

I was just lucky enough to purchase a Honda Civic VX and it needs some new tires bad. I would like to have some with low rolling resistance of course, but does anyone know of ones that are for sale here in the US in the size 165/65/14?
I could get wider tires but that would be at a cost I'm sure and 165/65/14 is the original tire size for the light weight alloys found on the VX.
Any recommendations?

[cems70]

165/65/14 is not the original tire size for the VX. The correct original size is 165/70/13 and the only LRR tire in this size that I'm aware of is the Sumitomo HTR T4:

http://www.sumitomotire.com/catalogs/pdf/SumitomoCat_Rev5.05.pdf

Your best option for a wider variety of LRR tires is to move up one size to the compatible 175/70/13, which was the original tire size for the '92 - '95 Civic DX hatchback and will fit the VX rim as well. Check out the following Consumer Reports list for "excellent" and "very good" LRR tires:

http://www.wsj.consumerreports.org/wsjreport140a.html

The Michelin X, Michelin Harmony and Sumitomo HTR T4 are all rated as "excellent" LRR and are available in size 175/70/13. I just bought the Sumitomo HTR T4 for my '95 Civic DX a few weeks ago, and can confirm they roll well (much better than the previous Firestone tires that were on the car).

[McPatrick]

Thanks for correcting me. For some reason after Googling around some that size stuck in my head but you are correct of course. Your reply was very informative and just what I needed. I'll check the links out.

Thanks again,

Pat

[McPatrick]

I am Dutch myself so I looked at some European tires as well and saw that the Vredestein Quatrac 2, which is an all season tire with LRR is also available in the US in size 165/70/13 for $53,50 (plus shipping) a tire here http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Vredestein/vred_quatrac.htm (http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Vredestein/vred_quatrac.htm).
Not sure what I will do yet, but it looks like there are some options, which is always nice.

[cems70]

I am Dutch myself so I looked at some European tires as well and saw that the Vredestein Quatrac 2, which is an all season tire with LRR is also available in the US in size 165/70/13 for $53,50 (plus shipping) a tire here http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Vredestein/vred_quatrac.htm.
Not sure what I will do yet, but it looks like there are some options, which is always nice.

Right...I completely forgot about the Quatrac 2. I did quite a bit of research on this tire a year ago. I even contacted Vredestein to get some test results on the coefficient of drag compared to other tires, but they wouldn't release any info. I decided against the Quatracs because they cost substantially more shipped to my door than other more common tires from a local tire dealer. The Sumitomo HTR T4 that I bought a few weeks ago were on sale (size 175/70/13) for $34.99 each. Size 165/70/13 were $47 each (never on sale due to the odd size).

Steve

[lca13]

My 93 VX came with 185's from the previous owner. They run fine and the michelin xradial, sold at cosco, comes in that size. $65 or so... and if I am able to buy tires at Cosco or Sam's, I always do.

[StanleyD]

My 93 VX came with 185's from the previous owner. They run fine and the michelin xradial, sold at cosco, comes in that size. $65 or so... and if I am able to buy tires at Cosco or Sam's, I always do.

I always buy at Costco/BJs because of the price and warranty. Im SOOOO glad I chose the Michelins over the Bridgestones, even though the Michelens were more money and had a shorter treadlife warranty. I never knew the X-Radials had a good LRR rating. This was just over a month ago when I never even had heard of LRR. Two weeks later I joined this site and was upset that I had just bought tires and woiuld not be able to shop for LRR tires. So now Im happy that my tires arent sucking up my gas

[brucepick]

I can't wait to wear out my tires so I can get some LRR ones.
But running them at 3-4 psi over max sidewall they seem to be lasting forever... :D :eek:

[silverinsight]

Bridgestone RE92's are stock on the Honda insight.
The size is 165/65/14 and they are definately LRR.
When replaced on the Insight mileage always drops 5~15%

[McPatrick]

Are these Bridgestones reviewed anywhere for their LRR? I saw that Tirerack has those in 165/65/13 as well...

[Spule 4]

Right...I completely forgot about the Quatrac 2. I did quite a bit of research on this tire a year ago. I even contacted Vredestein to get some test results on the coefficient of drag compared to other tires, but they wouldn't release any info. I decided against the Quatracs because they cost substantially more shipped to my door than other more common tires from a local tire dealer. The Sumitomo HTR T4 that I bought a few weeks ago were on sale (size 175/70/13) for $34.99 each. Size 165/70/13 were $47 each (never on sale due to the odd size).

Steve


I had mixed results with Quatrac 2s as far as wear and noise. FE was about the same as the Bridgestone Turanzas I normally ran on the car (1992 Camry 2.2 wagon). Here is the car right as it turned 200K miles. A shame, as I had used older type Verdes on Citroen DS and GS cars before.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/430999980_e367e3b6f0_o.jpg

I for one would also look at the Nokian i3. The TDI/Prius guys seem to agree on them (if nothing else!):eek:

I just asked if the European market Michelin Energy would be imported to the US, the reply was "no", and they thought I was looking at the MXV4?!?! The Primacy is to be a good tire, but nothing under 13"..... Michelin used to sell in the US such good tires.....:mad:

Hello Mr. Rea,

Thank you for your email. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

We are sorry that we cannot help you with your request for the Michelin
Energy MXV4 tires. We have just introduced the newest "energy" tire: the
Primacy MXV4. It features lower rolling resistance for better gas mileage.
However, the smallest sizes are in 15 inch sizes; the same is true for all
of the previous generations that are still in production: the Energy MXV4 S8
and the Energy MXV4 Plus. Should the automobile manufacturers begin
importing some of the smaller vehicles to the U.S., we may introduce some
smaller sized tires as replacements.

If your questions have not been answered to your satisfaction, please call
me at 1-800-847-3435 (toll-free) between 8:30AM and 6:00PM Eastern Time
Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Mike L.
Michelin North America
Consumer Relations


Also, in Europa TUeV has done some work on this matter as far as reporting, even tho we do not get this in the US. Info in my post at FitFreak:

http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/eco-fit/12144-lrr-tire-time.html

My post there sums up why I do not think that LRR tires will be an issue taken seriously in the US. Treadwear and out the door price are the selling point of tires, long term cost benefit analysis is not a common thing to most of us Yanks?

Dunno......

[cems70]

I had mixed results with Quatrac 2s as far as wear and noise. FE was about the same as the Bridgestone Turanzas I normally ran on the car (1992 Camry 2.2 wagon). Here is the car right as it turned 200K miles. A shame, as I had used older type Verdes on Citroen DS and GS cars before.

I for one would also look at the Nokian i3. The TDI/Prius guys seem to agree on them (if nothing else!):eek:


Spule,

Thanks for the feedback on the Quatrac 2. I would have always wondered if their LRR was better than other tires. Now I know they're probably on par w/ lots of other LRR tires.

I went through 2 sets of Nokian NRT2 165/70/13 tires on my previous Civic VX and I loved them for their awesome performance and LRR. Sadly, Nokian does not make any 13" tire for the US market any more, so the i3 (nor any other Nokian tire) is an option for McPatrick's 13" rim.

[McPatrick]

us Yanks?

Spule 4: that looks like a very Dutch license plate there... :) The road on the other hand looks to be American.

[Spule 4]

Spule,

Thanks for the feedback on the Quatrac 2. I would have always wondered if their LRR was better than other tires. Now I know they're probably on par w/ lots of other LRR tires.

I went through 2 sets of Nokian NRT2 165/70/13 tires on my previous Civic VX and I loved them for their awesome performance and LRR. Sadly, Nokian does not make any 13" tire for the US market any more, so the i3 (nor any other Nokian tire) is an option for McPatrick's 13" rim.

Wow, never noticed that the 13" tires were not sold in the US. The last time I bought 12" tires for my Metro, I was warned by a local dealer that the days for a lot of options for 12" and 13" tires being commonly available were coming to an end.....and I had to get Kumho 12" tires from TireRack for the Met instead of locally.

I do know the last two sets of Nokia tires I got were 165SR 15, and no such tires anymore for older European imports.

[Spule 4]

Spule 4: that looks like a very Dutch license plate there... :) The road on the other hand looks to be American.

:thumbup: Good eye.

[McPatrick]

I found someone selling 155/80/13 Kumho Touring 795 A/S here http://tireandwheelchoices.com/tire_kumho.cfm?mid=163.

The speedometer will be 3 percent of which doesn't worry me too much. I wonder though if they would fit on the original VX rims? I know you could go up from 165 to 175 but could you go down to 155 as well? Seems like if it would it would benefit the FE to go for 155 because the contact surface with the road is less big and the wheel well will be closed up a bit more to since it would be 80 instead of 70...

[Ryland]

For my vx I have 155/80-13 snow tires, and they work great! the vx rims take 155/80-13 tires perfectly, I've had 175/70-13" on hondas befor, and I would never make that mistake again! even at 45psi they are slugish, unless you are doing some sort of extream racing they are way wider then any reasonable person could ever need, and heavy to boot.
altho it does seem dificult to find quality tires in the 155/80 size, I'm sure it can be done.

[McPatrick]

Thanks for confirming that tire size would fit Ryland. Since I can get those Kumho's in that size and they have been tested good as a LRR tire I think I will go for those then.

[McPatrick]

Ok, just bought those 155/80 R13 Kumho's online. Shipping was free so the total was only $150. Will post later how it works out...

[Ryland]

the last time I bought tires I bought them online as well, then I took them in to a small local mecanic, and because I had a 2nd set of rims was able to tell him that he could take his time to get them done, and because of that I got a
"not a jerk" discount, paying a total of $20 to have 4 tires mounted and ballenced, as the car never had to go on a lift, and I wasn't in a rush.

[McPatrick]

Well, I finally got the new tires mounted/balanced and aligned. They are the 155/80/13 Kumho Touring 795 A/S I was talking about earlier. The steelies that were on the car had 175 tires on them and as soon as I started driving with the new tires it felt like I had power steering :) I coasted a bit in neutral and they definately seem to roll with less resistance than the old tires (there were 4 different brands tires on the car!).
Since they are only 155 wide the tires look wonderfully skinny from the rear as you can see in the pic. And since I now for the first time, also have the alloys on the VX I couldn't resist posting a pic of that as well.
I sort of have a base line mpg of around 50 mpg before putting these tires and alloys on, so I am curious what the effect will be on the gas mileage. I'll report back of course.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z61/civicvx/VX_05.jpg?t=1183662183

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z61/civicvx/VX_06.jpg?t=1183662213

[Telco]

You should be happy with them. I changed my Michelin X radials on my wife's 97 Mercury Villager minivan for the Kumho 795s, and saw about a 2MPG improvement in fuel economy just on the tires. Also had a very large reduction in cabin noise. The Michelins had been bought a couple of months before the Kumhos went on, and we hated the noise they made. They magnified every road noise, especially brake noise from the rears. Sounded like we were grinding on the backing plates with those tires on, but the brakes had plenty of meat left. I put the Michelins on my truck (so much noise on it that a little tire noise won't matter) and put the Kumhos on hers, and road noise went way into the background where it belonged. They also as well as the Michelin Xs did in the rain and snow. They just did so with less noise and better mileage.

[James]

I am guessing the speedometer reads 3% low??
how well does the car handle corners and wet roads with the 155s?

[McPatrick]

@James

The car handles very nicely. The word 'nimble' comes to mind. They were just put on today so I can't tell you yet how they feel on a wet road, but I am not really expecting any bad behavior. I know 155 sounds really small in the US, but having grown up in the Netherlands it doesn't sound so bad. My first car was a Seat Fura and I believe that car had 135 or 145 wide tires (and a whopping 900 cc displacement :) ).

[Hockey4mnhs]

those look great! and that is one of the best vx's ive seen so far.

[Guillermo]

The 165/65R14 Bridgestone RE92 LRR tire was specially designed for the most fuel efficient car in North America the Honda Insight. This tire has the lowest rolling resistance. Nobody on the Insight forums has found another tire that can come close to matching it for getting the lowest fuel consumption.
Using any other tire (even narrower 155 wide 13" tires) results in Insights using 5 to 10% more fuel. With normal cars the difference will be less severe. I would only recommend this tire if your cars weighs less then 2300 lbs or so because the Insight weighs 1900 lbs.

[suprapsu]

AFter debating on whether to get the Sumitomo HTR 200 from Tirerack or Michelin X Radial from costco. I think it's cheaper in the long run to get the michelin's from costco.

Let me explain why.

Michelin X radial cost $65 per tire this includes installation, lifetime balancing, rotion, and free road hazard warranty. It is rated up to 80,000 miles.
$65 plus 6% sales tax = $260 + 15.60 (sales tax) = $275.60

The Sumitomo HRT is $37 each from tirerack plus $27 shipping a total of $175 plus installation of $15 each tire ($60) = $235.00

I am going to buy the Michelin X at costco this week. I think it's the best bang for your buck and will last a long time. I mean, is it really worth saving $40 to get the Sumitomo? I will let you guys know if the Michelin X radial really saves gas.