Recommend new tires for 04 Accord EX

[Greg Bernhardt]

My 04 Accord Ex is up for new tires. I replaced them once through the dealer in 09 and they sold me cheap Kumho's which have been leaking air like mad. I've been looking through tirerack.com but there are several options and it's hard to determine what is good. I'm hoping not to spend more than $125 a tire. I live in a dynamic climate with fair amount of snow in winter. Can anyone recommend a tire?

 

[Danger]

L60x15 Goodyears. Of course, you'll need a bit of body and suspension work...
And maybe a new engine that can actually turn them...

 

[b00sted]

Best bet is to read the reviews on TireRack.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a nice Goodyear, Michelin, etc. Just look up the better brands in the size you need and see who's rated the highest.

 

[Ranger Mike]

I used Tirerack a couple of times..had to send a set back because they were " square" or felt that way...there are still benefits of being able to look the tire dealer in the eye and telling him the tires are junk and he / she better get a good set...you may pay more but the option is to roll the dice..get a set and finding out they are crap...you are out the shipping...maybe..and for sure the mount and balance cost ...i mount and balance my self but the waste of time is my big factor...I also got set of trailer tires from tirerack...the size was off 1/2 inch from original set..btw...I won't use tirerack anymore..my opinion

 

[b00sted]

Well, in that case, use TireRack for the reviews and buy locally. ;)

 

[czelaya]

George for the last 11 years I've bought all my tires from The Tire Rack.

All the comments about The Tire Rack are focused on the tires from their respective manufacturers, not the company itself. In the end, they only supply the tires at very competitive prices. Matter of fact, I don't buy into this mantra that you should buy locally. In many cases (and I urge you to do this), see what tires the dealership offers and then see the price The Tire Rack offers them (try Discount Tires Direct as well). Believe me, at times, the prices differences are so drastic that many individuals don't realize how much dealerships and local tire shops bloat their prices. In one case, I was looking for an ultra high performance summer tire that had a moderate UTQG rating (a oxymoron but they do exist). The local Firestone and Goodyear shops both quoted prices at 240.00+ dollars per tire. Tire Rack had them on sale for $70.00 and the regular price was $110.00.

You have to research intensively about what you're looking for in tires and believe me there's a lot to learn (if you already don't know). What exactly are you looking for in a tire? Longevity, performance, does it snow where you leave, how much gripe do you want, ... ect are considerations you have to take into account. The one mistake I see most people make is they purchase the cheapest tire or the tire with the highest warranty rating. A mistake because, in general, this sacrifices stopping distance, introduces more wheel flex, high weight for tires(this will effect performance especially if you have a 4 cylinder engine), decreased gas mileage... . There's a reason why tires are cheap.

Other factors that you have to taken into account (but in your case I don't feel like it's going to be an issue because you're not running a wide or high performance tire set up) is tire manufactures don't necessarily give accurate data on the tire itself. I've bought tires that were 245mm width but were actually 255mm width. Go to the tire manufacture's website. This is common information they post (I couldn't believe tire manufacturers actually have don't have accurate data on tires).

I'm assuming your Honda EX utilizes a 205/60/R16. My only question is what exactly are you looking for in a tire? Longevity and all around stability (stability in the sense that you have strong side wall because a 60% aspect ratio on a tire is very large indeed, and wheel flex may be an issue for you)? Furthermore, does it snow where you live? Do you do a lot of interstate driving. Also remember that the original tires that your car came with may not be the most ideal tires for your car. When I purchased my Acura, they come with all season sport tires. I live in Louisiana and cold weather isn't a major consideration when purchasing tires. I've switched to a high performance summer tire and I must say its completely changed the driving characteristics of how my car operates. Mind you, I don't choose ultra high performance summer tires so I can rev my engine to 8100 rmps but because the decreased braking distance and no flexing high performance tires provide is a big factor in safety.

Just glancing at your tire size the following tires look promising (price wise):
-Goodyear Assurance ComforTred: high UTQG rating, moderately priced, grand touring all season (you get a little of everything).
-Yokohoma AVID Ascend: very high UTQG rating, moderately price, grand touring: Overall Yokohoma tires have always impressed me with their build quality.

 

[HowlerMonkey]

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires will allow you to set a honda accord record at the nurburgring but will wear out on your way home.

 

[jack action]

You have to identify your needs first. Are you looking for comfort, tire longevity, performance, low noise, unusual wet conditions?

Personally, for a daily driver, I like to choose the stickiest tire I can find that will last 4 years based on the mileage I do. Because tires continue to cured all their lives until they start cracking, even if unused (there is a manufacturing date on every tire).

Usually when in a region with snow, you should have winter tires and summer (or all-season) tires. IIRC, All-season tires can be OK if the temperature does not drop below -10°C (15°F). Winter tires outperforms all-season tires when temperature is below 5°C (40°F). This site even talks about 7°C (45°C).

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

You have to identify your needs first. Are you looking for comfort, tire longevity, performance, low noise, unusual wet conditions?

I think safety is always #1. I suppose that is performance?

Usually when in a region with snow, you should have winter tires and summer (or all-season) tires.

Definitely all-season. I live downtown in a mid size city so it's not like I'm plowing through several inches of snow on a daily basis in winter.

 

[turbo]

The Bridgestones on our Forester are pretty sticky, though they haven't held up as well on my father's Forester. I don't drive that much, but the Michelin M+S tires on my Ridgeline are still looking crispy and new. In the past (WAY past, when I was buying compacts and 4x4 pickups from Datsun) I was very happy with the traction and longevity of the Toyos that they put on their imports.

Edit: I echo Ranger Mike's sentiments. Buy from a local tire shop. The local tire shop here gives you free balancing and rotation if you buy from them. Plus, once you get to know them, there are perks. I stopped in one time and told the manager that I wanted to buy an extra spare for my Pathfinder because a friend and I were headed way out in the backwoods to do a week-long river trip, and the access road was loaded with slate/shale and was notorious for cutting tires. We went out to his pile of rims and he picked one out, and then went to the tire take-off pile, and picked out a tire, mounted it and balanced it with a new valve stem. I asked what I owed him and he told me "nothing" - he just appreciated our continuing business.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Take a look at Tire Rack's "tire decision guide." They ask you a couple of questions about what you're looking for in a tire, ask you to rate some characteristics, and then provide a list based on your requirements. Once you get the list, sort by descending customer rating and scoll until you find a tire in your price range. Problem solved!

It sounds to me like you'll want either a "Grand Touring All-Season" or "Passenger All-Season" tire, the highest-rated of which (while staying under $100/tire) is the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A

We have Dunlop Fierce Instinct VR's on my wife's car, which are rated highly in traction and winter driving, although their treadwear rating is a little low at only 50,000 miles. Still, we've been happy with them in a variety of conditions and they were about $95/tire on sale.

Edit- keep in mind that treadwear and winter traction are competing characteristics. It all comes down to how sticky the rubber is- softer sticks better but wears faster. Tread pattern/siping plays a significant role in wet & winter traction too, but given the same tread pattern in two rubber compounds, the softer will stick better but wear faster. Food for thought...

 

[jack action]

Let's start shopping on tirerack.com.

Your original tire is Bridgestone Turenza EL41, 205/60R16.

Important features we learn about the tire you need:

Load index is 91. This is a minimum for you. My personal comment: Usually, higher is better for performance.

Speed rating is V. This should be a minimum for you. Again, tires with higher rating tends to be more performance oriented.

Traction and temperature are both rated A. You should never buy a tire with rating of B or C, only A or AA.

Treadwear is 260. This is a very unreliable data, but still you can ballpark the type of tire with it. Usually, a higher number means long tread life, but low friction coefficient, thus low performance. You can use this calculator to get a rough estimate of the tire longevity (cannot emphasized the word rough enough).

The tire is classified as a «Standard Touring All-Season» by tirerack.com

Available at tirerack.com, in your size, with a V speed rating or better, 140$ or less, you get (from hi- to low-performance):

6 High Performance All Season;
9 Grand Touring All-Season (2 are over 125$ including 1 with a B temperature rating. In the 7 remaining, 4 have the Low Rolling Resistance rating to enhance fuel economy);
1 Standard Touring All-Season (there are 3 models presented but they seem to be the same, all over 125$);
3 Passenger All-Season (2 are over 125$).

Now, read descriptions and comments about those tires and go to your local tire shops, ask questions and make them talk. This is how you will make the best decision.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Thanks all for the advice! I ended up getting these Goodyear Eagle GT's
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...odel=Eagle+GT+(V-Speed+Rated)&partnum=06VR6GT

 

[Ranger Mike]

Goodyears are excellent choice