Just had TSB 08-001 done on my car today after tire noise became unbearable -- dealer's verdict is my tires are shot, I concur. I have a call into American Honda asking for some relief on a new set of tires. Hopefully they'll send some love my way.

Now I need to choose some good replacement tires. I don't mind spending $ for the best since I feel the comfort, performance, and safety of a top tire is well worth it.

I'm looking for recommendations from those that have switched from OEMs (Dunlops in my case) and have been happy with their choice. I am willing to give up a tiny bit of MPG if I get better ride, handling, grip and less noise in return.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

-- John

Search on this site. Tires have been discussed often. Welcome to GreenHybrid!

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL

i had the same recall done on my car and soon after I had gotten new tires. I went with Michelin Weatherwise II tires from Sears and so far they are smooth ride and seem to be thicker than factory. With the recall done and new tread pattern, I'm sure these tires will last much longer than the factory ones.

Thanks for the responses.

Gumby, I took advantage of search feature and found a few people recommending the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, so that's what I'm going with. Tire Rack is sending them to my local installer. I'll give a first hand report after I have a tankful of gas with them.

BTW, my mileage has jumped about 4 or 5 mpg since having the suspension TSB done. But that could be due to other factors such as cooler weather and better traffic flow, but I swear the car glides better.

I bought the sumitomo HTR 200 from tirerack (went with OEM sizing). Note, I have 2 sets of wheels. A summer set (sumitomo on OEM alloy rims) and a winter set (blizack on Honda Civic HX alloy rims). I do not recommend driving the sumitomo in snow. In everything else (especially rain), it does great. Handling has improved. Road noise is a bit quieter from the OEM tires (Dunlops). But handling was key in my decision. And handling I got.

Lucky, I think that's a nice choice. Livvie's choice has some popularity, too. for those that don't need a snow-capable tire. Most A/S tires are in reality only barely snow-capable, though. But better than a summer performance tire, for sure.

I haven't decided what I'll replace my Dunlops with. I have 39K miles on them now (even WITH the bad upper control arms! which I just got replaced yesterday), and they're still going. But they are a pretty wimpy tire, all in all. And noisy, now, due to the inner-side cupping. I may even bump up to the Civic EX (16") rims and tires, if I find a great deal on them.

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL

Hi Lucky,

I took my stock Bridgestones to 61000 miles before reaching the tread wear indicators. These tires were run at 39psi cold, and rotated at each oil change. I do not have the updated suspension arms. I have replaced them with an identical set of Bridgestone SEs and paid $365 out the door with all the bells and whistles from my local independent tire store (Barney's in Temecula).

All new tires run quieter for the first 5000+ miles. But one year down the road they all pick up some additional noise due to uneven rates of wear. Giving up MPG for noise is not in my view a trade off worth making due to the fact that the noise will return in some fashion, the MPG will not.

Let us all know how your tire choice worked out. I am happy with my tire performance, but would love to know that some real options exist. Thanks.

Well, I couldn't stand the tire noise any more (plus I'll be on a trip soon). So I decided.
I looked for a great deal on rim/tire combos on eBay, etc. but didn't find tires I had much interest in, so I decided to just get a new set of tires. Also, driving this decision, was the fact that Costco is havnig a sale on Michelin and come others - $60 or $80 off a set of 4.
So, based on several good reports here, and some minor research on my own, I went with the Michelin Exalto A/S (H speed-rated) 195/65R15 tires (original size). Mounted, balanced, road hazard warranty, tax - out the door tonight for $397. Just under 40K miles on car. 6 miles on new tires. I hope they are quieter than the Dunlops had become - surely due to the cupping caused by the old, inferior upper control arms (replaced recently).
Let's see how they perform in tomorrow's commute!

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL