Maruti Suzuki Swift : Tyre & wheel upgrade thread

sdatta · 5th November 2008, 17:14

I've been told Bridgestone Potenza G3 gives good ride quality compared to the other tires and surely much better than the Vxi JKs. So I decided to stick to these tires.

Now, question is - should I put 185/70R14 (the ZXI size) or 195/65R14 ? I wouldn't change rim size as I already have Neo alloys 14" on my current VXI stock tires. My priorities are (1) ride comfort (2) NO steering wheel stiffness for higher width.

Also, do anyone know where can I, or can I, get some value from my 20K stock VXI tires ?

ghostrider · 5th November 2008, 18:12

Blinkjona,

Thats the exact same tyre with the exact same size that I have on my DDiS. Rides well, handles well, grips well. No compromise on FE... I get between 15.6 and 16.2 kpl on a city circuit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinkjona

I am all for performance and looks and wouldn't want to compromise on FE.
I read ppl claiming ES100 to be old and that A drive maybe a better option.
I am inclined to 195/60/15 a drive?

AshvinKumar · 6th November 2008, 16:35

Got a Swift VXi which is about an year old and had done around 5600Kms on the ODO till date. Have not had any problems with the stocks till date. But just after reading this forum thought that the tyre change will improve the handling and ride quality.

After going through the thread Tyre upgrade for Swift, have decided to upgrade to 185/70(stock of ZXi) on my stock rims with Michellin xm1+
Got a quote of 3800/tyre for the same.

Now my doubt is that whether an upgrade is really necessary for my kind of usage?
1) i have a very low running of around some 700-800 kms/month
2) only city driving (Chennai)
3) car has already done 5600 kms and dealer says he will not give anything for the stock tyres now which was expected.

Please advice me as what to do?

Mods: i feel this is the right thread this post should be in. If repetition of post is not allowed then can my previous post in the thread "Michellin XM1+" be moved here?

Thanks
Ashvin

DieselFan · 8th November 2008, 09:24

I have used JKs also on highways and at high speeds of over 120 km/hr. The tyres have been fairly decent. Hence for City driving if you are not an aggressive driver JKs are perfectly fine.

Vid6639 · 8th November 2008, 09:35

Not necessary to change Ashvin but is recommended. You will like the sharper handling, lesser road noise and good ride comfort. Moreover the car looks better on fatter rubber rather than spindly.

sdatta · 25th November 2008, 23:02

I'm not able to finalize whether I should upgrade my stock 165 tire to 185 or 195 ? I have 14" alloys already running with the VXi JK tire for last 23K km. The key factor in choosing the new tire is that the steering should NOT feel hard/stiff in the traffic, and the overall dia should be same or within tolerance (3%).

So, my question is, given a choice that I'm able to keep the overall diameter same, which width should I choose, 185 or 195 ? (Bridgstone Potenza GIII has 185/70R14 and 195/65R14 which have both same overal dial)

Also, what brand (Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear) is best ? I am least concerned about how much time the tires last, but concerned about soft ride which I totally miss with the iron hard JK tires. At this time, my preference is Bridgestone Potenza G3

Ishaan_1990 · 27th November 2008, 11:23

Guys i recently swapped my Swift Ldi for a Lxi...reasons being certain nagging engine problems...but that apart..i had 195/60/r15 michelin energy xm1's with bsa alloys on the diesel..the tyres and rims are gone with the old car..so i changed the stock jk tornado's on the lxi with 185/70/r14 Pirelli P3000's on the same steel rims...my usage is daily run of 50km +/-..and though i have changed from diesel to petrol i havent felt any difference on the effect it has on my pocket...when i did put on the pirelli's i knew it was pretty much a temporary change..now that ive gathered some vitamin M..i have been wanting to change to better tyres and alloys just for the looks...because the pirelli's are more than sufficient for the handling..
now finally i wanted to know-
1.I was keen on yokohama S drives...but how are the less commonly used brands like nankang or maxxis...
2.i know 195/55/r15 is a wrong upsize but i felt 205's would affect the power since
its stock as of now...
3.i didnt wana go in for 195/60/r15 since i didnt like the stance the 60 profile gave it...
4.so suggestions plz...about the correct upsize and the brand...thanks!

Mushroomz · 1st December 2008, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by adi99

Thank you, Ishan! This is exactly what I wanted to know. Now I have kept myself two options:

205/55 R15
205/50 R16

Adi, so what have you opted for ?? I have 205/55/15 on my Zxi and am happy with the performance and the ride quality. I have S drives and I feel they are pretty good.

adi99 · 2nd December 2008, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mushroomz

Adi, so what have you opted for ?? I have 205/55/15 on my Zxi and am happy with the performance and the ride quality. I have S drives and I feel they are pretty good.

Hey Mushroomz, I think I will go for for 15" once I change my front suspension. Actually I have a bad left front suspension and fighting with MASS to have it changed under warranty. I am sure they will blame the big tyres if I had those, so a delay in upsizing

AshvinKumar · 3rd December 2008, 19:07

Thanks DieselFan and Vid6639 for your recommendation.
Now i am out of budget for the time being. So probably after 3-4 months thinking of adding alloys along with the change of tyres.
Can some one give me the list of shops in Chennai for Alloys and Tyres so that i can visit them and try to find a good deal in the mean time.
Have seen some shops in Whites Road near Satyam Cinemas. Other than those any recommeded shops by T-BHP members here?

Thanks
Ashvin

SumitBahl · 13th December 2008, 22:52

Hi everyone

I today fitted Yokohoma A-Drive195X60X15 and alloys.
I also tried 205X55X15. 205 tires were looking HOT, but ride was not that comfortable.

What are the downsides for 205 tyre?
I still have option to change the tyres.

Attaching a picture, clicked on night with a cell phone, please excuse the quality.

kartikkumar · 14th December 2008, 00:49

Ok...gurus don't pounce on me. I've put in AD07's on my swift. 195/60 14. Yes there is an error beyond the "recommended" percentage but the grip and braking it offers me is phenomenal. I am running the stock ZXi alloys and I have absolutely no cause for complaint. I would have been happy to put in 195/65 14 but someone manufacture the AD07's in the size please!

Let the criticism flow.

noidaboy · 14th December 2008, 01:54

Slight effect on FE,Slight drop of power with 205.Nothing majorly noticeable i think,Im running 205/55/15 S-drive's im very much happy with them

iraghava · 15th December 2008, 00:40

KK - I'll let you by on this one!

Fountainheader · 9th January 2009, 14:00

Tyre gurus,
Final SOS call. Alloys and tyre size (195/60/R15) is confirmed. But I am really really confused between Yokohama A-Drives (AA01) and Michelin MXV8.

Both are comfort based tyres and good reviews but price diff is kinda huge (3900 for A-drives and 4800 for Mich.)

Is it really worth paying 900 more for the Michelins when there is aint really any significant benefit. Warranty and all are there in both since they are available officially.

Any pointers to finalise ? Budget is not really a consideration, but if MXV8 is a rip-off, I'd rather have the Yokos.

5th November 2008, 17:14	#421
sdatta Newbie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 17 Thanked: 19 Times	Bridgestone Potenza G3, 195/65R14 or 185/70R14 ? I've been told Bridgestone Potenza G3 gives good ride quality compared to the other tires and surely much better than the Vxi JKs. So I decided to stick to these tires. Now, question is - should I put 185/70R14 (the ZXI size) or 195/65R14 ? I wouldn't change rim size as I already have Neo alloys 14" on my current VXI stock tires. My priorities are (1) ride comfort (2) NO steering wheel stiffness for higher width. Also, do anyone know where can I, or can I, get some value from my 20K stock VXI tires ?
	() Thanks

6th November 2008, 16:35	#423
AshvinKumar Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Should i change my tyres? Got a Swift VXi which is about an year old and had done around 5600Kms on the ODO till date. Have not had any problems with the stocks till date. But just after reading this forum thought that the tyre change will improve the handling and ride quality. After going through the thread Tyre upgrade for Swift, have decided to upgrade to 185/70(stock of ZXi) on my stock rims with Michellin xm1+ Got a quote of 3800/tyre for the same. Now my doubt is that whether an upgrade is really necessary for my kind of usage? 1) i have a very low running of around some 700-800 kms/month 2) only city driving (Chennai) 3) car has already done 5600 kms and dealer says he will not give anything for the stock tyres now which was expected. Please advice me as what to do? Mods: i feel this is the right thread this post should be in. If repetition of post is not allowed then can my previous post in the thread "Michellin XM1+" be moved here? Thanks Ashvin
	() Thanks

8th November 2008, 09:24	#424
DieselFan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,584 Thanked: 259 Times	I have used JKs also on highways and at high speeds of over 120 km/hr. The tyres have been fairly decent. Hence for City driving if you are not an aggressive driver JKs are perfectly fine.
	() Thanks

8th November 2008, 09:35	#425
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,483 Times View My Garage	Not necessary to change Ashvin but is recommended. You will like the sharper handling, lesser road noise and good ride comfort. Moreover the car looks better on fatter rubber rather than spindly.
	() Thanks

25th November 2008, 23:02	#426
sdatta Newbie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 17 Thanked: 19 Times	Swift VXI (165) tire upgrade to 185 or 195 ? I'm not able to finalize whether I should upgrade my stock 165 tire to 185 or 195 ? I have 14" alloys already running with the VXi JK tire for last 23K km. The key factor in choosing the new tire is that the steering should NOT feel hard/stiff in the traffic, and the overall dia should be same or within tolerance (3%). So, my question is, given a choice that I'm able to keep the overall diameter same, which width should I choose, 185 or 195 ? (Bridgstone Potenza GIII has 185/70R14 and 195/65R14 which have both same overal dial) Also, what brand (Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear) is best ? I am least concerned about how much time the tires last, but concerned about soft ride which I totally miss with the iron hard JK tires. At this time, my preference is Bridgestone Potenza G3
	() Thanks

27th November 2008, 11:23	#427
Ishaan_1990 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 43 Thanked: Once	Guys i recently swapped my Swift Ldi for a Lxi...reasons being certain nagging engine problems...but that apart..i had 195/60/r15 michelin energy xm1's with bsa alloys on the diesel..the tyres and rims are gone with the old car..so i changed the stock jk tornado's on the lxi with 185/70/r14 Pirelli P3000's on the same steel rims...my usage is daily run of 50km +/-..and though i have changed from diesel to petrol i havent felt any difference on the effect it has on my pocket...when i did put on the pirelli's i knew it was pretty much a temporary change..now that ive gathered some vitamin M..i have been wanting to change to better tyres and alloys just for the looks...because the pirelli's are more than sufficient for the handling.. now finally i wanted to know- 1.I was keen on yokohama S drives...but how are the less commonly used brands like nankang or maxxis... 2.i know 195/55/r15 is a wrong upsize but i felt 205's would affect the power since its stock as of now... 3.i didnt wana go in for 195/60/r15 since i didnt like the stance the 60 profile gave it... 4.so suggestions plz...about the correct upsize and the brand...thanks!
	() Thanks

3rd December 2008, 19:07	#430
AshvinKumar Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Thanks DieselFan and Vid6639 for your recommendation. Now i am out of budget for the time being. So probably after 3-4 months thinking of adding alloys along with the change of tyres. Can some one give me the list of shops in Chennai for Alloys and Tyres so that i can visit them and try to find a good deal in the mean time. Have seen some shops in Whites Road near Satyam Cinemas. Other than those any recommeded shops by T-BHP members here? Thanks Ashvin
	() Thanks

13th December 2008, 22:52	#431
SumitBahl BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 976 Thanked: 230 Times View My Garage	Hi everyone I today fitted Yokohoma A-Drive195X60X15 and alloys. I also tried 205X55X15. 205 tires were looking HOT, but ride was not that comfortable. What are the downsides for 205 tyre? I still have option to change the tyres. Attaching a picture, clicked on night with a cell phone, please excuse the quality. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

14th December 2008, 00:49	#432
kartikkumar BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore...not Bengaluru Posts: 214 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Ok...gurus don't pounce on me. I've put in AD07's on my swift. 195/60 14. Yes there is an error beyond the "recommended" percentage but the grip and braking it offers me is phenomenal. I am running the stock ZXi alloys and I have absolutely no cause for complaint. I would have been happy to put in 195/65 14 but someone manufacture the AD07's in the size please! Let the criticism flow.
	() Thanks

14th December 2008, 01:54	#433
noidaboy BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Noida Posts: 1,003 Thanked: 268 Times View My Garage	Slight effect on FE,Slight drop of power with 205.Nothing majorly noticeable i think,Im running 205/55/15 S-drive's im very much happy with them
	() Thanks

15th December 2008, 00:40	#434
iraghava Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 8,033 Thanked: 265 Times View My Garage	KK - I'll let you by on this one!
	() Thanks

9th January 2009, 14:00	#435
Fountainheader Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,501 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Tyre gurus, Final SOS call. Alloys and tyre size (195/60/R15) is confirmed. But I am really really confused between Yokohama A-Drives (AA01) and Michelin MXV8. Both are comfort based tyres and good reviews but price diff is kinda huge (3900 for A-drives and 4800 for Mich.) Is it really worth paying 900 more for the Michelins when there is aint really any significant benefit. Warranty and all are there in both since they are available officially. Any pointers to finalise ? Budget is not really a consideration, but if MXV8 is a rip-off, I'd rather have the Yokos.
	() Thanks