[cludflare]

Dear BHPIANS,

I am looking for a tire / alloy wheel upgrade for my City 5th Gen V variant (2022). The stock tires for City 5th gen (2020 to 2022 ) was 185/60 R15 for the V variant and 185/65 R16 for VX and ZX. The reason to look for an upgrade is to (1) improve high speed cornering and stability and (2) improve the stance. That’s the only Achilles heel in my view as far as the aesthetics of my car is concerned.

It’s largely talked about that even the VX and ZX variants of City are under tired, forget the V one. The V variant wheels look really small for the car, hence the dilemma to make a big investment (~75K) and change the alloys itself or just change the tires (~30K) and retain the stock 15inch alloys.
There are multiple threads in teambhp on the city tires and I have been thoroughly confused going through them along with several YouTube content. Hence, listing my questions below –
1. Are there noticeable impact on steering heaviness and fuel consumption on tire upgrading?
2. Warranty impact?
3. While checking the upgrade limits of 2%, should the benchmark be the stock tire for V variant, or the benchmark can also be the higher sized VX / ZX tires given essentially these are the same cars.
4. Benefits of retaining stock alloys of 15inch other than the cost impact?
5. Good alloy brands – I understand Momo and Plati are the leading ones. Is that correct? I saw some videos on YouTube where people could get stock diamond cut 16inch alloys from Honda as an upgrade but my SA says that Honda doesn’t sell alloys as an accessory. Any thoughts?
6. Which tires to buy for Indian (Bangalore) roads to have a confidence inspiring, noise free experience and considering ease of warranty claims? I arrived at Conti UC6 as the most unanimous choice. Any alternates I should check?
7. Lastly, the toughest one. What is the ideal tyre size for City 5th Gen (both for 15inch and 16inch wheels)? I could find people using all of the below sizes –
16inch - 205 / 50 R16, 205 / 55 R16, 195 / 55 R16
15 inch - 205 / 60 R15, 205 / 55 R15
Thanks for the patience. Sharing some pics below of the current ride. I got the alloys painted to dark grey which significantly improved the looks in my view.

[shancz]

Already discussed here (Tyre upgrade for the 5th-gen Honda City).

[cludflare]

Dear BHPIANS,

I am looking for a tire / alloy wheel upgrade for my City 5th Gen V variant (2022). The stock tires for City 5th gen (2020 to 2022 ) was 185/60 R15 for the V variant and 185/65 R16 for VX and ZX. The reason to look for an upgrade is to (1) improve high speed cornering and stability and (2) improve the stance. That’s the only Achilles heel in my view as far as the aesthetics of my car is concerned.

It’s largely talked about that even the VX and ZX variants of City are under tired, forget the V one. The V variant wheels look really small for the car, hence the dilemma to make a big investment (~75K) and change the alloys itself or just change the tires (~30K) and retain the stock 15inch alloys.
There are multiple threads in teambhp on the city tires and I have been thoroughly confused going through them along with several YouTube content. Hence, listing my questions below –
1. Are there noticeable impact on steering heaviness and fuel consumption on tire upgrading?
2. Warranty impact?
3. While checking the upgrade limits of 2%, should the benchmark be the stock tyre for V variant, or the benchmark can also be the higher sized VX / ZX tires given essentially these are the same cars.
4. Benefits of retaining stock alloys of 15inch other than the cost impact?
5. Good alloy brands – I understand momo and plati are the leading ones. Is that correct? I saw some videos on youtube where people could get stock diamond cut 16inch alloys from Honda as an upgrade but my SA says that Honda doesn’t sell alloys as an accessory. Any thoughts?
6. Which tires to buy for Indian (Bangalore) roads to have a confidence inspiring, noise free experience and considering ease of warranty claims? I arrived at Conti UC6 as the most unanimous choice. Any alternates I should check?
7. Lastly, the toughest one. What is the ideal tyre size for City 5th Gen (both for 15inch and 16inch wheels)? I could find people using all of the below sizes –
16inch - 205 / 50 R16, 205 / 55 R16, 195 / 55 R16
15 inch - 205 / 60 R15, 205 / 55 R15

My stock rims are 6J width with 53mm offset.

Thanks for the patience. Sharing some pics below of the current ride. I got the alloys painted to dark grey which significantly improved the looks in my view.

[cludflare]

Originally Posted by shancz

Already discussed here (Tyre upgrade for the 5th-gen Honda City).

Already discussed but no conclusion. Plethora of different tyre sizes recommended. Unfortunately the thread is not helpful.

[motabhai1997]

Hey everyone. I am looking to upsize the tyres in my 5th Gen City. I went througth the thread but there was no common opinion to settle the doubts. The side wall on front right tyre is chalked within 6months of owning the car. Somehow managed to work with them till now. 16months of owning the car and 28k kms later i've decided for a tyre upsize.
Following are the tyre sizes and the brands with models im looking to buy. Do help with which brand would be better first off and then the recommended size of the tyre.

Tyre Brand with Model
1. Bridgestone Sturdo
2. Yokohama Bluearth-GT AE51
3. Continental UC6

a possible 4th option being pirelli cinturato p1. Its sslightly expensive compared the the 3 mentioned above. Is it worth the extra cost paid?

The tyre Size
1. 195/55/R16, 1.8% from the standard 185/55/r16
OR
2. 205/55/R16, 3.6% diff from the standard 185/55/r16

Please help with your input on this.

[NA-driver]

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

The tyre Size
1. 195/55/R16, 1.8% from the standard 185/55/r16
OR
2. 205/55/R16, 3.6% diff from the standard 185/55/r16

Hello,

The golden rule of tyre upsizing is never to go above 2% from the standard size of tyres that came with your car, so 195-section tyres are the way to go forward with upsizing.
The 205-section tyres are too wide for the width of stock rims/alloys, They'll bulge out far too much & also they'll decrease your overall fuel economy.

Out of all the tyres you mentioned, I suggest you go with UC6 as they have a softer compound and that'll decrease the road noise and improve the driving experience.

[Jivrajkag]

Hello Bhpian’s

I thank all of you for running this dedicated thread for City 5th Gen.

Jan-24 purchased a Hybrid-ZX and from the dealership glided away to Saifee Tyres -SantaCruz Mumbai (Saifee has reputation of being the best in tyre business and I have been dealing with them for almost 2 decades. They are premiere partners for Michelin & always observed 50% of their workshop is occupied with luxury cars at all times)

Being in close vicinity I visited their store before the delivery date and after some small negotiation they agreed to charge Rs 13000/- for 4 tyres - deal was I gave them the stock 185/55/R16 Bridgestone Ecopia 150 & in exchange they would install and align Conti UC6. Primacy4 were not in stock and yokos were not my second choice.

The experience of installation was smooth and I was over joyed to see a 4923 mark on the tyre which clearly indicate the tyre set was fresh. They also scanned the barcode printed on tyre to upload the sale on the continental app which was quite reassuring about the product being genuine.

Now my experience with tyres
The 1st Journey in the new Hybrid from Solitaire Honda Andheri Link Road to Saifee could be between 5-8km BuT the drive home from Saifee to my home about 5km was totally different from the 1st drive. I could feel instant comfort reduced jerks and noise. Cheers to Bhpian’s for posting multiple reviews.

Before installation I had evaluated multiple options 195/55 or 205/50 or 205/55 but considering the various factors 5year extended warranty on the Hybrid , personally a big FE fan ,keep upsize within 2% tolerance , I went for the safest upsize IMO 195/55/R16

2 weeks after use
1 - Small feedback shared with Saifee that when taking a complete UTurn towards right I could feel a jerk on the steering wheel & was called for inspection without delay , I was unable to express the jerk and and after a joint test with their expert who experienced the jerk as well - the expert explained that it’s a reverse jerk which kind of indicates that the steering (common in Baleno or cpl of cars - don’t recollect ) wants to get back to its original position asap & it’s nothing to worry. Twice they have thoroughly checked the tyre area for confirming that the tyre is not rubbing or coming in contact with mud flaps or anywhere inside (checking was done when car was already driven 1200-1300kms) - Bhpian’s any input or experience on this will be appreciated.

2- I have been a pretty sedate driver but haven’t had any issue of scraping due to tyre size as of now.

Cheers To BHP
JivrajkaG

[saket77]

Can 195/55/R16 size be used in lower variants of City eg VX trim? How much price on an average the tire shops give for swapping the factory fitted tires; if one drives directly from showroom to a tire shop?

Thanks.

[Jivrajkag]

Originally Posted by saket77

Can 195/55/R16 size be used in lower variants of City eg VX trim? How much price on an average the tire shops give for swapping the factory fitted tires; if one drives directly from showroom to a tire shop?

Thanks.

Will vary from dealer to dealer & which tyres you intend to install, I too got several offers from different dealers & Saifee may have been a tad expensive @13000 for 4 Conti UC6, but considering they are genuine tyre dealers they were given preference.

[shubham322000]

Originally Posted by NA-driver

Out of all the tyres you mentioned, I suggest you go with UC6 as they have a softer compound and that'll decrease the road noise and improve the driving experience.

I echo with the choice. Been using UC6 195/55/R16 for almost an year on my City ZX manual. Completely satisfied with the tyres. I recently had to get one of my tyres replaced and the warranty process was also smooth and dealer did the part without any hiccups.

[SSR75]

Took delivery of Honda City ZX CVT and changed the tyres at BM Lal to Vredestein 195/55/R16. There was a night and day difference between the stock tyres and upgraded tyres. The cost of exchange for 4 tyres was Rs. 6400/-. The tyres have made the ride softer and inspires more confidence.

[nsharma2104]

Hey everyone. In my case, I have driven my city around 20.6k kilometers in past 1 and half years. Tyres are almost worn out totally and needs to be replaced within next 500 kilometers. I won V variant and I am thinking of upgrading to 16 inch alloys. I have two queries:
1. Is it common for tyres to wear out that soon? (95% of drive is on windy and single lane roads of himachal.
2. How much should Iexpect from dealers for old 15" alloys? They do have few scratches on one of them.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by cludflare

1. Are there noticeable impact on steering heaviness and fuel consumption on tire upgrading?
2. Warranty impact?
3. While checking the upgrade limits of 2%, should the benchmark be the stock tyre for V variant, or the benchmark can also be the higher sized VX / ZX tires given essentially these are the same cars.
4. Benefits of retaining stock alloys of 15inch other than the cost impact?
5. Good alloy brands – I understand momo and plati are the leading ones. Is that correct? I saw some videos on Youtube where people could get stock diamond cut 16inch alloys from Honda as an upgrade but my SA says that Honda doesn’t sell alloys as an accessory. Any thoughts?
6. Which tires to buy for Indian (Bangalore) roads to have a confidence inspiring, noise free experience and considering ease of warranty claims? I arrived at Conti UC6 as the most unanimous choice. Any alternates I should check?
7. Lastly, the toughest one. What is the ideal tyre size for City 5th Gen (both for 15inch and 16inch wheels)? I could find people using all of the below sizes –
16inch - 205 / 50 R16, 205 / 55 R16, 195 / 55 R16
15 inch - 205 / 60 R15, 205 / 55 R15

I missed replying to this earlier, will try my best and hope its helpful.
1. It will be noticeable but I reckon in a good way.
2. Technically any change can void your warranty, depends on the manufacturer or the ASC. But usually tyre upgrades should only matter in case of suspension/steering issues but I have no personal experience with this.
3. To be safe assume the benchmark of 2-2.5% from your stock size not from the other models as your speedo might be calibrated differently based on tyre sizes affecting the final readings.
4. Smaller wheels means a taller sidewall and a more comfortable ride over bad roads/bumps/imperfections.
5. I've heard about Momo but not about Plati. Your SA is lying, ask him if ZX variants break their wheels in an accident they won't replace it ? Of course its available as a spare. You can order from Boodmo if its available and you like the design.
6. Vredesteins have good reviews and outside of that MRF Perfinzas, Michelins are also available. No experience with any of these though.
7. If ride comfort is important then stick to 15 inch rims but for better high speed handling around corners 16inchers will be better. The taller side profile of the 15 inchers means more air-rubber cushion and also less prone to damages if you end up taking a pothole at relatively higher speeds.
More info here (Tall tyres & regular wheels versus low-profile tyres & large wheels). I've linked my post to put things into perspective but would recommend to read that thread from the first post itself, will answer all your queries.

As for the sizes, as mentioned earlier depends on how your drive but a lot of people do it for aesthetics. You'll have to decide on that. Honestly you'll feel a lot of difference if you just change to tyres like the Michelin/Continental/Vredestein on your current size 185/65 R15. That difference in grip is brought by the tyre compound and design.
I would suggest to go to an upsize calculator and just make sure that your upgrade is within the limits and you gain some sidewall height in the end. Then see which tyre sizes are easily available. E.g. 195/55 R16 is a very common size as its used on almost all top end models of premium hatchbacks and some sedans like Baleno, i20, Ciaz. So that means the cost and availability won't be a concern and fresh tyres would be easily available.

Suggestions:
1. The optimal option would be to change to 16 inch rims from Honda and use 195/55 R16 from say Continental/Vredestein etc. If all the above mentioned cars can survive Bangalore roads on these tyres, you can too.
2. If you don't want to change the rims then 195/60 R15 is what you have which was last used on the Figo and Aspire so eventually the supplies will shrink.

If you notice the tyre sizes you would notice certain sizes being favoured by manufacturers across the board, since its more economical for tyre companies to produce fixed sizes, give a better deal to manufacturers on OEM tyres and also easier for the dealers to not get stuck with dead stock of a slow moving size which will deteriorate with age. Hence the 185/65 R15, 195/55 R16, 205/55 R16 are popular among many manufacturers.

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

The tyre Size
1. 195/55/R16, 1.8% from the standard 185/55/r16
OR
2. 205/55/R16, 3.6% diff from the standard 185/55/r16

Welcome to TBHP
The above reply also applied to you, hope it helps with your tyre-size query.
As for tyres :
- Sturdo : long life and durable tyres, will not give the softest/silent ride/drive.
- UC6/Michelins : soft and silent drive, more susceptible to damage and will wear out sooner as expected of a soft compound tyre.
- Yokohama : Earth 1 are grippy and good at handling but are harder than Continentals/Michelins and a bit noisier later on as they harden up.

I think you would do well with a 195/55 R16 and if you haven't try the softer rubber. In case you don't like it they'll wear out sooner so you can finally move to more durable rubber, IMO. But if you deal with bad roads then stick to Sturdo/B250 etc. Check this thread (When is the right time to change tyres?)too.

Originally Posted by nsharma2104

1. Is it common for tyres to wear out that soon? (95% of drive is on windy and single lane roads of himachal.
2. How much should I expect from dealers for old 15" alloys? They do have few scratches on one of them.

1. That's possible as constant accelerating/decelerating/cornering eat up the tyres. If you want to know the most durable tyres, ask your local taxi drivers.
2. No idea on this. I doubt it will fetch more. Economically just go with the options mentioned in the first reply to cludflare.

Originally Posted by saket77

- Can 195/55/R16 size be used in lower variants of City eg VX trim?
- How much price on an average the tire shops give for swapping the factory fitted tires; if one drives directly from showroom to a tire shop?

- I think so since the rim width is 6J for all sizes and I think someone did fit these tyres on their V model in the City tyre upgrade thread IIRC.
- I don't think there's a standard, based on your relationship with the tyre shop and city etc. I think Leoshashi swapped his XL's tyres for the Continentals so he will know better for Ranchi.

[motabhai1997]

Welcome to TBHP
The above reply also applied to you, hope it helps with your tyre-size query.
As for tyres :
- Sturdo : long life and durable tyres, will not give the softest/silent ride/drive.
- UC6/Michelins : soft and silent drive, more susceptible to damage and will wear out sooner as expected of a soft compound tyre.
- Yokohama : Earth 1 are grippy and good at handling but are harder than Continentals/Michelins and a bit noisier a few thousand kms down the line as they harden up.

I think you would do well with a 195/55 R16 and if you haven't try the softer rubber. In case you don't like it they'll wear out sooner so you can finally move to more durable rubber, IMO. But if you deal with bad roads then stick to Sturdo/B250 etc. Check this thread (When is the right time to change tyres?)too

Hey. Thanks for the help on this
Mine is the ZX model which comes with 185/55 R16 Bridgestone ecopia ep150.
These tyres are the absolute worst and I don't seem to understand why would honda give these in the first place.
Yes 195/55 R16 seem like the best choice as the upsize give it lies well under 2% change.
Major reason for my tyre upgrade is the sidewall on the drier side front tyre has got a puncture. That basically kills it. I am 28K kms in and this is whatI initially dealt with when I was at about 8000Kms. Paid absurd amounts as a whole in getting that puncture fixed again and again.
I do like a soft and silent drive but would definitely want a durable tyre. Majorly leaning towards the Continental UC6.
When you say wear out sooner, how early can that be? The reason being Noida/Delhi has some groovy/rocky roads at some parts and they do comeuppance once in a while and can't be ignored.
This is where I get dicey.

What should I do? Where can I get a good mix of smooth , silent, durable long term. ?

[shancz]

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

These tyres are the absolute worst and I don't seem to understand why would honda give these in the first place.

Ecopias are fuel efficient tyres, less rolling resistance, lower grip, better FE.
Check out Bridgestone's definition:

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

Major reason for my tyre upgrade is the sidewall on the drier side front tyre has got a puncture.

Tyre replacement should be the only option. If I am not wrong Bridgestone gives an unconditional warranty right? Sidewall punctures/cuts are covered, you should've claimed warranty. But anyway lets learn and move on to present.

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

When you say wear out sooner, how early can that be? The reason being Noida/Delhi has some groovy/rocky roads at some parts and they do comeuppance once in a while and can't be ignored.

When I say soft I don't mean they're so soft that rough roads will damage them. I meant that a sudden pothole hit at highway speeds is more likely to damage the tyre as compared to the regular ones.
When I say wear out sooner I mean if your regular tyres last say 40,000 kms these would last say 25000kms under similar conditions.

Originally Posted by motabhai1997

What should I do? Where can I get a good mix of smooth , silent, durable long term. ?

Although very subjective qualities but smooth and silent point towards a softer tyre while long lasting points towards a harder tyre, you can't get the best of both worlds
There's no clear way to say that this tyre will last this long, tyres are consumables(like engine oil/brake pads), depend a lot on the driving manner and conditions and should be treated as such.
Don't fret over it, if you like the UC6 give it a shot, they all come a 2-5 year warranty, unconditional/pro-rata.

Since you didn't like the fuel-efficient tyres, skip any who claim it and I suspect you won't be happy with long life tyres either. Soft compound tyres are a concern, so Michelin, Pirelli, Vredestein, Apollos, CEAT, JK, Goodyear and all value/long life/fuel-efficient tyres are out
Some options to consider for 195/55 R16:
- Bridgestone B250 : have experienced it on a i20, good balance overall
- MRF Perfinza CLX1 : check the dedicated thread (Review: MRF Perfinza Tyres)
- Continental UC6 : seems very popular among BHPians, loads of info here (Continental tyres)
- Yokohama Blue Earth 1 : check the dedicated thread and post#131 (BluEarth AE-50 tyres listed on Yokohama's website)

IMO either get the UC6 or the Blue Earth 1 depending on availability of a fresh stock and good dealers. Make sure that the dealer you buy from will be able to replace them under warranty.
And don't forget that tyres are consumables and very important.