[vasoo]

Originally Posted by ramanak

Hey Vasoo,Looks like you have been using 205/65/R15 for more than a year or so.How have the upsized tyres performed.Has there been any big drop in FE.Has it impacted Suspension/Power Steering or other parts?Has it reduced bottom scraping over bumps?Did you use Stock alloys or did you have to change them while upgrading?

Looking forward to your inputs as I am planning to upgrade to 205/65/R15 for my Civic AT very soon.

Thanks.

The tyres are doing excellent. FE has only improved compared to OEM tyres for me since the PLCs has lower rolling resistance. No impact anywhere. Bottom scraping may have benefited due to slight increase in diameter. Stock alloys are absolutely fine. i would not have upgraded if I had to change the rims.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by vasoo

The tyres are doing excellent. FE has only improved compared to OEM tyres for me since the PLCs has lower rolling resistance. No impact anywhere. Bottom scraping may have benefited due to slight increase in diameter. Stock alloys are absolutely fine. i would not have upgraded if I had to change the rims.

Do you have some pictures to post on this? Thanks.

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by Tempelhof

Do you have some pictures to post on this? Thanks.

This is a recent one. the tire has run about 20k kms so far.

[Dave Nick]

Hi...I have just bought a 2nd-hand civic..'09 Model done 37k Kms...I have shown it to the Honda showroom and they recommend I drive the car another 4-5K Kms more..before i change the tyres.. I am looking at an upsize..along with the tyre change..what would be the best upsize for the civic.
Am gettin a good deal on a set of Lenso 17" black alloys...but am not sure how they would affect the ride, handling, mileage. Any Help appreciated
Thanks.
Nick

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by Dave Nick

Hi...I have just bought a 2nd-hand civic..'09 Model done 37k Kms...I have shown it to the Honda showroom and they recommend I drive the car another 4-5K Kms more..before i change the tyres.. I am looking at an upsize..along with the tyre change..what would be the best upsize for the civic.
Am gettin a good deal on a set of Lenso 17" black alloys...but am not sure how they would affect the ride, handling, mileage. Any Help appreciated
Thanks.
Nick

For Civic, the best upsize/upgrade is 205/65 R15 - Pick a brand of your choice. The ride is better, ground clearance is better, road-grip is better and your mileage does not get affected.

For 17", you need 225/45 R17 to keep with the current diameter. The wheels no doubt will look good and your grip will be fantastic. However, your ride will be severely affected and your suspension will wear out fast. Not to mention the rims which may get dents due to low profile of the tyres.

I used 17" for a couple of months and disposed them due to poor results. I have Yoko C Drive 205/65 R15 on stock rims and I am happy.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

For Civic, the best upsize/upgrade is 205/65 R15 I have Yoko C Drive 205/65 R15 on stock rims and I am happy.

What's the cost of Yoko C Drive 205/65 R15 ? Thanks.

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by Tempelhof

What's the cost of Yoko C Drive 205/65 R15 ? Thanks.

Around Rs. 5,500 each when I bought in Dc 2011 (more than a year back). Not sure of the prices now.

[kranti]

Originally Posted by Dave Nick

Hi...I have just bought a 2nd-hand civic..'09 Model done 37k Kms...I have shown it to the Honda showroom and they recommend I drive the car another 4-5K Kms more..before i change the tyres.. I am looking at an upsize..along with the tyre change..what would be the best upsize for the civic.
Am gettin a good deal on a set of Lenso 17" black alloys...but am not sure how they would affect the ride, handling, mileage. Any Help appreciated
Thanks.
Nick

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

For Civic, the best upsize/upgrade is 205/65 R15 - Pick a brand of your choice. The ride is better, ground clearance is better, road-grip is better and your mileage does not get affected.

For 17", you need 225/45 R17 to keep with the current diameter. The wheels no doubt will look good and your grip will be fantastic. However, your ride will be severely affected and your suspension will wear out fast. Not to mention the rims which may get dents due to low profile of the tyres.

I used 17" for a couple of months and disposed them due to poor results. I have Yoko C Drive 205/65 R15 on stock rims and I am happy.

205/65/R15 is probably the simplest choice of an upgrade in your case. The choice of tyre, on the other hand, is a little tougher.

While the C-drives are undoubtedly good all-round tyres (especially in the wet), I have just replaced my stock tyres with Yokohama V550 AVS Db. Excellent comfort levels, very silent, and a reassuring grip. That said, I recommend these tyres to people who don't have high usage, as the tyres apparently wear out really soon.

Another fairly unexplored option is Michelin XM2. I think they might turn out to be a surprisingly good choice for people who wish to upgrade but expect to drive around a lot. I liked what I saw of the tyre at the shop and the sidewalls seemed tougher than most (esp. the AVS Db and Primacy LC).

Or you could go with the stock size and move to Primacy LCs, which are considered by many to be a great choice for the Civic (unfortunately, Michelin discontinued the Primacy LCs in 205/65 R15).

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[khoj]

That statement (in bold) is it based upon factual experiences or hearsay?

Originally Posted by kranti

While the C-drives are undoubtedly good all-round tyres (especially in the wet), I have just replaced my stock tyres with Yokohama V550 AVS Db. Excellent comfort levels, very silent, and a reassuring grip. That said, I recommend these tyres to people who don't have high usage, as the tyres apparently wear out really soon.

[kranti]

Originally Posted by khoj

That statement (in bold) is it based upon factual experiences or hearsay?

Like I mentioned, I bought these tyres recently (around 1200 kms ago), so am not talking about tread wear based on my experience (that's why I qualified that bit with "apparently" ).

This is precisely why I would recommend these tyres to people who don't have a high usage (since tread wear won't matter to such people) but I refrain from recommending these to people with higher usage as I do not have any personal experience with tread wear.

[khoj]

So neither experience nor hearsay but just an assumption, a random thought.

Interesting to see the way information is being doled out on this forum now a days.

Originally Posted by kranti

(that's why I qualified that bit with "apparently" )

[carrerastrax]

Originally Posted by kranti

Like I mentioned, I bought these tyres recently (around 1200 kms ago), so am not talking about tread wear based on my experience (that's why I qualified that bit with "apparently" )

After much research, I changed the tyres of my car on day 1 to AVS DBs and they've done 36K odd kms till date. I get the rotation done every 5k kms along with balancing and alignment. And when I asked the tyre shop guys for their estimate on the life further on, they said another 15k - 20k kms. That means, the estimated life is 50-55K kms. The way my tyres look currently, these figures look realistic. By all standards, these figures are pretty good. So don't worry about the life of these tyres . But yeah, please rely on the tread indicators and general condition of the tyre to decide when it's due for replacement.

I've become a fan of these tyres and in my experience, these tyres are exceptional all rounders. Better than Michelin PLCs when it comes to Indian conditions. The grip levels in wet and dry, comfort, noise levels are top notch. Just one minor grouse, with its aesthetics - they look a size smaller visually. If I were to put it side by side to similar profiled Michelin PLC or Conti PC, the latter ones would look slightly fatter and wholesome.

Michelins are good tyres too. But I was a victim of the soft sidewall construction (XM1+); having to replace the left side tyres after going over a rough pothole in the night, in my previous vehicle. The front tyre was flat immediately and the rear tyre developed a 2 inch bulge, by the next morning. From the driver's seat before the incident and on close examination after the incident, it didn't look like a wicked pothole. I'm pretty sure the Yokos would've come out of that pothole without a fuss. The benefit of these soft side walls is that the Michelins flex more and are slightly bouncy, in a good way, that make them a notch more comfortable than the Yokos.

[kranti]

Originally Posted by khoj

So neither experience nor hearsay but just an assumption, a random thought.

Interesting to see the way information is being doled out on this forum now a days.

Let me rephrase this in such a way that there is no further doubt. I would recommend these tyres for their comfort, low noise levels, and excellent grip based on my experience.However, I have noted that a few sources out there, including friends and acquaintances (hearsay, as you put it), question the tread wear of these tyres. Since I have no experience on that front, I would be wrong to recommend these tyres to anybody who has high usage. On the other hand, I have no hesitation recommending these tyres to anybody (based on personal experience) who has low usage since the one aspect I have no experience with wouldn't matter.

To respond to your insinuations, let me summarise how I share info and try and help others on this forum. I rely on my personal experience to comment on and recommend (or denounce) stuff while pointing out the more prominent hearsay on stuff that I have no experience with, just in case others (such as carrerastrax, in this case) can throw some light on those factors.

As a forum, I believe we are out to share our experience and knowledge (however little that might be) and help and learn from each other in whatever little way we can. That's all I am trying to do here.

I am not in the business of doling out random thoughts or assumptions, I assure you. Else, you would have seen a lot more than 22 posts in the seven months that I have been on this forum.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by kranti

Another fairly unexplored option is Michelin XM2.

Can someone share the Price and Experience with Michelin XM2 205/65 R15 in a Civic? Thanks.

[kranti]

Originally Posted by carrerastrax

After much research, I changed the tyres of my car on day 1 to AVS DBs and they've done 36K odd kms till date.
=============
The benefit of these soft side walls is that the Michelins flex more and are slightly bouncy, in a good way, that make them a notch more comfortable than the Yokos.

Quite reassuring to hear that the AVS Db V550s are lasting you well. Completely agree that they do look a little smaller than Michelins of the same size, but they we can't have everything, I guess.

Originally Posted by Tempelhof

Can someone share the Price and Experience with Michelin XM2 205/65 R15 in a Civic? Thanks.

The dealer in Bangalore where I bought my tyres quoted Rs.6,200 per tyre for XM2s (and Rs.6,100 for C Drives) in 205/65 R15, but I hadn't bothered to haggle as I had chosen to go with the AVS Dbs. The correct price could be up to a couple of hundred lower, based on my negotiations with that dealer.

Am also eager to hear about teambhp members' experience with XM2s on Civics. Anybody?