What kind of tires should I buy for my 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?

Question

I'm looking for the best value for the money and where to find them. I only have 21,000 miles on the car and the tires that the dealer sold with the car are bald.

Answer 1

The tire size for your vehicle - P195/65R15 89S - is extremely common as it fits dozens of different high-volume models from many different manufacturers.  Thus there are a huge variety of tires to chose from.  What works best depends on your needs and budget.

If you care about long wear then tires to look at are the Kuhmo Solus KR-21, Pirelli P4 Four Season, Yokohama AVID TRZ and Goodyear Assurance Tripletread.  The Kuhmo is the cheapest, the Pirelli is probably the best value of that group while the Goodyear is probably the best winter traction tire if snow is a concern.  Don't get the Assurance Comfotread.  I've had too many problems with those to recommend them. All will do 80k+ miles if properly maintained.

If your overiding concern is fuel economy (and it might be in this case) you might consider the Michelin Harmony or the Hydroedge. Michelin claims these tires are engineered to maximize fuel economy through low rolling resistance.  In typical Michelin fashion they also ride very smoothly (due to flimsy sidewalls IMHO).  On the downside they are very expensive which may cancel out any minute fuel economy savings you might see on a dollar basis.  I don't like either of these choices in snowy climates if that is a factor.  

Even on a relatively heavy car like the Civic Hybrid you should not wear out OEM tires in 21k miles if you are following proper maintenance procedures.  Have the wheel alignment checked when you have your new tires installed to ensure you get the best wear out of the new set and best possible fuel economy as well.  Get them rotated every 6,000 miles to maintain even wear - most tire shops will do this for free if you bought the tires from them.  Also, don't forget to keep them inflated to factory spec (32 psi front and rear) and check the inflation pressure frequently.  

Answer 2

Go to:

http://www.tirerack.com/

Input your make (Honda) and the year model menu will appear. Input 2008.

Select "Civic Sedan" from the menu, and "Hybrid" from the "Additional Model Info" menu.

Now click on "Tires." You can now view "all tires this size."

There are 8 pages of tires in this size.

You should get the Performance Categories menu. If not, click on "Change" next to the menu selection for "Performance Category."

Click on "Standard All-Season" and "Passenger All-Season." This cuts the selection to three pages.

Click on the box next to the tires that appeal to you, and click on the red "Compare Selected Tires" button at the top or bottom of the page.

Now the selected tires will be arrayed from right to left, with the survey results below each. Look for the quality that's most important to you and eliminate the tires that don't measure up. The remaining tires are your short list. Select by price, looks, or whatever quality appeals to you.

The top three tires in this group (apart from those with a lower deep snow traction rating) are:

--Yokohama Avid TRZ - $73

--Kimho Solus KR21 - $59

--BF Goodrich Traction T/A T - $68

(All "each," and "plus shipping")

Good luck. I know you'll find a good choice.