Which Replacement Tires?

FYI. Update to below. The suggested replacement tire size is simply an option for added safety margin. It is not required.

With my recent experience, and I'm very determined, Michelin and many discount tire sellers have balked at selling a 195/60R15 tire for a car with a manufacturer recommended size of 185/65R15. Most have protested such a replacement size will, or may, invalidate either the manufacturer's warranty, or their own warranty. Discount tire sellers are particularly finicky. Buyer beware. If you encounter this problem, you may have limited options.

Any dealer other than your original tire seller may void your warranty for using a replacement tire size larger than originally recommended for the car by the manufacturer. Buyer beware.

Make sure you fully trust the original seller to still be in business and honor the warranty in the unlikely event a warranty need arises. Buyer beware.

A knowledgeable and reputable tire dealer may protest initially. A true tire professional will know the desired replacement size is not remotely a problem.

Personally, I have enough faith in this tire recommendation, (from this and many sites) and also in my choice of individual tire seller, that the risk is minimal. Still..., you should inquire before placing a final order.

Further, such a true professional tire seller may balk at meeting a low club/discount price. I did have to jump through hoops to get my preferred and trusted tire seller to match the club prices!

In the end my research and perseverance was rewarded at an out the door installed and balanced price of $125+ tax, including free balancing, free rotation and free valve stem replacement for life.

With a 6 year, 90,000 mile warranty, I suspect I'll sell the car long before I need to replace the tires! As they say, your mileage may vary.

 

After reading through many of these replacement-tire threads, I finally replaced the OEM Integrity tires (40,000 miles) with Michelin MXV4. I also bumped up to a 206/60R15.

Here's my two cents:

My foremost concern was road noise - the Integrity tires were loud, and it's not a well-insulated vehicle. I'm thrilled with how much quieter the Michelins are.

Coming in a close second, I wanted to maintain high mileage. The first tank of gas returned a drop of 10 mpg, which put me in the high 30's. Rationalizing that the larger tires need more air, I bumped up the pressure from recommended to 40F/38R, and mileage went back up to normal. This might wear the tires out a bit faster, and they're much grip-ier than I'm used to, but overall I'm very satisfied.

However, I would recommend going with a slightly smaller tire. There's no problem with the 205/60's, and the speedometer is reading true, as far as I can tell, but there are more varieties available in the smaller (say, 195/60R15) sizes, and I don't have a problem with going slower than indicated on my dash. Plus I think you'd have an easier time keeping your mileage up with a smaller contact patch.

As to sellers: I was considering buying from Sears which had a good sale going on, but ended up going through Costco which has great service and very competitive prices - especially when you factor in the mounting and balancing. Add to this flat repair and rotation as part of the package, and it's hard to beat the price (as long as you're near a Costco).

The tire counter guys did point out the difference in sizes between OEM and what I bought, and recommended going with something a bit smaller, but didn't try to wear me down.

Good luck!

 

I'm really happy with the Hankook Optimo H727. It has amazing reviews and ratings and costs a good chunk less than the high-end Michelins and Goodyears.

My parents and I have had them on our '07's for about a year and they are incredible--they're very quiet, grippy and roll nicely (I saw them on the LRR list here and it doesn't surprise me). They have a 100,000 mile warranty on them. Discount Tire didn't give us the slightest hesitation about mounting the 195/60 size.

Not that it'd be helpful in San Diego, but they're also incredible winter tires. I was originally contemplating a separate set of snow tires, but these do it all well, without any seasonal tire switching. They also wear like iron.