Anyone considering replacing the stock tires?

[toby]

I've checked several sources, but am pretty much clueless as to what I should do. Since I'm keeping my commute in mind, 17" tires and larger are out, as I don't want to replace a rim should I encounter a sizeable pothole. What I want to know is what tire will best provide optimal year round performance in all types of weather, as well as look good on the car. Further, I'm wondering what new tires will mean for the TPMS, which I'm already having problems with, as are many others. On a side note, I'm looking at black rims to go with my Versa, which is "Superblack". Thanks for the input in advance...

[MinisterofDOOM]

I've always liked the look of black wheels on a black car.

Here's a handy little calculator that helps figure out changes in tire and wheel diameter, and also helps calculate speedometer discrepancy from non-stock tire size.

Also, you might want to have a look in the Wheels and Tires forum...there are useful stickies at the top of the forum, and plenty of well-informed wheel and tire gurus who can answer any question you might have.

[Elmojo]

You say that 17"+ rims are out, but were you planning to go with another 15" rim or jump up to 16"? As a general rule, all aftermarket rims (especially cheaper ones like Motegi and pretty much anything on eBay!) will be softer and "weaker" than stock rims, which I found out by bending a rim and puncturing a tire that was less than a week old. Exceptions to this 'rule' are some of the higher-end wheels. BBS comes to mind. I'm sure you will find many conflicting opinions about this, but I share what I've been told by so-called professionals and some of my personal experience.

As for tires, I've had great success with Toyo Proxes4's for a high-perf tire.They grip like stink in wet or dry, wear good (I have about 15K on my civic, at about 1/2 wear), are not too expensive (~$70ea), and best of all, track better in standing water than any tire I've ever used. Highly recommended. Just remember to run them at the max pressure (50 I think?) to protect the rims if you go aftermarket.

If you want a longer-life, more comfy 'touring'-type tire, I like the Yokohama Avid H4's. My wife has them on her '01 Avalon, and they are great. Grip is not an issue in a car like the Avalon, but the ride is super quiet and smooth. The treadlife seems to be pretty good also. She's got about 20-25K on them and they are about 75% worn. I'll be replacing them in the next few months.

I hope this helps. Use the tire size calc mentioned above, and check out http://www.tirerack.com and http://www.discounttiredirect.com for good research tools.

Cheers!

[Ever Victorious]

I will second Elmojo on the Yokohama's for a good "touring" tire.

Most higher-performance Toyo tires aren't very good in snow/ice situations (had FZ4's one winter)... though they are better than other "3-season" tire.

If you're looking for a 3-season, yeah, I'll suggest the Toyos. For a 4-season, the Yokohamas or the Michelin Energy MXV+