Last Updated on April 9, 2022 by Stephen Tillman
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I tested 17 different tire models with the Honda Fit, and out of 17 tires i shortlisted 5 of them. Out of those 5, my favorite was the Michelin Defender when it comes to quality and the Kumho Ecsta PA31 when it comes to performance. We will talk about each of those 5 tires in detail.
Honda fit has been, and it is still a popular option and a great choice for commuters, students and many drivers looking for an affordable car, which is also economic in terms of fuel-efficiency. Thus, these fuel-efficient cars are compact, sporty, attractive and popular.
So, having a good set of tires for your Honda Fit should be a top priority because that’s how you ensure yourself a safe, comfortable, and a quality ride. Therefore, there are a plethora of tire size options available in the market for the Honda Fit. However, we weren’t able to find one tire which can cover all four sizes. To be more specific, these tires sizes are 185/55R16, 205/50R16, 195/55R15, 175/65R14. Although, there is though one other alternative, the 175/65R15, while the perfect choice for this tire size is General AltiMAX HP, for which we’ll talk more about later.
There aren’t only different tire sizes available, but these options also include tire types for a specific weather condition and terrain, while some of them are suitable for all conditions. Because people can live in different areas with different weather and terrain conditions, companies worldwide try to provide users with different tire type options. For instance, there are winter tires available, all-terrain tires, all-season tires, touring tires, etc.
So, it’s important to mention that before you purchase a tire, make sure you know exactly for what weather condition you need it, whether you ride your car in wet or dry surfaces, because you might end up with a summer tire in wet weather conditions, or with a winter tire in summer, and we don’t want that, do we?
Original equipment tires are the tires that the vehicle comes with when you buy it, however, most of the time manufacturer tires are not that much reliable, and these specific tires are designed to provide an optimal driving experience. If you’re happy with them, then maybe it’s not the time for you to purchase a new set of tires, but if you feel like something is just not right, you have less comfort, your car wastes more fuel than it should, then maybe it’s time for you to change your tires.
There are plenty of ways to change your car’s ride, for instance, you can switch from an all-season tire to a summer tire, to a touring tire, or other high-performance tires.
| Photo | Name | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
Best Seller | Yokohama AVID Ascend | |
Best Performance | Kumho Ecsta PA31 | |
Best For SUV | General AltiMAX RT43 | |
Best Durability | Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 | |
Best Quality | Michelin Defender |
Therefore, in this article, we have compiled a full buying guide on Honda Fit tires, while we also discussed with experts and professionals about our listed products, and we also chose them based on durability, performance, features, and price. Providing you guys with the most accurate and precise information is our top priority, so, stick with us in the next couple of minutes to see detailed reviews about the products, things to consider before purchasing a set of tires for Honda Fit, and much more.
The 5 Best Tires For Honda Fit
5. Yokohama AVID Ascend
Over the years, Yokohama has been a popular option amongst customers worldwide, and it is not random. This brand is known for the tire technology that is utilized, including the use of Orange Oil, just like in the AVID Ascend touring all-season tire. They have sizes that are suitable for a variety of coupes, sedans, minivans, and crossovers. Thus, the Ascend is able to provide high-traction, a quality tread life that lasts longer than most other competitors on the market and lowers rolling resistance for better fuel mileage.
Speaking of the orange oil technology, this innovative feature is a new technology that uses oil extracted from orange peels, yes, it is odd right? The secret behind this technology allows for rubber improvement, which again enhances the tread life, traction and fuel efficiency. So, when you choose the Yokohama AVID Ascend, you won’t just choose a durable tire, but also a feature-rich tire that basically has everything you could ever ask for.
To continue, this tire is able to outperform most of the tires in this price range and above when it comes to dry road surfaces. It has great traction on dry roads, and cornering is increased through the larger tread blocks on the outside shoulders and the Interlocking Tapered Center Rib.
A combination of these both add responsive steering and greater stability in whatever speed range the vehicle is, while the tread block bridges also help in reducing tread noise, a feature which can be rarely found in other tires.
For wet or snow surfaces, the tire has four deep cross and circumferential grooves along the adaptive 3-D siping around the tread that enhances traction and increases overall performance. So if you’re someone who lives in areas where the weather changes often and drastically, this tire is going to be the perfect choice for your Honda Fit.
Furthermore, the sipes biting edges are there to provide a greater grip on whichever situation you find yourself in, snow or ice, while the circumferential grooves will get rid of the water under the tread and reduce the risk of hydroplaning.
Moreover, Yokohama includes up to an 85,000-mile tread warranty due to the two steel belts that are spirally wrapped with nylon for added reinforcement and improved durability.
To finish up, there is really nothing bad we could find about this tire, which is also why we recommend it to everyone looking for a decent and reasonably priced tire for their Honda Fit or Chevy Tahoe.
4. Kumho Ecsta PA31
The Kumho Ecsta PA31 is a high-performance all-season tire that boasts a unique design that can provide incredible comfort, and can accommodate different sports coupes and sedan drivers, while it also an ideal choice for your Honda Fit.
This particular tire was built with high-traction and street performance in mind, primarily oriented towards the mass market since it is pretty affordable. Other than that, the PA31 is also capable of reducing road-noise, and it has increased durability for which we’ll talk in a minute.
The Kumho Ecsta PA31 features a high-tech tread compound and directional tread pattern which helps in providing an increased grip in whichever weather condition you find yourself in, whether it is dry or wet pavement, while it also provides increased steering response, cornering stability and braking capabilities.
To continue, this particular model also has four circumferential grooves, nothing out of the ordinary, and numerous cross grooves that enhance wet traction and reduce the risk of hydroplaning, which is one of the main selling points of this tire.
For snowy surfaces, more precisely light snow, with this tire, you’re going to have improved handling through high-density sipes around the tread and unique tread block edges, that will allow the tire to have increased bite in the rain or on snow and ice, although, don’t expect its performance to be same as the performance of a winter tire.
Moreover, inside this tire, you will find two steel belts that are nylon reinforced and have the Kumho’s Escot Technology which is able to optimize cord tension distribution in the sidewall.
However, there’s one thing we noticed which we think is important to mention. Despite having the ability to reduce road noise, we found this tire to be quite vibrating and bumpy in some harder terrains and pavements. By our experience, we think that these two features should go as a package, and the manufacturer could have done a better job in this matter. But again, for the price you pay, this tire delivers great value for the money. It also depends on the car you drive though. For example, these tires were quieter on a Honda Accord.
Overall, the PA31 has a solid performance with overall stability and quality, so if you’ve been looking for something similar, then this could be your ideal choice.
3. General AltiMAX RT43
Now, this is a tire we’ve been talking about in almost every tire category, which is not a coincidence but because the General AltiMAX RT43 checks all the boxes for a good and decent tire. It is built with quality and innovation in mind, having a beneficial design that is able to deliver increased all-season traction, handling, comfort, and extended tread life.
In terms of construction, this particular tire is made of a high-tech twin cushion silica tread compound and symmetric tread pattern, which altogether, they combine with what the manufacturer calls it, a peek anti-slip sipe design technology to increase dry and wet traction, as well as enhanced ride comfort without any road noise or vibrations.
In addition, the sipes around the tread will also increase grip on light snow-covered surfaces, while all this technology that we’ve mentioned, is a great addition to the four circumferential grooves, and we like it.
What we also like is that the tire has a continuous centre rib for added stability and steering response, while the unique acoustic modulation sound technology suppresses the sound waves for lower road noise also.
Similar to most other tires on the market, inside this tire, you will also find two steel belts but this time, with a polyester cord for body and additional strength & durability. For your information, tread life has a 75,000-mile warranty, which is way much more than most other competitors at this price range and above.
As for winter weather conditions with light snow pavement, the tire is able to save its tracking abilities, while it is also able to moderate on lighter amounts of ice.
From our research and from talking to experts & professionals, we weren’t able to find a negative comment about this tire. Also, if you were to do some research about it, it is unlikely that you will see someone complain or say something negative about the AltiMAX RT43.
To conclude, we highly recommend you take this tire into serious consideration, especially if you want to ensure yourself a comfortable and quality ride. I also tested these tires with a Honda CR-V, and the comfort and quality was there.
2. Bridgestone Ecopia EP422
Narrowing down our list, at number two, we have the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422. If you are wondering, we’re not really Bridgestone fans, but you simply can’t ignore some of their products, in this case, this remarkable tire which is perfect for coupes, sedans, minivans, and smaller crossovers. It has a solid performance, while it is also known to be environmentally friendly, and it is fuel-efficient despite being an all-season performer.
One of the main selling points for Bridgestone is that it uses advanced all-season tread compound which can utilize their exclusive NanoPro-Tech in order to give the tread increased rolling resistance. Thus, by logic, this also gives better results in fuel economy in whichever road conditions you find yourself in. The manufacturer claims that the new EP422 Plus can deliver 23 percent better rolling resistance than the older EP422 version, which in number means 20 miles extra driving per tank, pretty fascinating right?
Now, let’s talk about its performance on dry surfaces.
This particular tire has great dry traction and handling, in fact, it can outperform most other competitors in this price range. To be more specific, these are improved through the tire’s symmetric tread pattern, notched shoulder design, and independent centre blocks. In addition, a combination of these is perfect for added steering response and good on-centre feel.
On wet pavement, the four circumferential grooves will help to reduce hydroplane risks, while the included sipes around the tread will provide biting edges to allow the vehicle to have a better grip on snow, slush and ice surfaces.
Before we end, I’d also like to mention that inside the tire there are two steel belts that are spirally wrapped with nylon, along with a polyester casing for added strength and durability. Accordingly, Bridgestone comes with a 70,000-mile tread warranty, which is another strong point of the tire.
All and all, I think that the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 is a great all-rounder, especially for Honda Fit vehicles. So, if you want to ensure yourself a comfortable and quality ride, then don’t hesitate in purchasing the Ecopia EP422, because you will never regret your decision.
1. Michelin Defender
Now, for the last of our list, we saved the Michelin Defender because we didn’t want to spoil all the fun. Michelin Defender is an all-time favourite from the time that it was developed to this day, and it is widely being purchased worldwide by coupe owners, family sedan owners, crossover owners, minivan owners, and other types of vehicles. It comes all together with the latest technology to keep the user safer on the road and to be compatible in whichever weather conditions you find yourself in.
The Michelin Defender has increased all-season traction due to the silica tread compound and company’s IntelliSipe technology that increases the amount of siping on the tire. An extra feature and benefit of the sipes is that they also tend to deliver additional biting edges, which can be great for better grip on wet or snow surfaces, more precisely, light snow.
In addition, the Green X technology along with the IntelliSipe design has a unique interlocking action which enables the tread block to become more rigid while making it able to promote a lower resistance. Thus, as a result of this, you will have higher fuel economy with lower fuel costs.
When it comes to wet pavement, the tire has great traction and handling because the tire’s capabilities are enhanced by four circumferential grooves and hundreds of lateral grooves. These altogether are a great combination to increase grip and expel more water from under the tire, so hydroplaning is unlikely to occur.
Similar to all the other tires that we’ve mentioned, you will also find two steel belts and a polyester cord body inside the tire, to go with the MaxTouch Construction. Just like in the other cases, this provides added strength and durability at all speeds, which basically optimized the tire’s contact with the road while accelerating, cornering or braking.
To finish up, if you’ve made up your mind that you need a new set of tires for your Honda Fit, we highly recommend you consider the Michelin Defender as your next purchase, because not only that it packs a plethora of features and technologies, but it also has an enormous tread life of 90,000-miles, which means durability is also a part of this tire.
What to know before purchasing a set of Honda Fit tires
We know that shopping for tires can be a very exhausting task, which is why we decided to make this article to make that easier for you. Due to many technological advances, this is becoming harder and harder for customers, because tires are supposed to do a lot more than what they were doing a couple of years ago.
As is it with almost any tire for any kind of vehicle, before purchase, it’s a key thing to see what tire size your car has, the loading capacity, and the speed rating stipulated for your cal model. It is important when you replace your tires to match their size with the size of the original ones.
As you may know, a tire can increase your car’s performance greatly, your car’s water resistance, stability, and capability. Considering in what weather you’ll be driving the car, you should lookout for a specific tire for that specific terrain or weather condition.
If you have already made up your mind to go for quality tires, the next thing you should do is research, see what users are saying, mostly customers who already purchased the tire, choose the right rubber whoops for your car wheels, etc. Even if this sounds not that important, but the price of a tire doesn’t really tell much about the quality, because there are plenty of high-cost tires on the mass market, but there are also those cheaper ones who can do mostly everything a premium tire can.
From my experience, as I am someone who lives in an area where the weather is rainy most of the time, I prefer all-season tires over every other type, because they are able to perform well in wet weather conditions, during summer in dry weather conditions, and even in light snow, so for those people who are looking for tires that can accommodate their car in different seasons, all-season tires are the ones to go.
However, there are also touring tires available, which are a long-time favourite for users worldwide. We’ve tested touring tires many times, from different brands and basically, all of them perform equally, but for the sake of the article, we have tried to find the bad sides and the things that lack to try to deliver you with the most accurate information we can.
In the common days, there is also a new set of tires available, the green tires which tend to be ecologically friendly, and for you to ensure that you play your part towards this movement, you can purchase pet or, which is one the verge of being replaced with natural rubber that is being used in many car models, tires, and other different products.
Moreover, by now, we think that you are ready to choose your set of tires that meet your car’s requirements. Make sure to consider these key factors that we have mentioned, and yeah, to check your car tire size to choose the proper tire for your vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Q: Can wrong size tires damage the car?
A: Tire size is a key factor in your car’s performance, and it does matter. Incorrect tire sizes can cause serious damage to your car, and it can reduce the safety capabilities of the vehicle. If you by any chance put the wrong tire size on your vehicle, you will also destroy the transmission and cause damage to the suspension.
Q: Are wider tires better?
A: As we have said before, larger tires can significantly improve handling and cornering all thanks to the wider tread faces and stiffer sidewalls. However, there’s a drawback, since wider tires can decrease braking distances on dry pavement, but on the other hand, they also increase acceleration, especially in powerful vehicles.
Q: Do wider tires wear faster?
A: On the contrary, wider tires have fewer pounds per square inch on the road surface, which results in slower wear. While to aid this statement, the higher the air pressure you run in your tires, the more quickly it wears out because there is less tire that comes in contact with the surface.
Summary
A good set of tires can really have a huge impact on your car’s performance, so having the best of the best should be a top priority for you. Even though you may think that this is not that important, but the tire is something which plays the most part in your safety, on your vehicle’s abilities, and also your comfort.
Our editors’ top pick from our top 5 Honda Fit tires is the Michelin Defender, due to its reasonable price, value for money, quality, design, features, and durability. We tested the Michelin Defender with the Honda Civic too, and the tire performed well with the Civic.
All and all, we hope this article was helpful to you, and if you have any questions regarding this topic, make sure to contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.