Any cars you feel "Need More Tire?"

[SteveSRT8]

I have scarcely met a car that didn't improve noticeably when fitted with a better tire. Usually a slightly larger size gives a nice improvement in a variety of handling traits, braking especially.

IMO the quality of the tire is more important, but plus sizing is something we almost universally endorse...

 

[KitaCam]

I jumped from 15s to 17s on the 05 Kitacamry (same since 02)...night and day difference...Toyo must have realized this, upsizing the standard to 16s in 07, offering 17s and 18s as well...

 

[Cujet]

Test drive a BMW i3 electric car, and just try to push it in the corners!! It has 4 inch wide tires on very tall rims. And the car really is not all that light.

I've got to say that was the worst handling new, modern car I've ever driven. If that is the future, I don't want it

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
IMO the quality of the tire is more important, but plus sizing is something we almost universally endorse...


I'm glad you qualified that with "almost universally." I may be the minority, but prefer my family vehicles with big cushy tires, it makes long drives more endurable and the wife and kids nap better. Save the low profile +1/2/3 tires for fun on the boy racers.

But in no case would I like to go back to E78-14's on a 2 ton mid-size. Been there, not enough tire.

 

[JetStar]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
, but for just having fun on a public road,


Maybe I need to live where you do. The other drivers around here pretty much suck all the fun out of any driving. If cars' performance were matched to their drivers' abilities, desire for improvement, and attention to task they would mostly be driving 1985 Yugos.


+1

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I have scarcely met a car that didn't improve noticeably when fitted with a better tire. Usually a slightly larger size gives a nice improvement in a variety of handling traits, braking especially.

IMO the quality of the tire is more important, but plus sizing is something we almost universally endorse...

Agree. I did a plus zero on my S2000 from 215/45-17 front 245/40-17 rear to 225/45-17 and 255/40-17 the car performed much better.

 

[fdcg27]

There is a vast gulf between good handling and good grip.
My old MGB and our old W123s were very good handling cars but neither model offered all that much ultimate grip and both models came on skinny high profile tires.
Most cars today seem to have too much tire.
Such is the price of fashion.
I'd rather drive a car with lower limits that I can have fun with and not worry about what happens when I test the limits.
Reliable and controllable handling is far more imporatant than grip and wider, lower profile tires mainly buy you grip at the expense of ride, which also matters in a daily driver.
Tire quality is also a big factor.
I'd rather drive on thinner tires of known quality than fat ones of iffy provinance.

 

[Fordtrucktexan]

Pretty much all import cars look like they're rolling on castors. Domestic vehicles seem to have the wheel-size to body ratio down.

 

[PFP]

My 1980 Ford Fiesta came with Michelin XZX 145-SR-12's. That is 145/80-12. Looked like medium sized dinner plates, and just as thick.

 

[zzyzzx]

I just want to see more high profile tires.

 

[dlundblad]

I'm not a fan of the 17-18" rims on the Wrangler and much prefer the 15" and 16".

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
IMO the quality of the tire is more important, but plus sizing is something we almost universally endorse...


I'm glad you qualified that with "almost universally." I may be the minority, but prefer my family vehicles with big cushy tires, it makes long drives more endurable and the wife and kids nap better. Save the low profile +1/2/3 tires for fun on the boy racers.

But in no case would I like to go back to E78-14's on a 2 ton mid-size. Been there, not enough tire.


Absolutely. It should be noted that most cars that SHIP with large wheels/tires ride quite well. My sig car and my new Ram both have 20's and ride very nicely. The car is 35 series UHP rubber!

My Silverado I just sold shipped with 265/70/17's and rode much better with 245's on it.

Absolutely platform specific. No blanket recommendations are valid here...

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: PFP
My 1980 Ford Fiesta came with Michelin XZX 145-SR-12's. That is 145/80-12. Looked like medium sized dinner plates, and just as thick.


Same as the Festiva. The Festiva definitely ride's and handle's better with 13's either 155 or 175. The Aspire's came stock with 155-13's stock and alot better with 175-13's. With my current cars the stock setups seem adequate. Could go wider on the Focus but since I doesn't have a rear sway bar would be pointless.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Ford E450 cutaway. Runs little 225/75R16E tires, running at 100% weight capacity in back.

 

[cven]

Originally Posted By: Propflux01
Originally Posted By: HangFire
Pretty much any US car from the late 60's and early 70's. Not only were many mid-sizes sporting 14" rims, they had Bias Ply tires.


You know it's amazing we didn't kill ourselves as often as we should have considering the way most drove those 2-ton boats on those soft and tall-sidewalled tires !!


lol.....you got that right! what a joke some of the bias plys were

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: PFP
My 1980 Ford Fiesta came with Michelin XZX 145-SR-12's. That is 145/80-12. Looked like medium sized dinner plates, and just as thick.


So how did it feel to see the tire advertisement and realize the low "starting at" price was your tire?

If my car had 12 inch wheels, I'd probably buy new tires every 10K miles!

 

[splinter]

Originally Posted By: cven
...what a joke some of the bias plys were!

Thank goodness for Pontiac's "Radial Tuned Suspension" riding on GR-70s circa '74!

 

[hattaresguy]

Not so much these days, but back in the 50's-80's a lot of cars benefited from larger wheels and wider tires.

 

[fdcg27]

Our '76 Civic had 12" rims and the Michelin XZX tires we put on it still lasted around 50K. The OEM Bridgestones were awful.
Size may be everything in some things, but apprently not tires.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Two more come to mind: the Buick Grand National (4000lb car on 215/65R15's) and something more modern: the 2005-2008 Chrysler Hemi LX cars. Without the upgraded suspension, Hemis came with fairly-small 225/60R18's. That's a narrow tire for a 340HP, 4200lb car.