Need tires for Civic

[ClarkB]

The '99 Civic needs new tires. Size is 185/65R14. I've narrowed it down to two choices, either the Pirelli P4 or the Yokohama Avid Touring S. There are three things that I want in the next tire:

1. Decent to excellent snow/ice traction
2. Low road noise
3. Longevity

I've read up on these two tires as best I can and would like some real world experience, especially when it comes to my first two wants. And I'm not looking to do the whole winter tire thing with changing tires twice a year. Any experience?

Clark

 

[ethangsmith]

I have the Yokos on my Escort in that exact size and they SUCK in the snow. I have no traction at all. Never been a fan of Pirelli either. Try the Hankook H727 tire. Cheaper and rates WAY better on TireRack testing.

 

[oggb]

My supervisor at work also has the Yokohomas on her Sentra and she also said they are horrible in the snow.

 

[Nukeman7]

For great snow traction, you should consider the Kumho KR-21 tires. They may wear a bit faster than the Yokohama AVIDs, but will work well in foul winter weather.

 

[JHZR2]

I had pirelli P6 tires as OE on my saab. I was impressed with how good they were in the snow.

 

[Bror Jace]

Minnesota? I'd go with snows for 4 months out of the year. That makes the decision for summer tires easier as you are not asking a tire to do the impossible (good all-around performance).

 

[ltslimjim]

The P4's are the best all-season tire for the size you mentioned, in my opinion...

Drove just fine in icy/snow covered roads last year when they were brand new, sold the vehicle since.

...now you may want to consider a dedicated winter set of 4 wheels/tires and use an all-season tire outside of the worst of the snowy weather.

 

[AstroTurf]

Nokian eNTyre

One of the best all season LLR tires around.

 

[Bror Jace]

AstroTurf, my mechanic sells Nokians, mostly for winter use, but sell their all-season tires as well. I was ready to order a set of 4 eNTyres from them but they warned me that they were not seeing a great deal of longevity from these tires with some wearing out before the 30,000 mile mark. Do you know differently?

(I went with Bridgestone Ecopia 422s instead)

 

[AstroTurf]

Bror,

I cannot speak of that model personally.

I can speak of the mileage that I received from a set of Nokian WR G2 SUVs.

64,500 miles out of a 5 tire rotation.

Would I do it again? Yes. Would I be willing to try a set of the eNTyres? Yes.

Good Luck with your purchase.

Jim

 

[ClarkB]

Thanks for the information. I'll avoid the Yokohamas at all cost. I did find a place that sells the Hankook Optimo 727. Any opinions between these two:

Hankook Optimo 727
Pirelli P4

I'm leaning towards the Pirellis just because a local chain store has 'em in stock. I could be persuaded though.

Clark

 

[Doc8404]

Unsure of those two....but my civic (and Galant....and new Sentra) love the Cooper Weathermaster ST2.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: ClarkB
Thanks for the information. I'll avoid the Yokohamas at all cost. I did find a place that sells the Hankook Optimo 727. Any opinions between these two:

Hankook Optimo 727
Pirelli P4

I'm leaning towards the Pirellis just because a local chain store has 'em in stock. I could be persuaded though.

Clark


We have both(P4's/H727) in our circle. Love either for snow traction but, the H727's definately score higher for snow/ice, ride/quiet and mileage wearout claim. But, the P4's don't suck either! Maybe as both tires wear, there will be some differences in the snow/ice traction between the two tires but, as of now, I can't tell the difference. What I have personaly noticed is that the P4 are better handling/cornering when pushed "harder". Not hard per/say but, just harder! The P4's seem to stick better! This isn't anything one will notice when driving either tire like a human being, only when in emergency situations, i.e.

I love the Pirelli P4's on my '04 Altima 2.5. Great all around tire and a bit sportier than the H727's with still good snow/ice traction on this very torquey 4 cyl. The only short coming I can mention is that the tires tend to thump(for the first few miles but, not real bad) when it gets very ((COLD)) out. Im the only one that notices this. Others in my family have driven the car when cold and haven't noticed anything. And I don't mean that this happens all day, each time the as the car sets, just the first time after setting all night! After a couple of minutes, it's gone!

My daughters '06 Mazda3, my buddys '04 Camry and his sons '00 CR-V(all 4 cyl vehicles) all have the H727's and are great as well in snow. 3 different charactors of vehicles and all three drivers love the H727's. In other words, they don't notice any short comings with the H727's. The tires just go all year long without issues.

Either tire will actually fit your criteria. P4 = 80,000 mile and H727 = 100,000 mile rating. One tire does a little better in one area and the other tire does a little better in another! They're both quiet and smooth IMHO! It now comes down to which one will actually work better on a '99 Civic?... Who knows?

Will either tire actually achieve these miles? Who knows?

 

[CharBaby]

One other thing I should mention is...Do you want to soften up the ride on the Civic(as Honda's can get harder riding as they age). The H727 may help but, it'd be only a mild improvement.

Or, do you want to keep the "better handling" that Honda's can be known for. The P4's would then be the tire when choosing between the two. It's kind of a wash IMHO since we have both tiers in our family.

And too, there may be other tires that better suit a '99 Civic that weren't mentioned here. It depends what your looking for. Both tires are good choices!

 

[ClarkB]

Thanks for the replies. I feel that I won't go wrong with either tire.

CharBaby - What is the most miles on any one set of the H727s? I had read a number of reviews on tirerack which indicated that they were experiencing premature wear with these tires which is also helping to push me towards the P4s. Granted, there are probably plenty of people driving who need an alignment, more air or a rotation causing premature wear and they don't even realize it...but I'm still leery.

Clark

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: ClarkB
Thanks for the replies. I feel that I won't go wrong with either tire.

CharBaby - What is the most miles on any one set of the H727s? I had read a number of reviews on tirerack which indicated that they were experiencing premature wear with these tires which is also helping to push me towards the P4s. Granted, there are probably plenty of people driving who need an alignment, more air or a rotation causing premature wear and they don't even realize it...but I'm still leery.

Clark


Because we're all new to the H727's the most miles to date is ~20K miles thus far. So, time is still needed for some long trem reviews to come in.

Also, every review that I have ever read on a "GREAT" tire still had some negative reviews. Even Michelin tires!... It is, what it is! As much as I love the P4's, there are still those owners that are less happy with them than I and too, the noise that comes with age. I haven't experienced the noise yet.

This is why some people like tires with a lower wearout rating. Get new tires every 35K-40K miles and they won't have to put up with some of the other short comings of the tire.

Make sure your susspension is properly alligned with no faulty parts and keep the proper inflation pressure and rotation/balance and you'll have done all you can do!

 

[CharBaby]

I am aware of the Kumho Solus KR-21's(a very nice tire itself) has many complaints of not lasting anywhere near the 80K miles wearout rating. But, a nice tire still!

When you say premature wear of the H727's, do you know wheather it's uneven wearing tires or wearing sooner than expected?
Sooner than expected, is common with tires rated as high as some of these tire are rated for these days...I'm not surprised!

 

[civicist]

pirelli cinturato p1. first pirelli i ve ever put. amazing handling. dont know about snow traction though.

you should consider dunlop if you want "some snow traction" and great dry & wet traction.

 

[VicVinegar]

Bumping this up to see if Clark ever bought his tires. I'm getting some for my '00 Civic this week. Currently have Pirelli P4s on there and I'm leaning toward trying the Hankook this time.