Tire questions

[Jpaccord07]

I have a 2007 Honda Accord ex-l 2.4L i4 sedan and have been having an issue selecting the right tire for what I need.

I originally had a set of Aspen gt-as tires in size 205/60R16s 91H that were the most comfortable tire for me over bumps and and road imperfections, but still felt stable. These tires are discontinued now and the old ones were unevenly worn due to poor alignment, so I bought a set of continental true contact tour 54s (also had an alignment done)which ended up being insanely bumpy and felt very unstable/squirmy especially at highway speeds. They would actually shake the steering wheel if I put 35 psi instead of the factory 32 psi. Because of this I decided to go back the hankook kinergy st tires that were on the back before getting these and bought two for the front to have a whole set and while it feels better it feels a little too bouncy instead of feeling like it absorbs bumps as well as not feeling as stable as any of the other tires.
I thought of using continentals satisfaction trial to exchange for a set of the Continental procontact tx tires since they have a lower treadwear rating of 400 and a softer compound while still h rated, but the reviews with the sidewall issues have me wondering if they're even worth the money. It's also been really hard to find anything in my size with low treadwear ratings or a tire that is going to be as comfortable as the Aspen gt-as tires I had on the car. Because of this I've come here to see if anyone has any recommendations for tires that fit what I'm looking for. Any help with this topic is greatly appreciated and I'm very grateful for all responses.

 

[Urshurak776]

Welcome to BITOG!

I would suspect a lot has to do with the suspension components in a 2007 vehicle. You didn't mention mileage, but I assume it has a lot. Before chasing 33 PSI VS 32 PSI, what has been done with shocks/struts/ball joints/linkages/bushings, etc.?

 

[Jpaccord07]

Welcome to BITOG!

I would suspect a lot has to do with the suspension components in a 2007 vehicle. You didn't mention mileage, but I assume it has a lot. Before chasing 33 PSI VS 32 PSI, what has been done with shocks/struts/ball joints/linkages/bushings, etc.?

The car does have 131k miles(I bought it at 73k miles) and I haven't replaced any front suspension components in that time. I did replace the rear struts roughly 30k miles ago cause they leaked out all the fluid, but nothing was replaced in the front suspension wise. I just assumed it was the tires because right after I changed tires and had the alignment done it immediately started feeling way more bumpy. I did ask someone if it's possible that worn suspension components were hidden by an alignment, but they said it seems like too drastic of a change for me not to feel it before the alignment and that it is probably the tires.

 

[leeharvey418]

The TrueContact Tour 54 gets about as high a ride comfort rating on Tire Rack as I've ever seen. You said that you got an alignment done when you got the tires - was there a particular reason for that?

 

[Jpaccord07]

The TrueContact Tour 54 gets about as high a ride comfort rating on Tire Rack as I've ever seen. You said that you got an alignment done when you got the tires - was there a particular reason for that?

The old tires were worn on the outsides only. As for the tour 54s the car didn't vibrate the steering wheel when I had them at the correct pressures but felt a little squirmy around bends especially at highway speeds they didn't feel as confidence inspiring after 70mph. The hankooks that are on it now kinda give a more squishy feeling to where it almost feels like I'm driving on under inflated tires.

 

[Rand]

Tires can take upto 1000 miles for break in. I'm surprised a standard touring tire from a top tier manufacturer feels so much worse a budget private label tire.

 

[Jpaccord07]

Tires can take upto 1000 miles for break in. I'm surprised a standard touring tire from a top tier manufacturer feels so much worse a budget private label tire.

I did drive it roughly between 1200-1500 miles before changing the tires out. I drove it from NJ to NC and I could feel almost everything on the road. Someone on a different forum said that it's probably the 840 treadwear rating contributing to the stiffness since it's supposed to last really long. My only other thought was that maybe most of the people reviewing the tour 54s have a newer car with better suspension or some sort of SUV so they're more comfortable and not a 2007 year vehicle.

 

[rstcso]

I replaced the OEM Contis on the Audi to Continental DWS06+. Much smoother ride, quiet, and great handling.... and they look pretty badxxxed, too. Then I got rid of the car and bought a Honda Pilot. Can't wait until I can justify replacing the OEM Bridgestones with a set of DWS06+.

 

[Rand]

I Do like my conti dws06+ I'd rate them as comfortable firm but well controlled with no extra bouncing/flopping.
When hitting multiple road imperfections.
Much prefer the ride to the pirelli scorpion as plus 3

However from a standpoint of the best ride I'd say something has to be better than the dws06+ because they are UHP.

 

[Nukeman7]

For your 2007 Accord, I recommend the Pirelli P4 A/S Plus Persist tires for good handling, great all-season traction and a smooth quiet ride. Good deals can be had on the Pirelli P4 if you belong to a Sam's Club warehouse.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Go to Tire Rack and watch their video reviews for the tires. They just did many tests.

You don't list location or if winter is a concern for snow/ice. Based on what you had you never had winter tires.

Their test reviews put the all-weather Goodyear WeatherReady 2 pretty high on their ride comfort list as well as noise. They do have a "tire selector" that you can out your priorities in and it will recommend some. Needs ratings for dry/wet/life/noise/winter/price.

 

[rstcso]

However from a standpoint of the best ride I'd say something has to be better than the dws06+ because they are UHP.

The tires that came on it were the CrossContact LX Sport. Discount Tire has the Ride/Comfort at 4.8/5. The DWS06+ are rated at 4.7/5 for Ride/Comfort. My wife and I both thought the DWS06+ was a much more comfortable ride and had better handling characteristics and the treadwear rating is higher.

 

[rstcso]

Go to Tire Rack and watch their video reviews for the tires. They just did many tests.

You don't list location or if winter is a concern for snow/ice. Based on what you had you never had winter tires.

Excellent point on location. We travel to Wisconsin several times a year and wanted tires having better snow capability.

Tire Rack and Tyre Reviews are the two YT channels I trust for the better tire review videos. IMHO, Tyre Reviews' videos are just fun to watch, even if you're not in the market for new tires. He really pushes in all kinds of environments.

 

[Kira]

Are the rears squarely worn? Would you swap them forward?
If so, you have the option to have an alignment shop check your vehicle for alignment and bad parts before you buy tires.
The trick here is locating a good alignment shop. Have you one near?

 

[Jpaccord07]

Are the rears squarely worn? Would you swap them forward?
If so, you have the option to have an alignment shop check your vehicle for alignment and bad parts before you buy tires.
The trick here is locating a good alignment shop. Have you one near?

The tires in the rear were the hankooks when I had the worn out Aspen gt-as tires in the front and they have worn completely even, the only reason I had the mismatched tires was because the Aspen tires were discontinued when I went back to get a rear set. The shop that installed both sets of tires for me did an alignment. I do however always notice that my steering wheel will be straight at a stop but sometimes on flat roads when moving that the wheel is ever so slightly off center and it used to be off to the right and now it is to the left, but I'm talking very slightly off center.

 

[barkingspider]

My experience w Hankook Kinergy tires have been below average at best. The Contis should be much better than the kinergy