Hey everyone! I have a 2004 civic hybrid (HCH1) that I bought a couple years ago. I love the car, but it's definitely time to replace my OEM dunlops which are down to 1-2/32" tread. I could really use some advice about which replacement tires will be best. In order. these are the characteristics that are most important to me: 1. high fuel economy (in the greenhybrid spirit!) 2. all season traction 3. durability 4. comfort. I have narrowed it down to three models:

--Dunlop SP20 FE (these are the OEM tires for my HCH)
--Bridgestone B381 (the other OEM tire used for some HCH1s)
--Michelin Hydroedge Green X

Feel free to add to this list if there's a gem that I completely missed that will fit on the HCH1.

Considering that all three models may last nearly 100,000 miles, I am willing to pay extra for the best one. In particular though, I'm curious about the Michelins. They sound great, but I'm worried that my fuel economy will take a hit (even though they are advertised as LRR due to the Green X technology). My current dunlops have been disconcerting in the rain, but that might be due to the high treadware. Has anybody else experienced difficulty in the rain with the dunlops? I'm inclined to steer clear from them because of their poor wet weather performance, even though they're less expensive. Here are the factors that I've been weighing (these are just educated guesses, so if you own one of these tires feel free to correct me!):

Pros:
--Michelins: good all season traction (compared to the other two tires); advertised as LRR
--Bridgestones: Perhaps the best fuel economy; better traction than dunlops (?)
--Dunlops: OEM tire, excellent LRR/fuel economy, cheapest
Cons:
--Michelins: fuel economy may not be as good as the other two; slightly heavier tire; max PSI 35 lbs
--Bridgestones: traction could be improved (?); pricey (but about the same as the Michelines)
--Dunlops: traction not nearly what I would hope for

Links to the three tires:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e+with+Green+X

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....eModel=SP20+FE

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....tireModel=B381

I also have one more general tire question. The revolutions per mile with the dunlops are 866, but 893 for the Michelins. Will this difference affect the odometer/speedometer/fuel economy readouts and, if so, is there a way for the tire installer or dealer to adjust for this discrepancy? I'm mainly just curious.

Any insight/experience from you wonderful folks about which tire is best would be really helpful. Thanks everyone!

 

Here's a link that has some information regarding your general question about the revolutions per mile (scroll down the page to the section referring to speedometers).

http://www.tirereview.com/?type=cc&id=179&53L3c73d=179

If you do a search on the forum, you'll find several threads regarding replacement tires.

 

Hey Gamesetmatch,

My original tires were the Bridgestone B381's. They got better fuel mileage that my current Dunlop SP60's, but the Dunlops offer far superior traction in the wet and handle debris far better.

Maxing the tire sidewall out, both tires offer incredible mileage opportunities. It comes down to pure preference if you want slightly higher (1-2 mpg) fuel economy versus wanting greater control in harsh conditions.

The Dunlop SP60 is an all season tire at a reasonable price. Surprisingly, the SP60 performs better in medium to heavy rain than it does when its misty or just damp out. The tire does a great job funneling water.

The B381's in contrast had my holding my breath at times. In snow, forget it, dont even drive. Lots of wheel spin. Cornering on a back country road when its lightly raining gave the tires more than they can handle. The tread is made for straight line driving.

If you dont care about having an all season tire, check out the Bridgestone Pole Position. They are what I want if I ever get money for new 15 inch rims.

Goodyear also makes a tire now for greater fuel economy. But who knows how valid that claim is judging by the amount of variability in each hybrid drivers driving style.

Hope this helped

ch103

 

The issue of tires has become an increasingly important one in recent years. Consumer reports actually began includuing rolling reistance in their review of tires, which is as important a factor as inflation pressure or size when talking about fuel efficiency. Greenseal has also released a report on the tires with the lowest RR's. Heres a link to that report
http://greenseal.org/resources/repor...resistance.pdf.
and another report issued to the state of CA.
http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/200...-001CRVOL2.PDF

I hope this helps some.

Rob

 

We replaced our original Bridgestone 381s with Michelin Hydroedge Green in March. MPG has dropped from average of 50 to 45, particularly noticeable on road trips.

I don't notice much difference in feel or handling, except they definitely grip better on turns, feel more secure overall. Should last twice as long too. The main driver is my wife, the only difference she notices is the drop in mileage, she's a hypermiler.