Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to finish the existing tank and run a full tank on the new set of tires.

Verdict: same mileage, quieter ride

They are as efficient as the stock Michiclen MXV4 (maybe 1-3mpg better) and about $50 less per tire. The MXV4's became really loud after 30K miles and squealed around every corner. These Goodyears are quiet (really quiet for LRR tires!) The catch? The sidewall is bubble gum soft. I don't usually push the hybrid hard [got a miata for that ], but on the on-ramps and interstate banking turns, it rolls and shifts and is surprisingly unstable. Keep 'em under 80mph and you'll enjoy 'em.

 

Nice report, David. But seriously, who drives under 80??? J/K. Check back in time and give a future follow-up on your tires, please! Interesting about your fuel economy.

 

If it's not off-topic, maybe we can also include the current state of what's available in LRR, any and all?

Tire replacement is a year off for me, and I've been reading up a little. Since we got Nokian WRG2 for winter, I've been looking at their summer tires, as replacement for Our OEM Bridgestone Insignia SE200 (likely next spring). The Nokian H is described as "low rolling resistance" on their website. I believe the identically treaded Nokian V (just different speed ratings, per the name) is also described as LRR.

Anyone have experience with the Nokian H, or V, or I3?

 

Another very interesting tire is the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 that was introduced in March 2009. Do a Google search and see how it compares! It is unusual in that it comes with a 30-day tire trial offer.

 

I just had Nokian I3s installed on my HCHI. They have inside-outside indicators on them, so if you go with these, make sure to check that they were installed correctly before you drive off. I found one of mine with the "inside" facing out, so I had to return to the shop to have it remounted.
For sure they are quieter than my Nokian Hakka RSi snow tires. It seems like the I3s allow the car to coast for long distances, so I'm hoping for a good outcome. It's too early to tell; I don't accumulate a lot of miles and my current tank is still half "snow-tire"/ half I3s, so I'll have to report back later on any changes in mpgs. So far I really like the way the tires handle.

 

Thanks Gairwyn. Our Nokian WRG2 are similarly in-out. Our installer (Kal Tire, the only one locally stocking Nokian), got it right. The only summer Nokian they show on their website is the I3, but with advance notice I'm sure I could get the H.

Nokian website lists the H and V as LRR, but not not the I3. But, one of the first Google hits regarding Nokian tire, someone asked a Nokian salesman regarding the RR of the various tires, and was told the I3's were lowest. So some confusion. I think the rubber formulation is a factor, and maybe that has changed at some point?

Anyway please post when you get more mileage, how they compare, say to your OEM. Was it the Bridgestone Insignia SE200_02. Or a Dunlop?

 

I took the plunge on these tires, too. My experience with my HCHII is quite unique in that I bought it certified used with 52,000 miles on it already. I was a newbie to Honda and hypermiling at the time of purchase, and therefore didn't know what the OEM tire should have been. When I bought the car, it had 4 Pirelli P3000 Cinturato M+S (no longer made, btw) 195/65/15 tires on it. I'm guessing very few people have this tire on their Civic.

I have no clue when these tires were put on, but the technician noted that the treadwear looked like it would need to be replaced at 80,000. After researching these Pirelli tires, I noticed that the tread life for these was supposed to be around 85,000 miles. I don't know if the original owner put these tires on himself or just custom ordered them that way, but either way I was excited to get the Fuel Max ones today at Dobbs in St. Louis, MO. I went with the OEM size of 195/65/15, and the ride home in pouring down rain was surprisingly smooth with no noticeable drop off in mileage (It went from 47.5 mpg to 46.7 mpg on the 11 mile drive home, and the trip meter before I left was at 40.5 miles).

I'm excited about the spring with my new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires! I will post more info on how they are doing later, but they look and feel sharp and give a very quiet ride. I'm not sure if I will ever have an 80 mph problem though, as I rarely go over 70 and usually cruise at 60!

 

The OEM tires that were on my car were the Dunlop SP20FE. The tread was getting low and there were a lot of cracks in the sidewalls so it was time for new tires. I liked the Nokian snow tires that I bought so I decided to give their summer tires a try. For my particular car the i3s were the only Nokian summer tire available in the right size. I think you can go with any of the three tires you mentioned for your HCHII. It has a different size than my car does.

 

Update on the fuel max.
I had to take the car in for body work ( yah my wife did it)
When I got it back , the car seemed sluggish and I could tell the mileage 43 or so was not as good as before the fuel max. ( was not happy) I checked the tire pressure. The Goodyear guys put in 30 psi when they installed the tires. I bumped this to 35/37. Mileage went up . Then I noticed about a week later that the body shop guys had put the A/C on. arrrrgh. 40F-50F out. Oh well. I put in 40 psi to check the tires out with the A/C off. The mileage is back to normal and may even be a bit better, and the car was not sluggish ( go figure) My last tankful was 49.5mpg with all of that goofing around with tire pressure & A/C. This next tankful will give me a better reading. 40 psi may be a bit too high as ride is rougher, but these tires are QUIET. I will probably lower psi to less if mileage is improved.

 

Congrats on getting your MPGroove back. Odd that you find 40 PSI to be rough – I run the same and find the ride ideal.