My 2007 Honda Civic Needs New Tires (Probably): Need Advice!

[organic_smallhome]

Thanks so much, everybody, for the great detailedadvice. I haven't had any problem with a cracked engine block, but am glad to be aware of it. I don't belong to Costco, but should probably consider joining if the prices are better. I spoke with my Honda dealership yesterday and the guy there told me that I should buy only the tires that are meant for the Honda Civic. I asked about Michelin, instead, and he said: "Nope, you should buy only the tires that come with the car." Now I'm stumped. Why is this necessary? If I bought Michelin, would my warranty be voided?

On another note: Riddle, how do you like the CR-V? My Civic has only 17,000 miles and no damage, and I have considered trading it in either for a Prius or a CR-V. On the other hand, my car will be paid off this November and I do like the idea of not having a car payment.

[Danw99]

I bet the dealer is one of the few places that carries the 'tires made for a Civic' at some ridiculous markup. Don't listen to him. Your tires would not have any affect on your warranty and I guarantee Michelins are better than what came with the car. For what it's worth, I have owned two Hondas in the past.

[drcollie]

That Honda dealer has no ethics to tell you that, either that or the person you spoke with is incredibly ignorant. Engineers select a tire for a particular model car based on a number of factors (ride quality, longevity, load rating, speed rating, sidewall plys, traction and temperature wear, and price). That becomes the OEM spec (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The only thing that really matters on these specs is the load rating and speed rating - you should never buy a tire that has LESS than the load and speed rating that came on the car, the others are all variables that can be altered based on driver's preference (for example, you may want a higher speed rated tire if routinely driving over "X" mph, or you may want a tire with more stick to it at the expense of treadwear).

Most Japanese brand cars don't come with Michelins because of the cost of the tire and its a European company. You'll most frequently see Bridgestones and Yokohamas on cars like Civics because of the tight interwoven business relationships in Japan called "keiretsu". You'll never see a South Korean tire brand such as Kuhmo on a Japanese car as OEM nor the French-owned Michelin because of keiretsu relationships.

No brand of tire gets more respect among the real car enthusiasts than Michelin. They build a consistently good product throughout their product line and its generally considered the fastest, quietest, smoothest and safest tire you can buy. Its all I put on my vehicles....

[organic_smallhome]

Thanks, guys. You've been exceedingly helpful (as I knew you would be). I think I'll go with the Michelins.

[cuse69]

Duane...
I agree with most of your reply, except Japanese car manufacturers do use Michelin tires. Acura and Lexus both deliver new cars with Michelin tires. I know because I just spent 2 weeks looking at many new cars, US, European and Japanese.

[drcollie]

Well, there ya go! I've not seen them on the Japanese cars as OEM before....

[Riddle]

Riddle, how do you like the CR-V? My Civic has only 17,000 miles and no damage, and I have considered trading it in either for a Prius or a CR-V.

I like it a lot for what it is. My preference is for small, fast cars with manual transmissions. When the one I had customized with a racing clutch and other goodies was stolen, I decided to be practical and get a transportation module that had easy access for my tall husband and my frail mother-in-law.

The 2008 CR-V isn't all that much bigger than my previous vehicle, but it felt like a barge at first. Now it's fine. You can't see what's behind you; the backup camera is a must. Don't even think about getting an SUV of any size in any brand without one. My CR-V is the 4-wheel drive version with the smaller engine. It uses regular gasoline rather than premium, but the mileage isn't great (19-21 in the city). The 4-wheel drive is nice in deep snow. Since the CR-V has a higher center of gravity, my driving style has changed radically. The smaller engine is adequate since I'm not treating the public roads as a race track, nor do merges onto MN freeways require the acceleration that I'd want in California. I like the heated seats in winter, too!