Replacement Tires for OEM 14s
 

Well, my horrible stock Firestones are finally worn down enough that I actually NEED new tires. I've been shopping around some local tires stores, and would like some personal opinions about their recomendations based on experience. I'm looking for a slightly more aggressive tire than stock, mainly because traction is a nice thing, and I had NONE on the Firestones. Treadwear isn't a huge concern, but I would like to get at least 20,000 miles on these tires, keep in mind i drive fairly aggressively through curves. Any other suggestions are also appreciated. Thanks!

195/65/14
Yokohama AS430 (Not Listed Anywhere Online?)
Pirelli P4000 ST
Falken Ziex 512 (Can't Get Locally, But Seen Online)
Uniroyal Tiger Paw Touring HR

185/70/14
Yokohama Aegis
BF Goodrich Momentum

woo...i prefer ziex-12 @ 195/65 at vulcantire.com

^ go to the same site and get the azenis...215/60/14's, i think it is...very sticky..anything falken would be better

The Azenis you are thinking about are the Azenis Sport RT-215, and the only 14 they come in is 195/60-14.

I'd prefer not to get the Azenis, mainly because of the treadwear, I'm basically just looking for a good street tire, not a race tire.

the ziex should be good then...

Has anybody here driven on the Yokos or Pirellis before? I'd be really interested to hear a comparison of them to the Falkens. The main thing that concerns me about the Falkens is the lack of a warranty, which all of the other brands include.

dude, I would get the falken ZE-512 tires, very cheap and very, very good tires.

^ very cheap indeed in vulcantire.com

well, not for the 215/45/17 size though =(

I have Falken ZE-502's sized 195/65/14.
I like them very much. 400+ treadwear rating is a big plus =)

I know you can also get ZE-512's sized 205/60/14 if you want a wider tire, but I don't know how small the diameter is compared to stock.

The Azenis that got the crazy thread design come in 195/60/14, but they are way too small compared to stock diameter in my opinion.

Michelin Harmony (if you have $$ to spend)

Hey man, I am looking to get new tires to from my sorry stock....
changing from 185/70/14 to 195/60/15 gives exact diameter and no change in speedometer, this is what I am doing with either (in order of likelihood)
Falken Ze-512
Bridgestone 950
Yokohoma avid H4

im sort of in the same situation as you, hypnotik.
but instead trying to find replacements for my 185/65/15 to 195/60/15. i've been looking into the falken ziex 512 because if its treadwear and all season performance. i hear only good stories about it and its affordable.

if i were to get any tire, it would be falken ziex 512 so far..

reading reviews, the primary complaints seem to be about the soft sidewalls and the resultant body roll through corners. is this just an issue with heavier cars, or has anybody here experienced this too? are the sidewalls softer or harder than the stock firestones?

i dont know what kinda tires i got. just know i paid 125 for 2 of them and they r 195/65/14

I got my Falken 512's just the other day...
they are pretty good... but then again, ANYTHING is better than stock.
I do have 1 complaint. You cant rotate the tires from one side of the car to the other b/c the tires are only supposed tp rotate in 1 direction..... minor complaint though...

yea I dont like that either. I want to keep a spare one in the trunk, but never know which side will go out and you can only put it on one side once mounted and balanced.

well, i just ordered my new tires today, thanks for the help everyone! i'm getting the 195/65/14 Falken Ziex 512s. ordered them through a local National Tire & Battery, but they pricematch internet sites, so i'm getting all four tires and install for only $250. they should arrive in about a week, can't wait to test them out!

nice goodluck!!!

well, i got a call from NTB this morning saying that the Falkens are on a 6 week backorder from the factory. since my tires are in desperate need of replacement (less than 2/32" left on my fronts) i need some options. i would like to still get the Falkens if possible, does anybody know anywhere that still has them in stock? also, would it be safe to run a 195/60/14? when i was initially checking around, a few places refused to install that size on my car, stating potential brake failure among other reasons. finally, if i can't get the Falkens, what is my second best option?

EDIT: how fat would a 205/60/14 look?

http://www.7thgencivic.com/index.php?page=tirecalc&
check out the tire calculator. im assuming you have steelies? 205/60/14 would be pretty dam fat if you ask me. i seen 205/60/15 alloys and they were fat as if they looked stock.

www.vulcantire.com has falken 512's in stock, their shipping quotes vary by location. you can always order from that site and get them mounted and balanced at a shop.

they actually only have 2 of the 195/65/14s that i need in stock, so that doesn't help me much. it lists 195/60/14s as being in stock, any word on how safe it would be to run those? they're 4.06% smaller than stock...

i got lemmans 195/60/14

too much
 

4.06% is too much man, you don't want to go any more than 3% , you can use the tire calculator at 1010tires.com
look at the plus 1 guide
I think the trouble you are having is you are plus sizing without going up in wheel size , it would be almost perfect if you went to 15" wheels, but if you stay with 14" you are limited ....

i know 3% is a general rule, but i read soem of the information behind the guidelines since i was concerned, and problems are generally a result of brake failure because of too large tires, or an ABS/traction control system having trouble since the tires aren't stock size. I drive an LX with no ABS, and i'm getting smaller tires that are still rated high enough to support the load of the car, so i'm not expecting any problems. i ordered the tires through vulcantire.com and had them installed today, and the car handles MUCH better, although now my wheel gap is so large that i need to lower it, lol.

I upped my 185 70/14 stock to 195 60/15 and love it.

btw, i got Pirelli P3000's and they are great, dry and wet. pretty quiet too.