Tires and the Honda Clarity

I have read that you should not miss match tires side to side but it’s ok front to back. As in both fronts and both back need to match but the paired fronts and paired backs can be different. And it’s preferred but not mandatory to have all 4 match as long as you obey the above.
Perhaps this is partially tied into the prohibition on the speed limits of the smaller doughnut spares?

Don’t have the source any more so I’m happy to be corrected on this.

 

I would not mix tires - especially RFT and conventional.

Handling would be seriously compromised in a blowout at speed.

RFT due to the sidewall differences, should only run with all 4 the same.

If I need to replace just one OEM, I would replace it with the same OEM - not a single RFT.

As stated above, front axle with one set of conventional can be run with a different set of conventional on the rears.

But again, RFT have a stiffer sidewall (thus run flat ability) and should only be run on all 4 the same RFT technology.

 

Thank you. Great info.
I wonder how much RFT would affect range and mileage.

 

This is a great question!

Since there are few RFT with LRR (low rolling resistance) tires in existence it would be interesting to get some data on how they work with our Clarities.

Tire Rack has one for all season / summer use RFT + LRR:

Cinturato P7 Run Flat uses a low rolling resistance tread compound that features technologically advanced polymers to increase grip on wet and dry roads while it reduces vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

 

@4sallypat - I like the tire, but it doesn't appear to be available in Run Flat in the stock size of the Clarity (at least not at Tire Rack). Looks like they have the non run flat. The run flat says size not available...

 

I am still on the stock Michelin's but when they wear out I will be replacing them with Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus tires. I have tried many different tires over the years and Cinturato's have been the best overall all season tire I have tried. I had them on an older Acura RL, which is also a very heavy car, and they were excellent. They are available in the Clarity's size. The stock Michelin's aren't terrible but they break loose too easily. I am curious to see how long they last.

 

@4sallypat, odd that they don't sell the 235/45/18 in run flat. They do sell the 245/45/18 and 245/40/18, either of which would probably be fine and give a little more width for helping with curb rash. Again, I do like the tire, not sure I will be willing to shell out the cash for it, though.

 

Here's a RFT from Bridgestone - size is OEM - similar to the ones on my BMW 528i which I love:


DRIVE GUARD
Touring All Season
Size
235/45RF18
Price $ 254 99

The alternative size 245/40-18 is a better choice as the tire is slightly wider and still maintains the same OD.
Having 2 or 3 different tire sizes makes it easier to find alternatives....

 

I agree. My wife's and younger son's 335i's have always run the DriveGuards and they are great tires, just a little pricey. Again, for anyone that would want them, here's an Ebay listing with July 2016 production date (why they are reduced) for 4 at $150 each (2 sets available). This is about 40% off a regular price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-New-235-45-18-Bridgestone-Drive-Guard-Run-Flat-Tires/382906949608

 

I'm not sure if it's a case of bad luck, but we've gotten 3 flats on our Clarity. Michelins have a great reputation, but I wonder if the tires on the Clarity aren't more prone to punctures. If I was looking for replacements, based only on our experience, I might seek out tires with a greater puncture resistance.

 

Wow, 3 flats on the same car ?

You must live in some tough country roads or urban construction territory ?

The best puncture resistant tires are the RFT because of the extra tire layers to allow them to be driven without any air pressure.

It's ironic that I purchased the optional Honda Care warranty that covers not only all oil changes, but the road hazard tire insurance which covers all replacement costs for tires. Never had to use it yet so it's not been worthwhile.

For you @Ken7 if you had purchased it, would have been a positive equity situation ?

 

Yeah, pretty amazing. Living in NY, the roads (or should I say ‘a path of potholes’?) are pretty bad. But I travel the same roads with our Model S and have no issues.

I tend not to buy extended warranties for anything, but in this case it probably would have paid. I should mention that 2 of the 3 flats were easily patched. The 3rd necessitated a replacement.

 

I had a flat on the 3rd day after getting my Clarity and first time on the highway. Inside side wall so tire inflation kit won’t work and a new tire was needed. I didn’t hit anything or run over anything. It was so frustrating not having a spare.

 

I got a flat the first week I had my car. I had to have a rotor replaced at 4000 miles...I am selling my car soon.

 

I bought my Clarity a little over a year ago. We purchased a set of steel 17" rims with winter tires and put them on almost immediately. Tire make and size is Michelin X-Ice XI3 in size 215/55R17. I was hoping the narrower width might off set the increased rolling resistance of having winter tires but as others have said in the forum, the colder temps have a far greater impact on battery range. When it got really cold at one point last winter (temps below -5 Celsius for about a week, my indicated range on the dash fell below 50kms (32 miles). In the summer we regularly saw 100kms indicated range (62 miles).

 

It may seem counterintuitive, but all things being equal, actual rolling resistance is less in a wider tire.

But that may be more than offset by increased air resistance and/or weight.

As an aside, our 2018 @ 42,000+ miles is about ready for new tires. I mentioned in another thread I got Pirelli P-Zero AT’s for less than $100 each, still sitting in my hangar. Found out later they may not be great tires, with maybe half the durability of the stock tires. Regardless, I may keep the best of the old tires and get a cheap rim somewhere for use as a spare on longer trips. Thinking of a junkyard, but can anyone link to an online source for a cheap wheel? Steel is fine.

 

I installed the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus a couple weeks ago. They are performing very well on the Clarity. Giant upgrade over the stock "efficient" Michelins that the Clarity comes with. If you need tires I highly recommend the P7's. Great all season tire.

 

As my luck would have it I picked up a huge chunk of metal in one of my newly installed Pirelli P7 tires. Needless to say it is destroyed. I installed my HR-V rims with snow tires for now until I can get a replacement tire. It is almost winter time here in RI but the snow tires are so noisy, especially at low speeds, I would rather wait to have them on until the end of December if possible.

Regardless I can say that the Pirelli P7's are an awesome upgrade to the stock Claritiy tires. YMMV but I am extremely impressed with them on my car. That was until I unfortunately ran over a chunk of metal ruining one of them.

 

Ouch, I don't have experience with non runflat P7s, but Bridgestone Driveguards were much smoother and quieter than OEM P7 runflats on my 2014 BMW X1. For a non runflat non LRR tire, I had excellent experience with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 (now they have AS4), but I am not sure how they affect the range.

 

I had a set of Pilot Sport AS3 on an Acura RL. They were very sporty tires. Handled excellent and were fairly quiet for the first 10,000 miles. After 10k miles they became progressively louder. After about 25k miles they needed to be replaced. They were good sport tires overall and short tread life is expected with sport tires.

The P7s non run flat have performed very well for me in the past. Hopefully that is the case with them on the Clarity.