Speed rating on tires - question (Take two)

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> Come next spring, I will
> likely look for good H-rated all-season tires to replace the Insignia's.
>
> For the record, I am not an aggressive, performance-minded driver, even
> though I do tend to go about 5-10mph above the speed limit. :-)

Given that there is no reason to throw away the Insignias. Use 'em up!

I would get a set of steel rims for the snow tires and leave the
Insignias on the rims they are already on and just swap 'em back on in
the spring.


John

tww wrote:
> Don't know where you are located, but the Civic LX in the US (my son has
> one) came with a low end Firestone S rated tire. A H rated tire was tested
> and rated for a max of 130 as I recall and is stiffer which would give you
> better handling. Some cars such as the Prelude you would not want to run
> anything below a V rating given the suspension and capability of the car
> which most owners would use. I have tended to go with higher ratings than
> stock simply because of the better handling involved. But, then the Civic
> LX in the US though the 03 model did not require anything more than an S
> rating.

On 2003 and 2004 Civics, the speed rating on the tire from the factory is
dependent on the model which would also dictate tire size. Basically the
2003 DX, LX and Hybrid models had 14" S rated tires. The 2003 EX models had
15" H rated tires. The 2004 models follow suit with the tire size and speed
ratings with the exception that the LX models came with 15" tires.
Howard

"Timothy J. Lee" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> High Tech Misfit > wrote:
>>I've had my 2004 Civic LX for a few days now and I really like it. I do
>>have one concern, however. The dealer replaced the original Firestone
>>tires
>>with Bridgestone Insignia's, which I know are low end OEM-type tires. My
>>concern is that these tires are S-rated, but my manual says that H-rated
>>tires are recommended for the LX model (S is acceptable for the base DX).
>
> Usually (though not always), the lower speed rated tires are less sporty
> in terms of handling and braking capabilities (which affect safety).
> They may be designed more for comfort; some are designed for long tread
> wear and low rolling resistance (better fuel economy), while others are
> just cheap.

In actual fact, the speed rating of a tire denotes that it was tested at a
prescribed speed, over a DOT approved course, for a given length of time.
Test are conducted by the tire manufacturer and they record and publish the
results. Nothing more, nothing less.

Dave D

"High Tech Misfit" > wrote in message
...
> tww wrote:
>
> > Don't know where you are located, but the Civic LX in the US (my son has
> > one) came with a low end Firestone S rated tire. A H rated tire was
tested
> > and rated for a max of 130 as I recall and is stiffer which would give
you
> > better handling. Some cars such as the Prelude you would not want to
run
> > anything below a V rating given the suspension and capability of the
car
> > which most owners would use. I have tended to go with higher ratings
than
> > stock simply because of the better handling involved. But, then the
Civic
> > LX in the US though the 03 model did not require anything more than an S
> > rating.
>
> I am in Canada, but the manual that came with my car covers both Canadian
> and U.S. versions of the '04 Civic. For Civics in both countries, the
> manual specifies S for the DX only and H for other trim levels.
The specs for 03 Civic LX US version on the Honda owners link states the
tire on the Civic is a P 185 /70 R14 87S. So, either they changed in 04 for
the same model or the Canadian version requires a stronger tire.

>
> When I test-drove my Civic before buying it, it had the Firestones and
they
> looked quite worn. I didn't get around to checking the model and speed
> rating of those tires.