[voxleo]

I have been subjecting myself to a serious information overload as I shop for tires this week. Gotta get some new shoes on the z before driving up to the bay area from LA in a week, but my brain is melting after packing in so much data so quickly and now that I have a few ideas about what to look for, I figure I might as well complicate it even more by considering the merits of having run flat tires since the 2013 lacks a proper spare. I had initially considered them out of the budget range compared to what else I could get in terms of bang for buck, but as someone pointed out the net cost of a slightly higher tire price over the number of years invested in the purchase, I have re-examined that priority as potentially adjustable if there is a potential for avoiding a fix-a-flat problem down the line. I am on stock 16" wheels, and prefer lower noise, but want handling over cushy ride and longevity is preferable. So Cal would take summer tires all year, but there just aren't as many to choose from that will satisfy my longevity preference, so I am content to go with all season for having the "just in case it gets cold" flexibility in trade for that and a longer life expectancy so I don't have to think about getting tires again for a while.

The limiting factor at this point though is availability. If I am going to get them it's gotta be before I leave on the 14th, so nothing in backorder or taking long shipping times will work. Fortunately, there are apparently still lots of option open to me even with that limitation. Presently I am looking at offerings from brands that are not as spendy but still of high quality - Such under consideration are :

Falken perhaps - but which one ? anyone got tips on this brand? Not sure which option I would want...
Cooper CS5 Ultra touring
General Altimax
Conti DWS of some variety
Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
Toyo?
The frontrunner at this point is probably the YokohamaYK740 GTX which keeps popping up in my searches as a top choice.. or maybe avid envigor


Also wondering about the Pirelli P7 that everyone mentions, but they are backordered - I found one place that has stock of Pirelli Cinturato P7 205/55R16 91V - will that work or maybe the BF's local guy might have some variation of that line in the 195/55/16 - but that is brick and mortar requiring we go there to find out. I would like to have another choice picked out before hand in case that doesn't pan out...

I know nothing about the run flats though. BF says they ride a bit on the rough side, which I don't necessarily mind as long as they aren't really noisy. I get sensitive to high pitched whines and constant white noise, so it might be intolerable if they are louder due to the stiffer sidewalls. But I am probably ok with spending a little more per tire depending on what other things that tech might affect. I really like drving my car so I want tires that keep it fun and sporty as possible. Its a 6MT and I think I haven't even experienced what it could be like since it still has the Dunlops on it. I am really excited about putting something better on her....

My brains are melted at this point and starting to leak out of my ears from thinking too much, but I am on a deadline. I need to decide today on something so I can get on with my life and get ready to go on this trip. (I bought myself a 50th bday present when i discovered the Bobby Mc Ferring Circlesongs concert I had been planning on attending was actually part of a week long SCHOOL event that just happened to be the same week as my birthday and decided it was fate that I should attend the whole thing. It will be a week of vocal improv with 200 strangers under the tutilage of a musical genius. What better way to officially begin my midlife crisis?)

I welcome all manner of thoughts and contributions to help me make this decision. I HATE that I am so indecisive about major purchases sometimes. I feel like i need to know EVERYTHING before I can choose something and spend so much time researching it has to be counterproductive at a point... Please help me get sorted.

 

[ryanthegreat1]

Run flats are loud and ride like crap and are twice as heavy. Avoid if possible.

I have run the Yokohama 740 and the Pirelli P7 not on a CR-Z. They are perfectly fine all season touring tires and are both quiet.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

I worked for a tire store for almost two years. I can say that run flats are not ideal. They are very heavy, stiff, expensive and uncomfortable compared to a conventional tire. They also suck to mount and need tons of lube to slip over the rim. If you really have to have a back up option, you can look at buying the spare tire kit directly from Honda (comes without a tire, sold separately):

Temporary Wheel Kit of Accessories - 2013 Honda CR-Z 3 Door BASE KA 6MT

Shop in the parts listing - 2013 Honda CR-Z 3 Door BASE KA 6MT Temporary Wheel Kit of Accessories. Discounted prices and Hassle-Free Return on genuine Honda parts.

www.hondapartsnow.com

As far as specific recommendations, it's pretty much splitting hairs. I found a pretty good deal on some three year old Bridgestone Ecopia tires, pretty much half off. Not a bad deal.

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Turanza+EL470&partnum=955VR6EL470OS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2013&autoModel=CR-Z&autoModClar=Base&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2013&autoModel=CR-Z&autoModClar=Base

 

[Spdbump]

Simple question when it comes to run flat tires or the spare tire kit. How many times have you had a flat and how difficult was it to get back on the road? If you maintain your tires and replace them when they have issues (or every 5 years as recommended ) and drive carefully, you will not have issues. Honda supplied in my 2013 flat sealant and a compressor, I have road service on my car, and I make sure I check my tires every 2 weeks to keep the pressure at 33-35 PSI. When I have them rotated, it is a cross rotation. Over the life of my car I have had the OEM Dunlop ( they did not last as long as i expected) and I am now on my second set of Pirelli Cinturato P7 all-season tires. They also happen to make run flats, but even with run flats you still need to maintain them and not sure on the ride quality.

In this car I have had 3 flats, 2 were nails in the tire (I inflated them and drove the car to get them repaired) the other was my stupidity when I broke off the valve stem. That time the car was towed using my towing on my car insurance. In my lifetime, even in cars that had spares, I rarely ever had to use it. The issue with spare tires is they require a higher pressure, driving below 50 MPH and are supposed to be used till you get the road wheel repaired, but I still see people driving on the spare for months! When you need to use it, the tire is usually flat. In some cars I have owned, the spare would not fit on one of the axles due to a brake upgrade. I am glad I never had to use the spare in that car.

The lack of a spare and the lousy fit in the car of the spare tire kit has been discussed to death. You decide how important it is to you and make a decision. I am not considering a spare or run flats, considering how little I have ever needed the spare. I have a cell phone , road service and the fix a flat. (that reminds me, I should check the expiration date on the can)
Quick search

Search results for query: spare tire kit

www.crzforum.com

One of the relevant threads, but beware, one of the participants in the discussion got very angry and abusive.

about the spare tire

i just bought crz today, but i don't know why my car is no have spare tire, anyone have spare tire or not?

www.crzforum.com

 

[Fediej]

Unless you keep your cargo area full of "junk" Just get a 15" spare from a 5 bolt Civic or Accord.

 

[Spdbump]

Unless you keep your cargo area full of "junk" Just get a 15" spare from a 5 bolt Civic or Accord.

Please for safety’s sake bolt the spare down through the cargo floor, so it does not injure anyone in an accident. Some all thread some nuts and the big "wing" nut is all you need. Many members have done just that. It's simple, it works, but does take up some useful usable cargo space.
Some members have gotten a full size wheel as a spare, but had an issue with the TPMS.

How many vehicles still have spares? From my research, not many.

 

[k1s]

I welcome all manner of thoughts and contributions to help me make this decision.

Watch out. There's a lot of prejudice form people with brand fixations, and little to no experience of various tires they've never actually tried. After Michelin, P7s, F1s and done Yokohama varieties, we've found Hankook Ventus Prime3 195/55R16 87W Runflats the best. Best all round grip apart from the (F1 Eagles) in the wet, best fuel efficiency, and by far the quietest (67dbA). And of course good to have the knowledge they'll get you home without the need to carry a spare, so extra load space.

 

[Bigalloway]

A few years ago, I purchased a mini with run flats. I had more problems with those tyres than I had in 40 years of driving various cars. With pot holes on UK roads (of which there were fewer at the time) the tyre pressure warning light would illuminate most times I hit one. During the short time, 18 months , that I had the car I had 3 replacement tyres as a result of cut walls. Fortunately, I had taken out a warranty for the tyres.
The ride was terrible. Very bump was felt through the floor. Never again

 

[SkittyDoogle]

A few years ago, I purchased a mini with run flats. I had more problems with those tyres than I had in 40 years of driving various cars. With pot holes on UK roads (of which there were fewer at the time) the tyre pressure warning light would illuminate most times I hit one. During the short time, 18 months , that I had the car I had 3 replacement tyres as a result of cut walls. Fortunately, I had taken out a warranty for the tyres.
The ride was terrible. Very bump was felt through the floor. Never again

Rough ride quality was a common complaint when I did tires. However, the biggest complaint was lack of availability when someone needed a replacement. A Mini came in with an unrepairable run-flat tire, we had to special order a replacement since the only place that was supposed to have them, a Mini dealer, was closed that day.

When I worked at a Toyota dealership, pretty much everybody who owned a Sienna that came with RFTs ditched them due to cost. They wore out very fast due to the vehicle's weight and usage, often well under 30k miles. Those customers constantly complained about how those tires didn't last long so I just told them about how everyone has the same complaint, and when the tire guy presented them with their options, they always picked the non run-flats since they were like $300+ more per set.

 

[ryanthegreat1]

Or the Honda Odyssey PAX wheels. At least they rode like a normal tire but good luck finding replacements.

 

[voxleo]

OMG I never knew how much I could hate the experience of purchasing TIRES. This is now officially something I never want to do again. I know too much now, and apparently, ignorance really IS bliss.

SO - between the info here and what I have read elsewhere regarding the RF tires, it seems that they are definitely NOT what I am looking for. I don't like what I am reading about them at all with higher instances of damage and the fact that they must be replaced instead of repaired. Then there are the noise issues, which is a deal breaker for me because I have discovered I am pretty sensitive to noise in particular. Back in the days of monochrome PCs, my mother would frequently forget to turn off the monitor after turning the computer off because the screen was totally dark. I would come in and tell her it was on because I could hear the electrical whine it would make even from the next room over. Even though that frequency is less of a problem for me at 50, even a lower frequency buzz or drone that presented itself at a cruising speed could really drive me to distraction. It was only a couple years ago that a bad overhead light fixture at Home Depot meant that I had to examine the tulip bulb selection underneath it in several rounds since I could only tolerate the buzzing for about 30 seconds at a time. That is too much of a drawback with the higher prices built in. I'll take my chances with AAA and the fix-a-flat kit for now rather than trying to set up a spare and hope I don't get stuck somewhere out in the boonies.

What is the big kick in the rear at this point, is that I discovered that what I AM looking for, at least on paper, DOES exist, but is just impossible to find because nobody has it in stock in the 195/55/16 size. I have been poring over reviews and ratings and eval sites for like a week now and keep finding something that looks promising only to have the reviews scare me off. Now that I have finally amassed enough info to understand how the tradeoff between features goes, I see that the Pirelli P7 is probably the ideal for me and my Z. It performs admirably well in all the categories I know I need, and any shortcomings it has are actually in situations that I am really unlikely to encounter, AND it would appear to be unlikely to annoy me with phantom sounds. Ironically, there is stock of the P7 195/55/16 RUN FLAT I can see that a tire which produces a drone at some speed would make me absolutely nuts.

And now that I know that is the tire I want, sans the RF feature, I am finding that anything else I CAN find feels like it would be dissatisfying because of what the Pirellis appear to offer. It's even more annoying that they are also the least expensive price I have seen for any of the potentially high satisfaction options I narrowed down to by a magnitude. I can pay more for perhaps a similar experience, but I am now annoyed because I am aware that the ideal tire is out there and I just can't get hold of it in time. There are some others that might be decent, but they don't have the data or reviews on them to be sure they are actually in line with what their advertised features say. And I can't stand the FOMO on the Pirellis at this point, but I guess I will have to suck it up or try to find some brick and mortar store in L.A. that has that P7 in stock that nobody has found... I am going to go to my bf's guy on Monday since he's closed on weekends. Maybe he will have something that fits the bill. .

If not, I guess the new shortlist is one of these three, since they are also available within the next week, unless someone tells me something that will disqualify them from the running?
General Altimax RT 43
Yokohama YK740 GTX
Falken Ziex ZE960 A/S

I have never had this much annoyance with trying to buy tires before...Last time I think I just bought whatever was on sale or it didn't really make this much difference on my old Civic... I think I like this Crz too damn much.... I feel like only the best will do.

EDIT: I can get the 205 size in stock of the p7, would that work as well?

 

[k1s]

Lol! This is exactly how it normally goes: lots of opinion based on hearsay, 3rd party reviews and reference to other cars, without direct experience, or relevance. The little extra weight on rf, has no bearing on handling, longevity or economy. It is not universally true that that run flats give you a rougher, louder ride. Most sizes, including the example I gave, can be bought quieter, with better fuel economy and grip than the P7s you're looking at. And of course they're safer given they're more likely to maintain much of their grip in the event of a puncture. My advice: don't be out off by those without direct experience. Run flats on a CR-Z make a lot of sense, can improve fuel economy and grip, quieten the ride don't detract handling at all.

 

[Fediej]

@voxleo 205/50 or 205/55 will work just fine on the CR-Z, just be advised that there will be a slight discrepancy between what your speedometer says and what your actual speed is. -/+ 1mph at 60, respectively.
I've ran the General RT43s before and they are quiet, ride nice and grip well. I don't know about the YK740 but the Yokohama Avid Ascends that I currently have on my CR-Z (25,000+ miles and counting) have been excellent, if that's worth anything to you. Non-RF.

 

[voxleo]

@voxleo 205/50 or 205/55 will work just fine on the CR-Z, just be advised that there will be a slight discrepancy between what your speedometer says and what your actual speed is. -/+ 1mph at 60, respectively.
I've ran the General RT43s before and they are quiet, ride nice and grip well. I don't know about the YK740 but the Yokohama Avid Ascends that I currently have on my CR-Z (25,000+ miles and counting) have been excellent, if that's worth anything to you. Non-RF.

Yes, thank you for the input! Definitely keeping in mind what is pre-tested and approved, as I may go with a second choice depending on what offerings the local fella has. If there are options that I know someone has found a good match for the Z, I will know what to choose if presented with them. It makes me feel better to have affirmation for things that I might have picked also. If there is one thing I noticed, it is that when I see a tire that looks appropriate on paper, then check the consumer reviews, I will find that the outliers from the group opinion are driving similar small Honda. I really notice when the difference of opinion comes from the owner of a Crz in particular! This car seems to know what it likes, just like its owners do, and it may not be the POPULAR thing.

It's kinda like when I was looking for a dentist because I am terribly phobic about that in particular. I went with several recommendations from friends and neighbors only to be so traumatized that I almost never would go again. Then I got the idea to ask Google "Need recommendations for phobic dentist in Los Angeles" or something similar and found one thread with almost that exact question being asked and answered already. Out of 10 or 11 replies, there were three or four separate mentions of the same place and that one went at the top of my list along with the others that were offered because that rarely happens. Usually you might get one or two repeats in the list, but that was about a third of them all for the same place. That is a pattern worth noting. Best dentist ever, and the only one I will even attempt to visit for a checkup without a valium Rx to go.

When I see a mention of a single particular model of tire come up more than three times in a group of people that are all driving the same car, under various conditions, that tells me there is something that is more likely common to the needs of the car and the driver addressed by that model, and it goes on the short list. Similarly, when I see that popular brands are generally having positive reviews and the few that are dissenting voices happen to be driving a Crz when I rarely ever see them out in the population due to rarity, I take note that exception to the rule might be well because of the car its on rather than the tire itself. So it carries weight with me to know that something gets a thumbs up from another Z owner.

I wonder if there is a correlation between which tires are better suited to certain mechanical configurations that make for such trends? The FWD Hondas tend to cluster in negative opinions on reviews, where as a lot of similar types of cars are RWD and the overall opinion is positive. A toyota may be in the same CLASS of car as a Honda, but the driving experience is totally not the same. I didn't like the Toyotas I have driven nearly as much. One of the things I liked about the Crz when I first drove it was how much it was like driving my old Civic Coupe in terms of how it felt whereas others were unfamiliar in where the gears would engage or how to know when to shift. The learning curve was negligible for me making the switch to the Crz as it felt like I had been driving it for years already right away instead of taking some time to adjust. Hondas in general have a particular feel that seems to create the fanbase it has... If you are going to trust the tribe opinions on anything, it should be the same tribe that you usually hang with...

 

[voxleo]

Lol! This is exactly how it normally goes: lots of opinion based on hearsay, 3rd party reviews and reference to other cars, without direct experience, or relevance. The little extra weight on rf, has no bearing on handling, longevity or economy. It is not universally true that that run flats give you a rougher, louder ride. Most sizes, including the example I gave, can be bought quieter, with better fuel economy and grip than the P7s you're looking at. And of course they're safer given they're more likely to maintain much of their grip in the event of a puncture. My advice: don't be out off by those without direct experience. Run flats on a CR-Z make a lot of sense, can improve fuel economy and grip, quieten the ride don't detract handling at all.

Well, I was actually looking at reasons to get the RF tires as justification for the extra cost up front. What I ended up finding was enough reason to avoid spending that extra money, so it's just as well to eliminate that option. The weighting of the potential pros is not enough to overcome the potential cons in a comparative list for my needs. It does seem like they aren't the ideal choice for me based on how much I am likely to benefit from them vs how much I might find as a drawback. The potential for the latter is actually a lot greater probability of occurrence, not just statistically speaking in the area of how likely it is for me to need that function, but in how much inconvenience and expense is involved even should I end up losing a shoe in the case of RF or not...The drawbacks in losing a regular tire are less cumbersome in the comparison than the potential difficulties I might wrestle with whether the RF tires end up being damaged or not, and not as dire in the potential for a catastrophic tire failure. We've had a blowout on the road recently on a trip to Vegas, and the bigger pain in the butt came from the fact that we had to get towed really far to get the special fancy tires to match the ones on my bf's BMW since the regular mobile tire guys that we could have had come just didn't carry it. If he had been running stock tires, we would have been back on the road several hours sooner than we were... and at a much lower cost since the tow itself cost a pretty penny. The availability of something else to put on in case a tire needs replacing is a big factor in the mix.

Most of the opinions are not generic, they are real experiences that people are reporting which give me pause about the RF tires, not so much the way they feel but the financial considerations of them being non-repairable is a huge consideration. I am picky about where I spend my money, and will spend more on something because I only like to spend it once for a thing, rather than having to spend on a cheaper thing several times over again because of quality issues. But if spending more is likely to put me in a position of having to spend more again, then I am not as willing to do that without a really clear benefit to justify that expense. In this case, the peace of mind offered by the protection of an RF tire is not enough motivation to take on the potential risks of dissatisfaction with it when it isn't actively preventing a catastrophic issue. The blowout we had wasn't because of a nail in the road, it was due to a bunch of other contributing factors and even with that happening we didn't experience any kind of massive control loss. The odds of needing to be able to run on the flat with the access to roadside assistance even mid desert are almost nonexistent. It's just not something that I need if I can wait for a tow from AAA instead. Even if they might be just as good as regular tires, they aren't marginally BETTER enough than regular tires to justify my spending more on them in the current budget, and the potential for later expense is enough of a deterrent to me in the knowledge that they won't repair them if they do take a nail..

 

[voxleo]

Well, the local shop didn't have much. There was Goodyear, or a brand called Landspider. I hate spiders, so that was an unfortunate choice. There was a suggested 205 option, but If I go that way, I might as well do the p7 instead. So at least they can get those for me and gave me a better price than I could have gotten.

I have to put something on the car and I am about over the whole thinking about it anymore. With the other options I have priced, 4 of the 205/55r16 P7s for $500 looks like a decent buy since I cannot wait on the 195s 6 week backorder.

I'm pulling the trigger on the p7 in 205 width, and hoping I like the results. The next best choice would have cost more even online, so I think that's as close to what I want that I can get right now.

Will it also affect odometer reading accuracy as well as speed? Maybe I order the right size and resell the 205s when they come in if it messes with the readings too much and I get a speeding ticket...

 

[Fediej]

+/- 1 mph won't impact your odometer enough to worry about, normal wear over the life of your tires already makes it fluctuate that much. I only mentioned it at all in the spirit of full disclosure.

 

[voxleo]

Well in that case, then, I'm pretty psyched, because they ordered them for me, got em in the next day, plus balanced, installed and aligned, all for under $600 total, out the door. My mom was convinced Costco was the way to go, but they took 3 days to get her tires and it cost her more without the alignment. Plus, I get to support a local family business that has been doing ny bf's tires for twenty years.

I guess that is worth some of the struggle...
At least I feel like I made a very informed decision. Had I known nothing, I'd have either spent close to $700, maybe more and not had them aligned at Costco, and not had any options but whatever they had. Or went with the cheaper options and had to drive around with the idea of spiders on my car.