I have 59,000 mi on my 2018 Honda clarity now and I'm ready to change the oem tires. I've been through the several discussions about this on this forum but haven't found muchimuch on my particular question. I've noticed that the car has a lot of road noise and there is some slippage when cornering on a tight freeway interchange for example. There was one report that someone changed to 245/40r18 Michelin alpines for better handling, but this slightly decreases the tire diameter by about half an inch. I have a bike rack that already has some difficulty with clearance on steep slopes, so I wanted to maintain (actually slightly increase) the height by switching to 245/45r18 instead. Any thoughts on this? I'm sure there will be some loss in mpg that varies with whichever new tires installed, but can anyone who's changed the tires to a different size chime in on real experiences and tire recommendations? I'm considering Yokohama gk470 GTX and pirelli p7 all season. Mainly want something with better handling, smoother ride, and less noise.
I’m thinking of 235/50 r17. Same width, same height, but more sidewall, tires are cheaper too. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Rclarity2018 Here is a link to another thread about tires from earlier this year. Has some good info. https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/ready-for-new-tires.8093/ Keep us posted on what you decide on.
Think you need a new wheel though for r17 right? Stock wheels are 18". Thanks for the link. I ended up buying Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus 235/45r18 94H since I found them at a really good price point compared to anything else. They are OEM size but the speed rating is one level lower (H instead of stock V). I've read there could be some differences in handling with a lower speed rating, but I'm not sure how noticeable it will be. I'm still waiting for the tires to come in so once I get them installed and have some miles on them I'll update.
I don’t like the oem clarity rims, if I’m replacing the tires, i might as well replace the rims. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
You're correct, I just went out and checked. For some reason I had written them down as 17. Are the optional steel rims also 18"?
I see only optional alloy wheels and they're also 18" https://automobiles.honda.com/-/media/Honda-Automobiles/Vehicles/2020/Clarity-Plug-In-Hybrid/Build-and-Price/Build-and-Price-Modals/Wheels/2020-clarity-phev-18-in-accessory-alloy-wheel-1400-1x.jpg
If you are getting steel rims for winter tires you don't need to stick to the OEM size. I plan to get some 17" steelies once our neighbors across the border allow us "non-essential" folks in. For some reason the 17" Michelin's are so much cheaper than the 18 on eBay that it would up cheaper with the rims than the 18" tires alone. A no brainer for me.