I went to Sam's Club today to replace the original factory Michelin MXV4 tires on my 1992 Honda Accord Accord. I like the way they rode. I could feel the road well and it was kind of a sporty rode to me. But at 11 years old, it was time to replace them. I spent 2 days on the net reading conflicting reviews about tires and basically the consensus was to stay away from the factory Michelin MXV4 tires and that you can get the same ride for much less with a different brand. I chose a BF Goodrich Touring T/A and I immeditately felt like I was driving a big Buick. Felt so soft, no contact with the road whatsoever and felt like my power steering was on maximum strength. After seven miles on these tire, I went back and they were very courteous and told me I could exchange them for another set. They only had a Goodyear tire and the factory MXV4 now called MXV4 Plus XSE. Thinking that well the original ride on the factory MXV4's was ok, might as well put those on. On they went and while they are an improvement over the BF Goodrich's, the car drives so differently in the steering. I still feel that my power steering is maxed out and it's not as hard of a ride. I am an average type driver and I thought I bought a sport luxury sedan, not Chevy Lumina. These tires feel so different on a 1995 Acura Legend, you definitely feel the road with them on that car. I am so embarassed to go back, since all they have now is a lower priced Goodyear and they might think I have a problem. I feel like I am stuck and that $480 went down the drain. Is it possible to sell these tires with only 20 miles on them? How can I make this car connect with the road more so I can feel the road more? Disconnect my power steeering lol? Did I buy the wrong car? This car is better mechanically than my 1986 Pontiac 6000 STE but doesn't have the road feel of it or a 1991-1995 Acura Legend. Perhaps it's because the car is lighter I don't know. I just want to be able to feel the road and want great response.

 

Two things blow me away about your post. You drove on the original tires for 11 years??? Your old tires probably had dry rot so bad that they weren't even compliant anymore, that probably contributed to the harder ride.

Second of all, there is absolutely no mention of tire pressure. What kind of pressure did you have in your old tires? What did the shop put them too?

If you want a more connected to the road feel, I'd work on the suspension. Some sport springs and performance shocks will do wonders. THAT will feel like driving a sportier car. In fact you might like it so much that you want to get a more performance wheel and tire package with more grippy tire.

 

205-55/15

 

Good questions! The old tires were set at 32psi and the new tires are set at 35psi. I only drove the old set of tires for 3,000 miles. The person I bought the car from didn't drive too much. Would buying a wider size Michelin MXV4 like a 205/55/15 help or do I just need to get something else besides Michelin like a Pirelli P400?

 

id get diff brand, if you want performance...i got some Kuhmos

 

Look into the sumitomo HTR200. The are like 42 bucks a tire from Tire Rack and were rated 2nd best.

 

Get a tire with a higher speed rating. Although you may never drive at that speed...the higher speed rating is proportional to the overall tire stiffness. Part of the reason you're feeling that disconnected ride is the soft tire structure.

As someone else suggested, new shocks will also get rid of the floaty feeling. Even new OEM shocks will do wonders. Aftermarket OEM's generally tend to focus on performance, and ride quality/comfort take a back seat. So if you go with aftermarket parts, realize that you may be making some tradeoffs.

Lastly, take some time to play with the tire pressures. About 3 psi up and down from the recommended pressure in your owners manual should give you a good idea how the car handles over a range of tire pressures. Adjust to suit.