I've got a 2011 Fit Sport and it's new tire time. No modifications aside from a Progress rear sway.

The tires that are on there (Goodyear Assurance all seasons) are 185 wide and they don't really have great grip in the wet during "spirited driving". I don't know if this is from the tires themselves or from the narrowish width. I'm considering Continental DWS06 in a 205 50r16. It looks like they'd be a substantially similar diameter to stock and fit without rubbing, but I figured I'd check in with you all to see if there'd be any drawbacks to stepping up in width.

I'm running the stock Sport wheels, which I believe are 6" wide.

 

I've got the 205's on 7" wide wheels and they fit pretty well. They sit straight, not stretched or bulging, and do still protect the wheel. The internet has the ideal wheel width as being 6.5", but the acceptable range is 5.5-7.5".
I think a 195 would fit better for the stock sport, and I'd probably give these tires a try.
Should still provide improved grip.

If you opt for 205's you'll have more summer options.

 

I have 205 tires on the stock sport wheels.
Tires are a bit wide for the wheels, but they fit OK.

 

I've had 205s on Enkei RPF01s (16x7 +43) and they look fine, but had over time, done some fender rolling in the rear (the tires themselves bashed the inner lip of the fender!!!). In the front, they have rubbed on the fender liner if I'm doing a particularly hard turn and hit a bump at the same time (has to be both).

I don't think I've ever had 205s on the stock wheels... but I'd imagine because it has a higher offset, it would avoid those two issues, but on the flip side, it would look like they bulge out more and plus, be closer to the suspension parts on the inside (again, due to offset).

I currently have 205s on 17"x7 wheels... and I'm not happy. For a long time, my biggest issue was how it looked. It looked like it was lightly stretched to fit the wheel. If it only ended there, it would be just barely bearable, but nope... apparently now, I'm prone to curb rashing it everywhere I go. There just isn't enough tire sidewall bulging/sticking out to feel the curb, before I bash the wheel on that curb.

With the 16" wheels, there's more sidewall height, which means a little bit more stretching outwards.

Stock wheels are 6.5" wide, so not much narrower than the 16x7 I had. But it's enough to give 205s a "meaty" look.

On another note... I used to think "wider tires equal more grip" no questions asked. But in reality, wider tires also mean less force pushing down on a given spot. The total weight gets spread over the contact surface. And one factor of traction (friction?) is force applied. Though, since it's total force, it doesn't really change things? That said, I still use wider tires. BUT, this is very important... the quality of the tire matters a LOT more. I like Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06+ (though the pre-06 more than the recent versions). Damn long ass names.

I was gonna post a link from TireRack, but apparently that relies on cookies to pull the correct data and won't work without the cookie.

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus vs GoodYear Assurance All-season

User recomendations: (8.3 million miles user reported on Conti vs 2.8 on GY)
Would You Recommend 8.9 vs 3.8
Wet 9.1 vs 6.3
Dry 9.2 vs 7.6
Winter / Snow 7.7 vs 5.1
Comfort 8.9 vs 6.5
Treadwear 8.6 vs 6.3

They are different categories and price, but I'd say it's worth it, if not for this particular tire, for something of similar performance.

TR's rating from their reports are a little better for GY. There are some numbers (measured) that make the GY better than the Contis (traction during snow is interesting), but most of the other numbers (ratings) are either subjective or in comparison to other tires in the same category. And the vehicle and actual tire size used plays some into it too.

 

Killer post

its funny. even working as a tire guy, and regional warranty guy, meeting (one or two) brand reps and inspecting several hundred tires a day, I still didn't get access to discussions regarding tread design research. even in one on one chats, nobody really knew anything. No mention of why this arrangement of sipes works better than that one, or why this rubber compound blah blah blah. What I learned is that grip is a trade-off with durability and to pick tires based on the UTQG. AA/A 600 is a pretty well rounded rubber. 800's hard as rocks, 400 will be gone in 20k miles.. but all brands create those ratings based on their own sample tire, so it's not a guarantee. So, I look at the mileage warranty too. Preferably something with ≥50k promised miles.

Went with the 205/50s because it's what import tuner magazine did and because I slid like crazy in the rain on the original base tires and wanted to stop. It worked!

@Goobers did those contis wear out in the center of the treadblock? They've got great reviews and seem to preform, but I had stacks of hundreds of pro contacts with 2-3/32 in the shoulders and bald/belt showing in the center. Thats.. dated info though.

 

Somewhere along the way I read that 16x7 is the true size for the GE8 and that 205s are the ideal size for 16x7, so... I have my Avid Ascend GTs waiting to go on my Rotas and on the car soon

 

195 Yokohamas on a 15x7 have been really amazing. Super balanced.