Personally, I wouldn't use 205/55/16 tires. But that's just me (and a few others). On the flipside, there are a few people that do use that size.

I won't go into the pros and cons of it. Most of the performance aspects... well, is kinda debatable.

There's one thing you have to watch out for... speed. Some folks are picky... and if you are particular about your speed, that size is off. Then there's cops. Now, if you are pushing the speed limit, using the "grace" that cops allow (most cops will allow you to go +5 mph over limit, some places up to +10 mph)... then with the new size, you think you're going only +10 over, but in reality you're going fast enough for a cop to give you a ticket. I've gotten a speeding ticket for going 12 mph over limit. And even in some REALLY strict places, where people know an anal cop will ticket for just 1 mph over... and you think you're going exactly speed limit because that's what the speedo indicates... you're going to get that ticket.

 

I just took a look and I see the 205/50/16 DWS there?
Continental ExtremeContact DWS

Like goobz says the 55 will put your speedo over by about 3MPH

 

Thanks for the replies so far. Yep, I was a bit squeamish about the difference in speed, so I'll have to think a little about it... and thanks for finding the 205/50/16 online - when I did a search, it didn't show up. What about with the 205/50/16s? Do they distort the speed? Any other yay or nay replies to this size would be very much appreciated!

 

I have 205/50/16 Conti DWS on my Fit.

Do they distort the speed? Technically, yes. The 205/50/16 tires are a hair larger than the stock tire 185/55/16 tires. But here's the oddity in that... my speedometer, now matches what the GPS says. The original tires ended up causing my speedometer and my GPS to report different speeds (the Fit would say 35, while the GPS said only 34 mph). The GPS, matched the mounted police radars (the one that say "Your Speed is").

 

Interesting! Sounds like the 205/50/16s are ones I can live with in terms of any speed distortion. I don't speed a lot anyway, so I'm guessing I won't be pulled over for wild speeds, and I'll take into account any discrepancy.

What kind of GPS do you own?

 

I have used the Conti's ,on another car & liked them also.

 

You're not going to 'see' any speedo difference.

One thing I noticed right off was the difference in handling. It's a slightly wider tire than what's on your car now plus they're new. You're going to have a more positive control of things that might feel strange at first. I would suggest having them set at 36psi all around.

Post back and tell us how you like them.

Oh yea, welcome to the freakworld - good folks abound_

 

Unless you're anal like I am and constantly compare the speeds. Its actually really hard to see the difference when looking at the speedometer with its analog arm, but I also have an Ultragauge that reports the speed digitally.

I definitely agree that it'll feel better with more pressure than the Honda recommended 33psi. I have mine at 38 psi, but I sometimes think its a little too firm at that pressure (I feel just about everything I run over). One day, I might drop it back down to 35 or 36 and see if its a good compromise.

I had a Garmin nuvi 760. Now, I have a Kenwood 9980 in-dash navigation radio (which uses Garmin for navigation).

 

Thanks. Will do, I'll post back after I've bought and tried them a little. And thanks for the welcome! I'm glad to be on the forum; it makes such a difference to "talk" to fellow freaks!!

 

I'm going to consider getting a GPS. I've been holding out, thinking I'm not an aficionado about those things - but I see their benefits and think I could have fun with one. I'll look into the ones you have/had.

Thanks for the advice on psi! I'll definitely start with 35 or 36.

 

Well, the main reason I got the 760 was because I do deliveries, and having a GPS makes finding a street and house infinitely easier. Though, now I'm familiar with most of the streets.

However, on occasion, I will decide to just wander around. The GPS helps me see what roads are around without having to look for the street signs. Plus, it lessens the likelihood of me actually getting lost when i go to unfamiliar places.

I moved to the in-dash unit to reduce the clutter of wires I built up.

 

Understood! Thanks so much for the info! I'm loving this forum.

 

Oh, and one more thing... I've decided on the Continental all-season tires, and I'm wondering if I should get snow tires immediately as well. I'm in New England (MA), where we haven't gotten much snow this season. Yet, that is! With the Continentals, do you think I could get away with using them in moderate snow, or maybe some ice, or do I need to purchase snow tires immediately in that case?
Thanks
Carole

 

Like I said in another thread that had a similar question... don't bother getting both Conti DWS and winter tires.

The DWS are all season tires, meant to be used in winter by those than can use them. And in comparison to other A/S tires, the DWS are one of the best in snow. But if you get dedicated winter tires, then you're negating one of the bigger reasons to getting the DWS tires.

So, you have to make a choice... use just the DWS or go with a summer/winter combo. Now, you can choose to go with the DWS this winter to at least see if it is enough for winter and then move to a summer/winter combo later on, if you think that it isn't enough. To make it a little easier on the wallet, you can use the DWS as temporary summer tires until they're completely worn down. Except for perhaps the first winter , do not use them as temporary winter tires. They lose their snow handling before they lose their dry/wet handling.

 

I think I see what you're saying, which is my thinking as well. I could get the Continentals first, see how they do this winter, and if they are okay, I could keep them on all year until the winter treading wears. Assuming they'll last a long time after that, I'll keep them on for 3 seasons and then buy a snow tire package.
Thanks!
Carole

 

who knows what we are in store for ,you might not even get much snow driving this yr- keeping my fingers crossed ! best of luck with them

 

I've been running my 205/50/16 Conti DWS since March 2010. So I've put probably 22k+ on the tires. They honestly still look new. I have never lost confidence or traction in them and would buy them again tomorrow if I needed a new set.

 

You all have convinced me - I'm going to try the Continentals! I will let you know how they are. Thanks SO much for all the great advice!

 

The gps should be more accurate, especially the faster you go. Any auto gps should be accurate, a phone one maybe somewhat accurate, but slower to refresh. I have a 5year old garmin nuvi and its accurate

But more of the speed difference can just be the setup of the tire. Think about tread depth. New vs old is 8/32ds. Times two gives you a half inch in diameter difference. Higher air pressure can also add a miniscule, but perhaps significant amount too

 

I had up to 35 psi in the OE tires. I swapped them to the Conti at about 13k miles on them. They were never "on the mark." The difference (even though barely perceivable with just the analog dial), was the main reason I started being more anal about checking the GPS to see whether or not the speedometer matched the GPS.

I haven't checked my air pressure in the last few weeks, but I did pump them up to about 38 psi around new years (since it's also colder now... I probably lost 1 or 2 psi since then). And my car now reads almost 40k miles. Which means, I've been on the Conti for about 27k miles. This includes 15 minutes of track time and parts of my 11k mile road trip, that probably ate up the tread a little faster than normal (you could hear the tires screaming on some of the mountain curves ). And my speedometer still matches the GPS.