Konig Helium 15x6.5 w/Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60R15 review...
#1
Konig Helium 15x6.5 w/Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60R15 review...
I have recently upgraded to:
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
[youtube]
[youtube]
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.
- Konig Helium 15x6.5" wheels
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60R15 tires
- Arospeed 12X1.5MM 50MM EXTENDED ALUMINUM RACING CAPPED LUG NUTS ORANGE/BLACK
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
- quiet tire - first and foremost - the Firestone 705's were oh so noisy
- decent cornering stability on dry pavement
- no hit in gas mileage
- sporty look w/o going over the top
- cheap - becuase I am a cheap SOB
- no significant change in speedometer
- decent snow performance for an all season
- easy to clean wheels - stock gloss black alloys are hard to clean in nooks and crannies and show dirt
- decent dirt road performance - I camp, I camp a lot
- decent ride
- long tread life
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
- Stock 2018 Sport (fully painted gloss black) wheels w/Firestone 740's, 6500 mi, 7/32's tread with balance weights & valve stems = 39.6 lbs.
- Wheels only w/valve stems, w/center caps no balance weights = 21.6 lbs.
- Firestone 740 7/32's tread = 17.8 lbs. Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs.
- Stock Chrome Lug Nuts = 32.25 g each
- Stock Locking Lug Nuts = 40.75 g each
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) w/ Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r15 new with balance weights & valve stems = 28.4 lbs
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) new from Konig.com 11.4 lbs.
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r16 Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.
Last edited by glasswave; 11-11-2019 at 06:43 AM.
#4
this is a fantastic review! I was in the same boat, and went with konig's dial in wheels. no ragrets
also, GOOD TO KNOW, that discount tires will price match amazons pricing on wheels! that is sweet! just imagine if they had a promo running where if you buys wheels + tires = qualify for a $100 rebate or whatever.... thats money in the bank
also, GOOD TO KNOW, that discount tires will price match amazons pricing on wheels! that is sweet! just imagine if they had a promo running where if you buys wheels + tires = qualify for a $100 rebate or whatever.... thats money in the bank
#5
I had a chance to push the TrueContacts around in the snow this morning. My impression was that they did quite well, not winter tire well, but still quite well. I may be suffering from confirmation bias, but these tires seem as good as any all seasons I have run in snow. That said, they are very, very new. New tires always perform better in snow and this performance falls off quickly in the first 1500 to 2000 miles then deteriorates slowly as the tread depth recedes.
I got a little bit of fresh snow parking lot time and got on the interstate was able to mash a few long, deep slush piles at 60+ (not recommenced in traffic or at speed). The tires tracked as well as could be expected in the slush and you can use some brake feathering to reduce under-steer when cornering at imprudent speeds. By the way, the wheels never clogged up or got packed with snow, nor did the brakes get snow packed.
I am also new to the Fit in snow driving. I wish I had got out earlier when the snow was fresher and rallied the neighborhood for a little longer. One thing I learned, if you are trying to run the Fit rally car style in fresh snow, turn off traction control and econ mode.
I got a little bit of fresh snow parking lot time and got on the interstate was able to mash a few long, deep slush piles at 60+ (not recommenced in traffic or at speed). The tires tracked as well as could be expected in the slush and you can use some brake feathering to reduce under-steer when cornering at imprudent speeds. By the way, the wheels never clogged up or got packed with snow, nor did the brakes get snow packed.
I am also new to the Fit in snow driving. I wish I had got out earlier when the snow was fresher and rallied the neighborhood for a little longer. One thing I learned, if you are trying to run the Fit rally car style in fresh snow, turn off traction control and econ mode.
Last edited by glasswave; 12-03-2019 at 02:49 AM.
#6
I have recently upgraded to:
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
Tested: Continental TrueContact in Winter | Tire Rack [youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NYaBfYzxQ&t=17s [youtube]
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.
- Konig Helium 15x6.5" wheels
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60R15 tires
- Arospeed 12X1.5MM 50MM EXTENDED ALUMINUM RACING CAPPED LUG NUTS ORANGE/BLACK
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
- quiet tire - first and foremost - the Firestone 705's were oh so noisy
- decent cornering stability on dry pavement
- no hit in gas mileage
- sporty look w/o going over the top
- cheap - becuase I am a cheap SOB
- no significant change in speedometer
- decent snow performance for an all season
- easy to clean wheels - stock gloss black alloys are hard to clean in nooks and crannies and show dirt
- decent dirt road performance - I camp, I camp a lot
- decent ride
- long tread life
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
Tested: Continental TrueContact in Winter | Tire Rack [youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NYaBfYzxQ&t=17s [youtube]
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
- Stock 2018 Sport (fully painted gloss black) wheels w/Firestone 740's, 6500 mi, 7/32's tread with balance weights & valve stems = 39.6 lbs.
- Wheels only w/valve stems, w/center caps no balance weights = 21.6 lbs.
- Firestone 740 7/32's tread = 17.8 lbs. Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs.
- Stock Chrome Lug Nuts = 32.25 g each
- Stock Locking Lug Nuts = 40.75 g each
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) w/ Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r15 new with balance weights & valve stems = 28.4 lbs
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) new from Konig.com 11.4 lbs.
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r16 Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.
#8
This has been a very good upgrade for me. Quieter, better ride, better cornering, much better snow performance, lighter and perhaps more mpg. Speedometer accuracy id perfect as well..
#9
Hey, thanks for the pictures, glasswave!
I am thinking about getting the same exact 15" wheel on my 2016 Yellow Fit EX.
Do you have pictures to show how far the tires come out of the front fenders?
I noticed all your pictures have the front wheels turned.
I am thinking about getting the same exact 15" wheel on my 2016 Yellow Fit EX.
Do you have pictures to show how far the tires come out of the front fenders?
I noticed all your pictures have the front wheels turned.
Last edited by kittenbutt; 07-17-2021 at 08:37 PM.
#10
Hey, thanks for the pictures, glasswave!
I am thinking about getting the same exact 15" wheel with Yokohama Avid Ascend GT in the same size.
Since the calculator says:
Inner Clearance: +6.65mm or 0.26" (more clearance, so won't rub)
Outer Position: +19.35mm or 0.76"
Do you have pictures to show how far the tires come out of the fender in the front?
I noticed all your pictures have the front wheels turned.
How is your gas mileage long term now? Still better?
I am thinking about getting the same exact 15" wheel with Yokohama Avid Ascend GT in the same size.
Since the calculator says:
Inner Clearance: +6.65mm or 0.26" (more clearance, so won't rub)
Outer Position: +19.35mm or 0.76"
Do you have pictures to show how far the tires come out of the fender in the front?
I noticed all your pictures have the front wheels turned.
How is your gas mileage long term now? Still better?
Gas mileage has stayed higher, but as stated, this my have little to do with wheels/tires.
.
#13
OK thanks for sharing! I can't wait to get rid of the 16" OEM wheels and tires.
#14
Any rubbing on the tires to this day?
Still reluctant on +40 offset vs +45.
A pic from the front and top view of front wheel straight would really help!
Thanks
#15
I live in an area with huge dips and regularly drive my car on dirt roads filled with washboards and potholes. I do not experience rubbing.
#17
I jumped on the bandwagon and got the same rims and tires. As expected going any tire of this size, the feel of the bumps and rough roads is much less. So the equals a more comfortable ride. However, it seems like the road noise and tire noise is not much less than with the original Firestones during highway speeds. I couldn't tell for sure if there's a hit on mileage. There's so much more available for this tire size than the 16s, and they are cheaper too. So, that is a definitely plus. The rims and wheels look very nice on the car. The overall ride experience is improved for me regarding the softer ride. There's no hit on traction control and taking curves. The town driving is very soft and quiet. I didn't make hard starts and stops. The braking is just as good as before if not better. And turning was very easy.
#19
I Hate You.
I have recently upgraded to:
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
Tested: Continental TrueContact in Winter | Tire Rack [youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NYaBfYzxQ&t=17s [youtube]
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.
- Konig Helium 15x6.5" wheels
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60R15 tires
- Arospeed 12X1.5MM 50MM EXTENDED ALUMINUM RACING CAPPED LUG NUTS ORANGE/BLACK
My goals in a tire and wheel setup fall in the following order...
- quiet tire - first and foremost - the Firestone 705's were oh so noisy
- decent cornering stability on dry pavement
- no hit in gas mileage
- sporty look w/o going over the top
- cheap - becuase I am a cheap SOB
- no significant change in speedometer
- decent snow performance for an all season
- easy to clean wheels - stock gloss black alloys are hard to clean in nooks and crannies and show dirt
- decent dirt road performance - I camp, I camp a lot
- decent ride
- long tread life
First off, the Continental TrueContact Tour is rated as one of the quietest tires on tirerack.com and it lives up to that reputation. At freeway speeds on the stock Firestone 740's, tire noise was the most noticeable noise. Now it's wind noise, the TrueContact Tour's are VERY quiet.
The tires track well on the dry and are at least as sticky as the Firestone's. I'd say a slight improvement.
I have dropped almost 30% in rotational weight (see weights at the end of this review) going from 40 to 28lbs per corner. I thought I felt that right off the bat the car got rolling a little bit easier when driving hyper mile style and one study says that dropping 48lbs on wheels/tires is like taking 480lbs from the car in 0-60 performance. I any respect, I seem to be getting about a 20% mpg increase for city driving, but I have been making other changes like non-ethanol gas and 88 octane vs 85 octance 15% corn syrup gasoline. I am currently running at 37/34 psi.
The wheels look good. I rattle canned the center caps to black. And the orange lug nuts are pimp daddy. The wheels offer a much more airy look and make me feel like the calipers should be painted orange. But what to do with the rear drums?
The 195/60R15 tires offer a 24" to 24.2" change in diameter adding just .5 mph at 60 mph. With 15 inch wheels and the higher profile tires I end up with another inch of sidewall, which should result in a softer ride, especially on dirt road.
I have not tried the tires in snow yet, but Tirerack calls it the best all season that they have ever run in snow.
The wheels are much easier to clean and the flat black looks better when dirty.
The ride quality has definitely improved on dirt roads, especially if I drop pressure to 25psi, but I worry about the durability of the Konig Heliums at low pressures.
The TrueContacts are rated to 80K mile so they should last for quite a while. We shall see.
This ended up being a very cheap upgrade. After selling the Firestones for $150 and the stock wheels for $500, with discount tire matching the amazon price for the Konigs at $83 and the tires at walmart for $92 plus taking a discount tire credit card to save another $50, I ended up paying just $85 for new tires AND wheels!
In summation, if your goals are similar to mine, I highly recommend this upgrade.
Tested: Continental TrueContact in Winter | Tire Rack [youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NYaBfYzxQ&t=17s [youtube]
Weights...
Using my bathroom scale which seems pretty accurate...
- Stock 2018 Sport (fully painted gloss black) wheels w/Firestone 740's, 6500 mi, 7/32's tread with balance weights & valve stems = 39.6 lbs.
- Wheels only w/valve stems, w/center caps no balance weights = 21.6 lbs.
- Firestone 740 7/32's tread = 17.8 lbs. Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs.
- Stock Chrome Lug Nuts = 32.25 g each
- Stock Locking Lug Nuts = 40.75 g each
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) w/ Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r15 new with balance weights & valve stems = 28.4 lbs
- Konig Helium (15x6.5) new from Konig.com 11.4 lbs.
- Continental TrueContact Tour 195/60r16 Weight Listed as new in TireRack.com Specs = 18.0 lbs
I saved about 11.2 lbs. per wheel/tire or 45 lbs total or about 30% less rotational weight.