Haven't posted in a while mainly because my Fit is so trouble-free.

Went to buy new tires yesterday and specifically requested 205-50-16 instead of the stock size. Picked it up after dark. This morning I see they put the stock 185-55-16 size on it.

I'm going back today. Stay tuned. I'm not aware of any negatives using 205-50's?

 

Heavier, worse steering feel, worse fuel economy & no noticeable improvement in highway stability.

Not sure why you'd bother than for better tire options.

 

Several here have recommended 205/50 for handling and braking improvements, which were OK to begin with. I got the tire brand I wanted, Michelin Premiere.

It rides and handles fine with the new 185/55 tires.
If there is no real advantage, maybe I shouldn't bother swapping them out.

Thank you for being the voice of reason, LOL.

 

I actually switched one of my sets of wheels from the 205/50/16 that were on them when I bought them to the 185/55/16 I had put on my stock wheels.

 

So having experienced both, your opinion is not to bother with 205's?
I poked around to forum a bit and the only clear advantage is shorter stopping distances. I accelerate like a fool, but I don't push the cornering and stopping beyond reason.

 

Correct. That is my opinion, but I don't push my Fit very hard.

 

Being that the 205/50 is an accessory tire size that Honda uses, you should be fine. You may notice minor differences like a little more sidewall flex or steering being slightly more numb than usual if you had the tires mounted on the factory 6 inch wide wheels (Honda recommends them with their 6.5 wide accessory wheels BUT 7 inch wide wheels are usually best with 205s). Though, not enough to affect you in the typical, gently driven daily driver.

The decreased stopping distance is likely due to the 20 mm larger contact patch. You may see minor differences in acceleration due to additional weight from the tire but minutely shorter diameter tire.

Linked below is a wheel/tire fitment site with factory GE8 Sport wheels vs. the GE8 Mugen XJ (if I remember right) accessory wheels.

Online Wheel and Tyre Fitment Calculator. Offset, Tyre Stretch and Speedo Error | Will They Fit

 

I'm looking to replace my stock Firestones (185/55/16) on my GK with some General Altimax RT43 205/50/16.

The attributes I'm looking for a slightly more compliant ride and also more rim protection. I've had some knicks in the wheel from hitting potholes, and also a tire blow out. I'm hoping a slightly wider tire will give some additional protection. Hoping the braking performance will increase because of the slightly larger contact patch.

I'm hoping it won't affect gas mileage much, but at this point I'm getting 42-44 MPG per tank consistently. It's already better than the 38 highway that the GK is rated for so I've got some room to lose. According to Tirerack, the larger General tire is the same weight as the stock Firestone so hopefully that won't affect acceleration as much.

Hopefully they didn't charge you extra for the stock size tires.

 

Actually they were $12 a tire cheaper.

I've decided to stay with the stock size they gave me. They apologized for the mistake and thought the order-taker screwed up.

It snows a lot around here and I think the stock size will do better than the wider ones. I get around 30 mpg and would hate to lose mpg just for wider tires. I have to remind myself this is my go-to-work commuter car and not a race car, but it is fun to drive.

Thanks for everybody's help! Merry Christmas!

 

Yup, the Fit is my commuter car too and I really don't want less MPG, but I may trade off slightly if I get some extra fun. There is about 18 miles of back roads on my daily commute that is really fun. It's a welcome distraction on a long drive.

OK, just wanted to make sure they didn't charge you for the wider tires and then give you the 185s

Merry Christmas to you too!

 

I didn't notice any actual improvements with the 205 that I swapped off for my old 185's. You'll gain way more switching to a better tire in the same size than you would the same sort of tire in a wider size.

IE: Yokohama S.Drive to Yokohama AD08R in same size > S.Drive in 195/50/15 to S.Drive in 205/50/15

And if the tire is too wide for the wheel (which 205 section width is for a 6" wide wheel (or even 7" wide) IMO, you'll lose some 'bite' on turn-in.

 

Switching from stock 185/55-16's to 205/50-16's on my 09 Fit Sport vastly improved its stability at highway speeds, especially in cross winds and when being passed by tractor trailers.

 

I just replaced my OEM Bridgestone tires with the Altimax (stock size) and absolutely love them! Had them put on last week. They are much quieter and they act like a snow tire in the snow. I was more than impressed.

 

Keep in mind -- almost ANY new tire replacing a well worn older tire is going to be much quieter when first put on the car....

 

hi, did you replaced your stock tyres with 205/5016? any feedback. im an owner of GK5 as well. thanks