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2019 Accord Sport 1.5T Best Approach To Soften Ride

6K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Andrew O 
#1 ·
Background: my local Honda dealer had a big sale event so I bought this Sport 1.5T. I would have bought an EX, but 2019 EX all sold out already.

The current 235-40-19 tires are a little to bumpy for me, especially in my city (way up north with plenty of portholes). I am thinking to change my tire size (without changing wheel) when this set is used up. Here are the options I am looking at:

0) 235-40-19 has a side wall height of 94mm. This is my benchmark.
1) 245-40-19 side wall 98mm, total diameter off by 0.7%
2) 255-40-19 side wall 102mm, total diameter off by 1.4%
3) 225-45-19 side wall 101.25mm, total diameter off by 1.3%
4) 235-45-19 side wall 105.75mm, total diameter off by 2.0%

Essentially, the higher the side wall the more comfortable the ride. But then there is increased wheel tire rubbing. Should I just pick 2 or 3, or can I pick 4 and still be safe?
Between 2 and 3, 3 would be more nimble to drive but I don't know if 225 would have a reliable fit on the wheel. Thank you!
 
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#2 ·
I don't think 5mm of sidewall is going to make a difference you can feel. The sidewall is not the only factor in a softer ride. You will likely need to go down to 17" wheels to accomplish your goal. Many others on this board have done so.
 
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#5 ·
As a matter of fact, I am currently driving on 225-50-17 winter tire. They are sufficiently supple for me. Their side wall is 112.5mm, which is 18.5mm more than the orignial 235-40-19. My choice #4 is 11.75mm more than original and 6.75mm less than winter tire. That's something I am OK with but just not sure about the tire rubbing part.
 
#3 ·
I really doubt any of what you are trying to do is going to make any difference.
You need to bite the bullet, and downsize the wheel and tires....you're buying new tires anyway, right??
And grumpypolecat is spot on.
5mm is half the width of your pinky nail...no way that is going to matter.
So why not just "cry once" when you buy the wheels, too?
That way you'll never have to worry.
 
#4 ·
My vote goes to going down to 17" wheels. Also what contributes to the Sport trim's rougher ride is the suspension configuration Honda went with to make it more sporty. Strangely enough the stock 17" wheel and tire setup of 225/50/17 is smaller than the stock 19" 235/40/19 setup. So for any Accords going from stock 19" wheel setup to 17", 235/50/17 would keep the overall wheel and tire size the same. Another downside to the 19" Sport wheels is that they are very heavy, so other benefits to downsizing to 17" would be better acceleration and braking as well as better fuel economy.
 
#6 ·
Put your 19" wheels up for trade with another Accord owner who wants to "upgrade" their 17s to 19. This way you will be skipping the trouble of dismounting existing tires, getting rid of existing tires, mounting new tires and balancing them. You may even walk away from this trade with some cash instead of throwing a stack of it out the window. If you immediately switched from 19s to winters, then they are new; you can also talk to the dealership you bought the car from about a switch with another accord on the lot.
 
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