Honda Car Forum

I have standard Goodyears on my tires which are H-rated (I hate them lol). I was talking to a friend last night and he recommended me to switch to Kumhos or Yokohamas, which are W rated tires. Will I see much of a difference in my car's performance by changing the speed rating? Do any other brands also work for my 16-inches, such as Continentals or Pirelli's?The standard specs for my tires that I have/need are 205/55R16

tires are only rated for wear not for performance.. any tire will ride the same if properly inflated and balanced.. the only difference is how many miles it will give you.. also a bias belted tire will not perform well a radial gives better overall performance ok

I don't think you hate your tires for their speed rating, you probably hate them for handling/ comfort (you can't feel the difference in the different ratings). You really won't see any difference in performance, because a speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed that the tire can sustain for a ten minute endurance without being in danger. The H-rated tires you have right now are rated at 130 MPH and that's perfect for you since the Civic has a top speed governed at 125 MPH. You can get a higher speed rated tire, but don't go below H-rated (130 MPH). If you want better performance, think about getting wider tires (and/or bigger rims), that will give you better handling. I have an '03 Accord and use Toyos on my stock 16" rims, and Kumhos on my 18" aftermarket rims. Both are great, but overall, I think Toyos are better (but more money).

Well, Kumho also makes an H-rated tire in that size too.It is the Solus KH-16 and it is a nice touring performance tire.