Tire Noise on 2002 Honda Civic LX (Canada) - Firestone Tires

Hi All,

Got my Honda Civic 2002 LX (Canadian Model)last Friday.

I think it's a great car.

The only qualm I have about it is the cabin noise level on the
highway.

The car still has its original Firestone tires, and the car only has
26,000KM on it.

The highway noise sounds like an amplified "HUSSSSSSHHHHHHH".

Is this tire related?

I had a Nissan Sentra previously, and the tires were Dunlop. I think
the highway noise was a lot less.

Any Honda Civic drivers out there have similar Firestone experiences?
Recommendations? Is this just the nature of the car?

NSP

 

Hey, I have experienced "loud" tire noise on my 2000 civic... I have since
had winter tires and performance tires on it and there is a difference but
the civics cabin noise is high anyway.

 

On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being lowest, 10 being highest), how much
of a difference in noise did you notice with a change in tires?

I'm currently using Firestone FM690 tires (I remember the 690 part).

NSP

 

I went from 14inch Firestones to 16inch Nexon 2000 (cheaper end performance
tire) and noticed a slight decrease in noise... I would say a 3

I find here in Canada that it depends on what grade of pavement they decided
to use on the road... some types of pavement are louder then others.

 

the FR690s? or whatever? i replaced mine earlier this year. after 6
years, they still had about half the tread left. the rubber was starting
to get harder, though, and at least 2 of the tires had plugs. one had
fixaflat, and the balance was WAY off. so, yeah, it was time.

i went with BFG touring T/As in a +1 size. from 185/65 to 195/60.
quieter, smoother, dont squeal on freeway onramps when i floor it.

 

So what I'm gathering is that the tire plays little role in the level
of cabin noise on the highway.

Anyone out there notice a dramatic change in the way their Honda Civic
sounds in-cabin when their tires are changed from the Firestone FR690
tires?

I'm not talking about screeching turns or hitting the pedal to the
floor - just consistent highway driving at about 100KM/HR.

Regards,
NSP

 

If I bought a new car and it had Firestone tires on it, I'd demand
different tires before I drove if off the lot. If I bought a used car
with Firestones, the first thing I'd do is buy new tires that weren't
Firestones. Even before all the trouble with them on Fords, I hated
Firestone tires. IMO, just looking at them, you can see the inferior
quality of the rubber.

Check out www.tirerack.com and read reviews about different tires in
your size. You'll be able to see which one rates highest for low road
noise.

 

I've been to tirerack.com and I do see that the FR690s are at the
bottom of the list in all respects.

How important do you rate tires in reducing cabin noise on a highway
(scale from 1 - 10, please).

NSP

 

That doesn't surprise me in the least. I'm no tire guru, but Firestones
just *look* bad and their rep proves that in this instance, you *can*
judge a book by its cover!

I personally would rate tire noise as an important factor. But, the
trouble is, tires are not a purchase you can "try on" and see if you
like them. You basically have to trust feedback from other consumers to
find the qualities you're looking for.

My most recent experience with tires and noise came from replacing
Bridgestone Duelers with Kumho Ecstas on my Lexus RX300. The Kumho had
more of a performance tread on them. I noticed road noise from them at
55mph and above. They sang and it wasn't real annoying, but I noticed it
more with the Kumhos than the Bridgestones.

Good luck finding the fit for your needs.