Smoother ride please

[njcorny]

I have an 09 2.4 L base model with 17s and the ride is so rough. I'm too old to be feeling every bump in the road. My old 2004 was so much better. What size wheels/tires can I put on my car to get a smoother ride? Will I be sacrificing too much control at high speeds? I know the speedometer won't match, but will it read higher or lower? That I can deal with. What is my best option?

[Raven]

The '09 Vibe also came with 205/55/16 which is only 1.06% larger in circumference. http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Size-Calculator

It will ride smoother and you probably will notice very little difference in handling.

I have 225/45/17 summer wheels and tires on my '06. It is much smoother on the 16 inch (205/55/16) winter wheels and tires.

[vibenvy]

My mom and I both have 2009 Vibe GTs with the OEM 18" wheels and 215/45/18 tires. We switch to 16" steel wheels, wheel covers and 205/55/16 tires from the 2009-2010 Vibe 2.4L Base / AWD for the winter months. The ride is significantly smoother and less harsh and handling does not seem to affected at all. IMO, downsizing to 16" wheels and tires would be your best / cheapest / easiest option to achieve a better ride on your 2009 2.4L Base.

Keep in mind when looking at different wheels that the bolt pattern for every 2009-2010 Vibe with the 2.4L engine is 5x114.3 .

[vibrologist]

Hi njcorny:

I agree with raven and vibenvy.

The tire size, specifically the height of the sidewall will make the biggest difference. Of course there are differences between the specific tire models. I quickly searched Tire Rack for reasonably priced all season tires that rank high overall and have high ranks in ride comfort in 205/55-16. It boiled down to 3:
BF Goodrich Advantage T/A
General Altimax HP (closeout, $77.00!!!!)
General Altimax RT 43 T-speed rated

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareTi ... 055HR6SIG2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ParknVibe]

I keep all the tires (with the 17" wheels) at 36-37 PSI.....It actually helps with ride..plus better MPG.

[KITT222]

Tire size helps ride height. Specifically, more sidewall, more sidewall flex, thus more padding. However, you can get 15s with stiff sidewalls, so ever just a touring or GT (grand touring) tire will help. That said, your best bet is to go down a size to the 16" rims, and get some comfy tires. I've found the Nexen N5000s I've had on my car have lots of sidewall flex, but good grip. But that's my VERY limited experience. Tirerack.com will have lots of data to peruse if you decide to go that way.