Best tyre size for Fiesta TDCi

Hi,

We've done over 55,000 kms, from naked eyes one can say there is little more life left in tyres but I can feel the vibrations on steering and drive is not smooth also its going in left direction now. Checked alignment and its fine, after alignment while testing car was going in right direction and I told the alignment guy see its going right but he told me alignment is okey this is tyre problem and your tyres needs to be replaced now as normally mrf tyres life is 40-45k kms. Thenafter he replaced front right tyre with front left and when I checked I found car is going left.

I am satisfied with the performance and mileage of Fiesta with 175/65 R 14 tyres but now we have to replace in a day or two as tyres are troubling, jack got broken while replacing puncture tyre, luckily it gave us good enough time to put Bricks under the car and car landed on the bricks. Lesson for all, dont place jack on road, road was almost new and road just pushed down, jack tilted and as soon as we saw car is going down I placed 3 bricks and car landed on bricks. Thenafter, we placed Ikon's jack but felt its not going to resist the load and stopped. Then Xeta's jack and it was very hard and not moving but used a 6-7 inches long rod and this time we were successful and immediately placed tyre.

Anyways, now we dont have jack in Fiesta (cost Rs.800/- in ford dealership) and also drive is not smooth so we have to replace the tyres and please suggest tyres for Fiesta TDCi. Is 175/65 R 14  is the best? or 185/65 R14 is better for Fiesta?

I enquired Michelin Energy XM1+ and this time dealer is quoting 3800/- per tyre.

Please suggest, 185/65 R14 or stick to 175/65 R14 only? 

Oops.. no reply? I logged in just to check which size is better. I am planning to visit tyre shop tomorrow for replacement.

I wouldn't go for 185/65R14.

The first number in a tyre size is the width, and the second number (aspect ratio) is the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width.  Thus if you go for a wider tyre, you need to reduce the aspect ratio to keep the size about right.  The usual rule of thumb is that an increase or decrease of up to 3% from the original size is ok, but the closer the better and you can do better than 185/65R14.

175/65R14:  2 * (175mm * .65) + 14in * 25.4 mm/in = 583.1mm diameter

185/65R14: 2 * (185mm * .65) + 14in * 25.4 mm/in =596.1mm

185/60R14:  2 * (185mm * .6) + 14in * 25.4mm/in = 577.6mm <-- much closer, only 5.5mm off instead of 13mm.

195/60R14:  2 * (195mm * .6) + 14in * 25.4mm/in = 589.6mm <-- 6.5mm bigger, not bad either.

I'm not sure how wide of a tyre you can put on stock Fiesta wheels, so you'll have to ask the tyre guys unless someone here knows. A width of at least 195mm should be fine for the rest of the car though, as the Fiesta 1.6 S comes with 195/55R15 tyres on 15" alloy wheels.  I just don't know if they'll go on stock wheels.

I'm not really sure which size would be best.  Since you're satisfied with the performance of the stock 175/65R14 tyres, maybe you should just stick with them.  Wider tyres can improve traction and allow a car to take corners at a bit higher speed, but also tend to cause a slight decrease in fuel economy (more friction).  Usually the FE loss is quite small, and you may not even notice it.  Of course you don't have to change sizes to get this effect.  For example, swapping low rolling resistance tyres for sports tyres will do the same thing even if you don't change the size.

Thanks mike!

I've picked 185/65 R14 ultimately. Checked another thread and found useful info.

Changed tyres last night Michelin XM1+ and it costs us 3850/- per tyre. Ride quality is much improved now, may be one big reason is our stock tyres were in bad shape. Tyre Shop owner told me after seeing the stock MRF tyres, aapne 40,000 kms to use kar he liya hoga. I asked how much you will give us for these old tyres and settled for Rs.200/- per tyre and then I told him we have used it for 55182 kms

One mistake I did, The tyre which was perfect I thought we will use it as spare wheel but how can I use 175/65 with 185/65? So, need to buy another one

Congrats Rajiv,Michelin XM1+ are really quite and gripy tyres.Hope you see another 50k on them.

Thanks Omkar, XM1+ is good and I picked the same tyre but 175/65 R 14 for Ikon TDCi. Replaced the same within an hour after buying partner's Ikon TDCi. 28800 kms done till date (I was there in car an hour back) and still tyres r as good as new.

Hey ..

Congrats on your set of tyres ..

Can you please post some pictures of your car with the tyres. i need to decide on 185/60 or 185/65 ? Planning on going with /65, but have a doubt if the tyres will be tall and spoil the looks ...

please post if possible.

Thanks

I've been using Michelin XM1+ 195 since a year a half and it has done 30 K. They are the best tyres available. Best part is that i've not had a single puncture after taking lot of gruelling drives over all k inds of terrain, Ride is smooth and there's a clear diff in term cushioning, comfort and grip over other tyres..My next buy also would be a set of Michelin and i think i've already made up my mind to use Michelin all my life. Its really worth paying the extra few pennies because that would well turn out be the diff between life and death. I never compromise on esp. tyres and maintenance of vehicle. If you look after your car, they would take care of you and wont keep you stranded.. Guys Michelin is the best .. Trust Me

Only one dilemma though; am stillnot sure about the ideal tyre pressure for t his tyre, I put 32 psi front and 33 rear for fully loaded drives( four occupants and luggage).. I know this would decrease my tyre life by atleast 5k, DOES NOT MATTER as the drive is sil k smooth then

Needless to say i'm using the Michelins on my Fiesta TDCi

Hi Manoj, nice to see you back and posting after a long time!

You can safely put the tyres at 35-36 PSI all tyres, if you don't mind a slightly firmer ride. Better for FE, and tyre longevity. You can go higher upto sidewall max (I guess it is 51 PSI), depending on your risk and comfort appetite. I run my set at 50 PSI (including two tyres having 1 and 2 patches respectively) all year round, without any issues.

Rajiv, 175 would have resulted in better FE (lower rolling resistance than wider tyres).

I am an XM1 user, with 30k already done (my usage is low, about 10k/a). The tyres are just like new, and I can foresee another 30k on them, provided I don't see ageing due to constant parking out in the elements. Very good for FE - they use some silica additive in it, to make them low RR.

XM1+ are supposed to be better at treadwear. So you have the best of both the worlds, except for the hit on the wallet. Enjoy!!