If you want a powerful and fast vehicle but also don’t want to overpay – you buy Honda Accord. It’s exceedingly popular throughout the world, and especially in the US. They are bought in thousand every year, although not all people know what they want to wear on their newly-bought monsters.
Accord is a moderate vehicle. You really don’t want ultra-performance treads on it, but a decent touring solution would do nicely. The car is strong enough to benefit from sturdy, reliable and responsive all-season rubbers. If you agree with this statement, we prepared a list of candidates that fit these criteria.
Upsides:
Downsides:
This tire is a typical Defender – it’s efficient on wet land, handles very well, doesn’t produce too much noise and costs more than usual. If you’re willing to slightly overpay for a versatile and efficient tread, that’s going to be one of the key candidates.
Defenders are commonly good against hydroplaning, which isn’t to say they aren’t as good in dry – in fact, they are. Importantly, however, these treads also handle better than most Michelins (thanks to the balanced shoulders and plenty of contact area). But do mind that these treads come at a slightly higher price than usual.
They will serve long enough, though – the expected treadlife is 130.000 km.
Upsides:
Downsides:
Altimax RT43 is an entry-level tread. There’s nothing extreme about it – it’s efficient on dry and wet land, handles with enough response and you don’t have to expect a bumpy ride with these treads on. Dry traction is superb, while the hydroplaning is sufficiently neutralized by the siping all across the tread.
They’ll also be enough in winter if the snow isn’t deep enough. Just don’t get excited – RT43 is a moderate solution, but not a panacea in any sense. Fortunately, the treadlife doesn’t disappoint either – it’s about 120.000 km on average.
Upsides:
Downsides:
Continental doesn’t often produce bad tires, and PureContact is one of the better Conti options when it comes to grip and handling. They are good enough in dry, of course, but it’s on wet ground where they still the show. Their wet performance is outstanding, which is perfect for long-distance trips when you can’t predict the weather.
They are also comfortable, quiet and not hazardous for the environment – all very important qualities for a usual Honda driver. And, naturally, the treads are going to live for at least 110.000 km – a healthy number, overall.
Upsides:
Downsides:
PureContact LS has been developed with the same techniques as PureContact – for instance, they added a lot of silane and polymers to make the treads more lasting and the grip tighter. That said, LS variant is even better.
It’s supposed to be an all-season model. So, in contrast to its predecessor, it actually holds well in snow and even on ice. Moreover, thanks to the well-balanced grooving, the wet traction is even more miraculous this time. Everything else didn’t deteriorate either, including the durability and the comfort.
Upsides:
Downsides:
CS5 is a bargain if what you need is a versatile solution with the outstanding response wherever you go. Cooper banked heavily on summer grip this time. Interlocked grooving made sure the hydroplaning is reduced to nothing, while also not forgetting about the biting edge for traction.
Overall, we got a stable tread that sticks to the road like glue. It’s not very effective in snow, mind you – it’s not a good candidate for harsh winters. Another common problem is the lack of durability. 80.000 km of treadlife is a good enough number, but it could be much better.
Upsides:
Downsides:
We are now talking about the big leagues of quality. Premier AS is an ultimate all-season option – the tires are responsive and controllable under all weather conditions, winter and summer. And, as usual, most of the time they’ll be smooth as a wind and just as noiseless.
The reason why these tires don’t cost more than Honda itself is because they aren’t as sturdy, and they’ll pop after just 90.000 km. It’s not a shockingly low number, but there are many all-season candidates with much longer lifespans.
Upsides:
Downsides:
AVID Touring-S is in the lower echelons of what still can be considered quality touring tires. The most noticeable thing about this treads is the excessive cutting they received. It’s one of the reasons why this tire is so efficient at obeying your commands, as well as gripping the wet ground (less hydroplaning and all).
That said, they are pretty grippy overall – except for the winter. If the snow is anywhere thicker than a shoe sole level, you’ll suffer badly. They are also just average in terms of lifespan – just 100.000 km to go. But at least the price is low enough to make it all into a real bargain.
Upsides:
Downsides:
Assurance family is full of interesting combinations. This one is a touring version meant for all-season use. Although it’s not particularly great in summer, these treads somehow shine in precarious damp and snowy environments. In snow, even thick snow, they perform very well.
It’s partially because these treads are grooved and sipes into an optimized pattern. It’s great for digging through snow or evacuating water, but the pretty standard grip-wise. Now, like many neat touring tires, this one is almost noiseless (even in snow) and smooth. The lifespan could be better (just 90.000 km), but it could also be worse.
Upsides:
Downsides:
This touring tire is a special case. It’s actually closer to the sports models, with all the associated flaws and merits. It’s suitable for higher speeds – the grip and responsiveness won’t deteriorate no matter how fast you go. It applies even to snow, although you shouldn’t be too excited to race around in winter.
At the same time, however, it won’t be an especially comfortable ride. It’s as expected, given the tire was designed to be a bit more sporty. Because of the same reasons, it also wears off faster than usual – with only 80.000 km of treadlife.
Upsides:
Downsides:
Turanza series is a bunch of efficient highway tires. They are fit for long rides at a high speed, owing to their superior grip and smoothness. You won’t feel or hear a thing on the road, while the tire responsiveness would be astounding.
It’s also an all-season tire, and a fairly good one at that. These tires are pretty efficient in all weather types, except the extreme ones, such as rain storm or when the thick ice covers the asphalt. In addition, their lifespan is amongst the best in this list – with almost 130,000 km of anticipated workload.
Unfortunately, all these pleasant upsides come at a greater cost than usual.
Upsides:
Downsides:
If you want extra grip for your Honda, and if what you cherish specifically is winter performance, then you Blizzak WS90 will get along fine. It’s specifically designed to provide outstanding performance in snow and ice – you can see it by the pattern. The grooving and materials used are also efficient against the hydroplaning.
The dry grip couldn’t be poor from all the stuff they added, but it pales next to the fantastic winter behavior Blizzak family is generally known for. You also don’t need to worry about handling – it’s superb under any circumstances. The only real drawback these have is the unclear longevity – there’s no warranty, you see.
They are still supposed to be strong – buyers sometimes complain about the Blizzaks, but not in this sense.
Upsides:
Downsides:
X-Ice Xi3 is just an extreme solution if you don’t care about anything else except winter performance. Handling in wet and dry are good enough, but it’s for the flawless winter control that people purchase these treads. There’s really nothing else to them – just outstanding winter behavior.
On a negative note, they are the least durable tires in this least. The warranty states they’ll last for about 60.000 km. If you’re careful, they’ll live for longer, but the fact remains – they are flimsier than others in the category.
Upsides:
Downsides:
Pilot Sport AS is another sport-inspired touring tire. It’s actually often put into the ultra-performance category, because it allows you to speed across the road regardless of the weather above or below. The handling and traction are going to stay fantastic, even in deep snow.
They are also comfortable enough, but don’t expect a vacation tour. Generally speaking, the upsides and downsides are as expected from a sporty tire. The lifespan is projected to only be 75.000, for instance – which is still pretty good, even for an UHP tread such as this.
Upsides:
Downsides:
This Sumitomo option is a good middle ground between sporty candidates and standard touring solutions. It handles well, provides awesome performance in wet and dry environment. Unlike the sports tires, it’s quiet, long-lasting and affordable.
Similarly to them, it’ll retain its responsiveness and handling even at high speeds. That said, you shouldn’t test them to their limits, because this one is still considered rather cheap compared to the other sports models. The longevity, however, is surprisingly good – Sumitomo promise as much as 100.000 km on these.
