Is it safe to mix normal and reinforced tyres on different axles?

I have recently bought a 2010 Honda Civic 1.8 on 225/45 R17 wheels. It came with a mixture of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres - reinforced/XL on the front and normal on the back. The ride is rubbish and noisy on rough roads. Is this exacerbated by the XL tyres and/or that they are at end of their life? The fronts need replacing soon and looking at tyre choices I'm confused by the variations - non-reinforced 91Y are the specified spec but many retailers offer 94W reinforced tyres. Do these XL tyres have any benefits on a normal low car? Is it safe to mix normal and reinforced tyres on different axles?

Asked on 1 August 2019 by blimp

Answered by Honest John

Don't mix different load rated tyres on the same axle. If you need new tyres on this nine-year-old car it might be better to source a set of 16-inch wheels and go with tyres of a more comfortable profile. The size for them is 205/55 R16 which gives you a very wide choice, including all-weather tyres that are more compliant than summer tyres whatever the load rating.

Check Tyres On The Drive (bit.ly/2ZlEVaR) and Blackcircles.com (bit.ly/2JM6bqG) for sizes and prices and read our Tyre Buying Guide (bit.ly/2wsFHBU)

Tags: wheels and tyres tyres

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