Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:02:04 -0400, "Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. >My LX with the 17 inch
>wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road.

Ya, they're "sporty". Not much in the comfort department. It's a normal
characteristic of low profiles. You give up quiet and comfort for
performance.



>do the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother?

My Sonata V6 has the 16" wheels, and the tires have a pretty good ride and
are quieter over expansion joints. You may be able to trade even with
someone. Talk to your dealer and ask him to put you in contact with someone
that wants 17's. The 16's are still somewhat low profile, so don't expect a
100% improvement.

>Back seat rides like a
>lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
>highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
>trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
>lose a ton if I get rid of it!

When you're used to riding in a land yacht, any sporty mid size car is quite
a comedown in comfort. You'll get used to it, and come to appreciate the
firm ride and precision handling that your Marquis couldn't come close to.

I went for a short trip last weekend, and nearly broke 30 MPG at 29.68. I
only have 2600 miles on the car, so I have no doubt I will get 30+ on long
stretches. You'll get there!
--
Bob

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

The lower the profile (aspect ratio) of the tire, the rougher the ride.
As you increase the diameter of the wheel, the tire sidewall
dimension, and aspect ratio, must decrease. The tire's sidewall
functions as a spring, just as does your suspension.

Early radial tires had an aspect ratio of 80, a.k.a. 80-series tires -
a rather narrow treadwidth on a 15 inch tire, for example. The ride
was generally very good. As the ratio dropped to 78-series, 75-series,
70-series, 65-series, 60-series, 55-series, and so on, the sidewall
height continually became smaller. There is less sidewall to absorb
the road imperfections, and certainly pot holes, etc. Wheel damage is
much more likely with the newer designs with very low profile tires.
Tire sidewall technology has improved, but it doesn't change the fact
there is less "spring" available at the tire to absorb impact forces.

Yes, a GLS will provide a smoother ride than the LX. That said, you
probably could find a tire that will provide a better ride than the
stock tires on the LX. Your Mercury probably had either 15" or 16"
wheels with either 70-series or 60-series tires. And, the suspension
system is certainly more supple (by design) than the Sonata, plus the
wheelbase is longer, thereby providing a decent ride.

IMO, the move to larger wheel diameters has a practical limit. The
giant wheels seen on some cars today, i.e. 20" or 22", are not only
impractical for every day use, but look stupid on the cars on which
they've been installed.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

The lower the profile (aspect ratio) of the tire, the rougher the ride.
As you increase the diameter of the wheel, the tire sidewall
dimension, and aspect ratio, must decrease. The tire's sidewall
functions as a spring, just as does your suspension.

Early radial tires had an aspect ratio of 80, a.k.a. 80-series tires -
a rather narrow treadwidth on a 15 inch tire, for example. The ride
was generally very good. As the ratio dropped to 78-series, 75-series,
70-series, 65-series, 60-series, 55-series, and so on, the sidewall
height continually became smaller. There is less sidewall to absorb
the road imperfections, and certainly pot holes, etc. Wheel damage is
much more likely with the newer designs with very low profile tires.
Tire sidewall technology has improved, but it doesn't change the fact
there is less "spring" available at the tire to absorb impact forces.

Yes, a GLS will provide a smoother ride than the LX. That said, you
probably could find a tire that will provide a better ride than the
stock tires on the LX. Your Mercury probably had either 15" or 16"
wheels with either 70-series or 60-series tires. And, the suspension
system is certainly more supple (by design) than the Sonata, plus the
wheelbase is longer, thereby providing a decent ride.

IMO, the move to larger wheel diameters has a practical limit. The
giant wheels seen on some cars today, i.e. 20" or 22", are not only
impractical for every day use, but look stupid on the cars on which
they've been installed.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

The lower the profile (aspect ratio) of the tire, the rougher the ride.
As you increase the diameter of the wheel, the tire sidewall
dimension, and aspect ratio, must decrease. The tire's sidewall
functions as a spring, just as does your suspension.

Early radial tires had an aspect ratio of 80, a.k.a. 80-series tires -
a rather narrow treadwidth on a 15 inch tire, for example. The ride
was generally very good. As the ratio dropped to 78-series, 75-series,
70-series, 65-series, 60-series, 55-series, and so on, the sidewall
height continually became smaller. There is less sidewall to absorb
the road imperfections, and certainly pot holes, etc. Wheel damage is
much more likely with the newer designs with very low profile tires.
Tire sidewall technology has improved, but it doesn't change the fact
there is less "spring" available at the tire to absorb impact forces.

Yes, a GLS will provide a smoother ride than the LX. That said, you
probably could find a tire that will provide a better ride than the
stock tires on the LX. Your Mercury probably had either 15" or 16"
wheels with either 70-series or 60-series tires. And, the suspension
system is certainly more supple (by design) than the Sonata, plus the
wheelbase is longer, thereby providing a decent ride.

IMO, the move to larger wheel diameters has a practical limit. The
giant wheels seen on some cars today, i.e. 20" or 22", are not only
impractical for every day use, but look stupid on the cars on which
they've been installed.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Deck wrote:
> Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
> wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
> the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
> lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
> highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
> trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
> lose a ton if I get rid of it!
>
Have you checked the tire pressures? The cars are shipped with 45-50 psi
in the tires and sometimes the dealers forget to lower it to correct
operating pressure.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Deck wrote:
> Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
> wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
> the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
> lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
> highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
> trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
> lose a ton if I get rid of it!
>
Have you checked the tire pressures? The cars are shipped with 45-50 psi
in the tires and sometimes the dealers forget to lower it to correct
operating pressure.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Deck wrote:
> Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
> wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
> the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
> lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
> highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
> trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
> lose a ton if I get rid of it!
>
Have you checked the tire pressures? The cars are shipped with 45-50 psi
in the tires and sometimes the dealers forget to lower it to correct
operating pressure.

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:02:04 -0400, "Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
>wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
>the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
>lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
>highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
>trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
>lose a ton if I get rid of it!

Did you check the air pressure??????????????


Never Forget!!!
http://www.september11victims.com/se...fo.asp?ID=2654

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:02:04 -0400, "Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
>wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
>the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
>lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
>highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
>trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
>lose a ton if I get rid of it!

Did you check the air pressure??????????????


Never Forget!!!
http://www.september11victims.com/se...fo.asp?ID=2654

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:02:04 -0400, "Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
>wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do
>the GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a
>lumberwagon. I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on
>highway with a V-8 for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still
>trying to get 30 MPG with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would
>lose a ton if I get rid of it!

Did you check the air pressure??????????????


Never Forget!!!
http://www.september11victims.com/se...fo.asp?ID=2654

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Although I do not (yet) own one, there is more and more data suggesting that
your better bet are the 16" tires and wheels.

I know how many of you feel about Consumer Reports, but when they tested
both the GLS 4-cylinder (with the 16" tires) and the V6 (with the 17"
tires), the higher profile 16" tires actually braked the car in a
significantly shorter distance and gave a solid level of comfort, while not
giving anything up for handling.

But since you have the 17" tires, if one does not like the OEM tires, your
only other choice may be to go to a reputable tire dealer and "trade the
tires in" on something you like better. Most better ones will do that,
since they can always sell nearly new tires at a fair price (though you may
be a tad disappointed what you get for them).

One suggestion for a softer ride is a relatively new tire called the
Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge. It comes in your size and speed rating (V) and
looks to be a tire in the type of family that their Assurance ComforTred is.
It is VERY new (hence a relative unknown), but looks promising. And among
the possible alternatives (not a ton with a 'V' rating) this may be your
best bet.

Just remember - a 'V' rated speed tire will always be firmer than the
typical tire they put on those big Mercury's (usually an 'S' or 'T' rated
tire.

Hope this helps.

Tom Wenndt


"Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a018e6a0cb617f9c69ff0a1be5119586@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do the
GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a lumberwagon.
I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on highway with a V-8
for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still trying to get 30 MPG
with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would lose a ton if I get rid of
it!

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Although I do not (yet) own one, there is more and more data suggesting that
your better bet are the 16" tires and wheels.

I know how many of you feel about Consumer Reports, but when they tested
both the GLS 4-cylinder (with the 16" tires) and the V6 (with the 17"
tires), the higher profile 16" tires actually braked the car in a
significantly shorter distance and gave a solid level of comfort, while not
giving anything up for handling.

But since you have the 17" tires, if one does not like the OEM tires, your
only other choice may be to go to a reputable tire dealer and "trade the
tires in" on something you like better. Most better ones will do that,
since they can always sell nearly new tires at a fair price (though you may
be a tad disappointed what you get for them).

One suggestion for a softer ride is a relatively new tire called the
Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge. It comes in your size and speed rating (V) and
looks to be a tire in the type of family that their Assurance ComforTred is.
It is VERY new (hence a relative unknown), but looks promising. And among
the possible alternatives (not a ton with a 'V' rating) this may be your
best bet.

Just remember - a 'V' rated speed tire will always be firmer than the
typical tire they put on those big Mercury's (usually an 'S' or 'T' rated
tire.

Hope this helps.

Tom Wenndt


"Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a018e6a0cb617f9c69ff0a1be5119586@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do the
GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a lumberwagon.
I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on highway with a V-8
for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still trying to get 30 MPG
with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would lose a ton if I get rid of
it!

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

Although I do not (yet) own one, there is more and more data suggesting that
your better bet are the 16" tires and wheels.

I know how many of you feel about Consumer Reports, but when they tested
both the GLS 4-cylinder (with the 16" tires) and the V6 (with the 17"
tires), the higher profile 16" tires actually braked the car in a
significantly shorter distance and gave a solid level of comfort, while not
giving anything up for handling.

But since you have the 17" tires, if one does not like the OEM tires, your
only other choice may be to go to a reputable tire dealer and "trade the
tires in" on something you like better. Most better ones will do that,
since they can always sell nearly new tires at a fair price (though you may
be a tad disappointed what you get for them).

One suggestion for a softer ride is a relatively new tire called the
Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge. It comes in your size and speed rating (V) and
looks to be a tire in the type of family that their Assurance ComforTred is.
It is VERY new (hence a relative unknown), but looks promising. And among
the possible alternatives (not a ton with a 'V' rating) this may be your
best bet.

Just remember - a 'V' rated speed tire will always be firmer than the
typical tire they put on those big Mercury's (usually an 'S' or 'T' rated
tire.

Hope this helps.

Tom Wenndt


"Deck" <decan9@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a018e6a0cb617f9c69ff0a1be5119586@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
Thought they quit making solid tires in about 1909. My LX with the 17 inch
wheels rides like it has solid tires. feel every pebble in the road. do the
GLS's with 16 inch wheels ride smoother? Back seat rides like a lumberwagon.
I traded in a '99 merc Grand Marquis that got 30 MPG on highway with a V-8
for this thing and it rode smoother-quieter. still trying to get 30 MPG
with this Sonata..Oh well I have it now and would lose a ton if I get rid of
it!

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

I know the Merc was a land yacht. but I put in over 20000 miles a year on
LOOOOng trips.I consistantly averaged 28-30 MPG on the merc driving
speedlimie+ 5MPH across the USA. One trip from San Diego to Chicago
averaged 29.8 MPG for the entire trip and this included driving in
Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Kans City. another thing about the Sonata: when
I called Hartford Insurance they upped my premium by $520 per year 'cause
this is a "sports car"!!! The car is ideal, cute and classy for driving
to the grocery store, church and going to see aunt Nellie but a road car -
it ain't! I can go see aunt Nellie in my Elantra and it rides better!

Re: Solid tires on 2006 Sonata LX
 

I know the Merc was a land yacht. but I put in over 20000 miles a year on
LOOOOng trips.I consistantly averaged 28-30 MPG on the merc driving
speedlimie+ 5MPH across the USA. One trip from San Diego to Chicago
averaged 29.8 MPG for the entire trip and this included driving in
Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Kans City. another thing about the Sonata: when
I called Hartford Insurance they upped my premium by $520 per year 'cause
this is a "sports car"!!! The car is ideal, cute and classy for driving
to the grocery store, church and going to see aunt Nellie but a road car -
it ain't! I can go see aunt Nellie in my Elantra and it rides better!