[SF Biotech]

Dear Passport owners:

The 20 inch wheels on our 2021 Passport Touring, while they look superb, may be making rides slightly bumpy. My comparison is our old 2011 CRV which has 18 inch tires. Has anyone here changed their tires from 20 inch to 18 inch on their Passport? If so, is that safe and acceptable on the Passport transmission?

Do 18 inch tires make meaningful differences in: a) Softer ride quality?, b) Braking distance reduction?, c) Traction stability?

I am satisfied with how beautifully the 20 inch wheels handle curves on highways and mountains. Was not sure if 18 inch wheels would worsen that?

Thanks!

 

[jppelec]

The part that bothers me about the 20 inch wheels is how susceptible they are to curb rash. My Passport was 1 day old and I found out. When I need tires I am probably going to change the wheels also. A size less prone to curb rash.

 

[carpayments4life]

Welcome aboard. It's great to have you.
Our forum has a dedicated Wheels and Tires Section...Over 900,000 views, as of June 2021.
Lower profile tires provide less rubber, between the asphalt and the rim, to absorb noise, also.
A member measured the OEM noise of the 20" Honda reduced harmonic rims and said that 18" rims (more rubber) were almost as quiet. He/She did not provide exact values.

 

[CHEFERMAN65]

Dear Passport owners:

The 20 inch wheels on our 2021 Passport Touring, while they look superb, may be making rides slightly bumpy. My comparison is our old 2011 CRV which has 18 inch tires. Has anyone here changed their tires from 20 inch to 18 inch on their Passport? If so, is that safe and acceptable on the Passport transmission?

Do 18 inch tires make meaningful differences in: a) Softer ride quality?, b) Braking distance reduction?, c) Traction stability?

I am satisfied with how beautifully the 20 inch wheels handle curves on highways and mountains. Was not sure if 18 inch wheels would worsen that?

Thanks!

Wheel And Tires

Forum to discuss wheels and tires for the 2019+ Honda Passport.

www.passportforums.com

All things wheel and tire... Discussed, critiqued, compared, argued, etc.

 

[RkFast]

The part that bothers me about the 20 inch wheels is how susceptible they are to curb rash. My Passport was 1 day old and I found out. When I need tires I am probably going to change the wheels also. A size less prone to curb rash.

The worst wheels I had that were susceptible to "curb rash" were 17"ers on my old Acura TSX.

Just sayin'

All wheels can be curbed...if you try hard enough.

 

[CHEFERMAN65]

The worst wheels I had that were susceptible to "curb rash" were 17"ers on my old Acura TSX.

Just sayin'

All wheels can be curbed...if you try hard enough.

Seems to be a "thing" around here...🤷‍♂️

 

[Dragon_Eyes]

I park on the street and haven't curb rashed my wheels yet. If you're careful it's not that hard. That auto tilt sideview mirror comes in handy.

 

[SF Biotech]

I think

I park on the street and haven't curb rashed my wheels yet. If you're careful it's not that hard. That auto tilt sideview mirror comes in handy.

haha..I get what you are saying. The best remedy is not to 'curb rash' it! instead of talking about tires....lol lol

 

[Pass/Denv]

The part that bothers me about the 20 inch wheels is how susceptible they are to curb rash. My Passport was 1 day old and I found out. When I need tires I am probably going to change the wheels also. A size less prone to curb rash.

I'm not getting the curb rash thing. I 've been driving for way more years than I want to rememeber with all sorts of tires and wheels up to 22 inches and I've never experienced curb rash. If your running into curbs you need to polish up your driving skills and be more cognizant of curbs. Sliding into a curb due to icy conditions might be excused.

 

[Passporter]

I’m not so much worried about me and curb rash but when the GF drives it. Heck when I was shopping for the car went to one dealer and passed on any negotiation. New on the lot had curb rash

 

[OldSchool]

100% save your money & just get a set of touring tires. As a class they are generally softer. Call somebody at TireRack.com & get a recommendation.

I also don't get the curb rash concern. That's primarily driving. Although, yes, if you take off the 20 inch wheels, they won't get curb rash anymore 😑

 

[stevenD]

Best improvement I made was upgrading the Stereo, but a close second was going with 18" AT tires/wheels...!

YES: Smother Ride, Better road feel, less Bumpy, less road bumps transmitted to the steering wheel, NO CURB RASH, better handling in dirt, ice and snow, etc....

 

[OldSchool]

Best improvement I made was upgrading the Stereo, but a close second was going with 18" AT tires/wheels...!

YES: Smother Ride, Better road feel, less Bumpy, less road bumps transmitted to the steering wheel, NO CURB RASH, better handling in dirt, ice and snow, etc....

I can buy that the ride would be smoother & less road bumps would be transmitted to the steering wheel, but, I don't think it's anything that you couldn't do with different 20" tires and save all the wheel money. But "better road feel"? That doesn't fit with what you're saying. If you're not feeling bumps as much, the "road feel" is less. Though if what you were saying is "the less I feel the road the better" then I guess I would agree.

I think people are doing it mostly because they want to do it - which is 100% fine.

No curb rash is great - but if you have to spend for four more wheels to do it? Are you hitting the curb that much? I've never rashed one of my 20" wheels ever. And, most dealers have a guy that will come and fix curb rash for less than 100 bucks.

Regardless, I was just trying to offer the OP another perspective with OEM diameter tires of a different type. Obviously we have differing opinions & that's totally cool.

Cheers!

 

[stevenD]

I can buy that the ride would be smoother & less road bumps would be transmitted to the steering wheel, but, I don't think it's anything that you couldn't do with different 20" tires and save all the wheel money. But "better road feel"? That doesn't fit with what you're saying. If you're not feeling bumps as much, the "road feel" is less. Though if what you were saying is "the less I feel the road the better" then I guess I would agree.

I think people are doing it mostly because they want to do it - which is 100% fine.

No curb rash is great - but if you have to spend for four more wheels to do it? Are you hitting the curb that much? I've never rashed one of my 20" wheels ever. And, most dealers have a guy that will come and fix curb rash for less than 100 bucks.

Regardless, I was just trying to offer the OP another perspective with OEM diameter tires of a different type. Obviously we have differing opinions & that's totally cool.

Cheers!

Well you can argue (voice) your logical opinions but there are DOZENS of Passport owners on here that have made the switch and can certainly (also) speak on the differences encountered when switching.

But logically, having 4.5 to 5 inches of air/rubber between the road and the rim will absorb more road anomalies than the 20" OEM set up, with 3"...

And I'm sure people have different reasons for switching and in no particular some of the ADVANTAGES are:
1) Better performance off-road, as well as on ice, in rain and in snow.
2) No Curb Rash (as 18" tires, at least AT tires stick out further than the OEM 20" tires)
3) Slightly higher clearance (when going with 265R60x18 you gain 1/2" clearance)
4) Longer lasting tires (OEM tires are rate @ 480 and my Continentals are @ 680)
5) Lower priced tires vs OEM 20" tires

Disadvantages are:
1) The Cost
2) May cause Rubbing
3) Slightly Less MPG
4) Speedometer slightly off
5) Handling in corners (I personnally have not encountered this)

 

[billz]

If you go with 245/60R18 tires you won't have any rubbing and the speedometer will not be off. I checked mine against the GPS reading and they are dead on.
Now that I've put about 500 miles on my 18" wheels and tires I'm very happy with them. If there is any difference in cornering on pavement I haven't detected it. Tire pressure is also lower with these tires so sharp impacts are felt less.
I can understand a Porsche Macan or a BMW X5 having 20" wheels with low profile tires (my neighbor's X5 has 19") since they are performance oriented and intended for use on paved roads. The Passport is not a performance oriented vehicle and the decision to sell them with 20" wheels as the only option was not a good one in my opinion. It's not like the suspension is tuned for sports car like handling so you aren't really gaining much of anything with low profile tires. Opinions obviously vary though.

 

[Pass/Denv]

Best improvement I made was upgrading the Stereo, but a close second was going with 18" AT tires/wheels...!

YES: Smother Ride, Better road feel, less Bumpy, less road bumps transmitted to the steering wheel, NO CURB RASH, better handling in dirt, ice and snow, etc....

I don't know what AT tires you're running but, AT tires inherently provide for a ride with more road noise due to their more aggressive tread pattern. The Passport is not know for a quiet ride to start with. I wouldn't want to add any more road noise to it with AT tires. Just my opinion but, I think the 20" wheels on my Elite already look a bit small and puny. I don't think a smaller wheel is going to look right. But......to each his own.

 

[Pass/Denv]

If you go with 245/60R18 tires you won't have any rubbing and the speedometer will not be off. I checked mine against the GPS reading and they are dead on.
Now that I've put about 500 miles on my 18" wheels and tires I'm very happy with them. If there is any difference in cornering on pavement I haven't detected it. Tire pressure is also lower with these tires so sharp impacts are felt less.
I can understand a Porsche Macan or a BMW X5 having 20" wheels with low profile tires (my neighbor's X5 has 19") since they are performance oriented and intended for use on paved roads. The Passport is not a performance oriented vehicle and the decision to sell them with 20" wheels as the only option was not a good one in my opinion. It's not like the suspension is tuned for sports car like handling so you aren't really gaining much of anything with low profile tires. Opinions obviously vary though.

It's a Passport. It is not designed for true offroad. It is designed for off pavement like trails and the dirt road to your cabin or campsite. The stock 20" wheels and tires are just fine for what Honda designed the vehicle to do.

 

[stevenD]

It's a Passport. It is not designed for true offroad. It is designed for off pavement like trails and the dirt road to your cabin or campsite. The stock 20" wheels and tires are just fine for what Honda designed the vehicle to do.

JonDZ Adventuring

My vehicle has opened up a whole new world for me, and with a few modifications, your AWD crossover might be able to do the same for you. This channel is abo...

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[stevenD]

I don't know what AT tires you're running but, AT tires inherently provide for a ride with more road noise due to their more aggressive tread pattern. The Passport is not known for a quiet ride to start with. I wouldn't want to add any more road noise to it with AT tires. Just my opinion but, I think the 20" wheels on my Elite already look a bit small and puny. I don't think a smaller wheel is going to look right. But......to each his own.

I respect your opinion, but strangely enough, the Tire Rack Rating doesn't support it:

The Continental TerrainContact 265R60/18 are rated at Excellent (9.0) for both Ride Quality and Noise:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=TerrainContact+A%2FT&partnum=66TR8TCAT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

While the OEM Tires Continental CrossContact LX Sport 264/45R20 are rated as follows: Ride Quality: 7.6 Quiet: 7.3

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=CrossContact+LX+Sport&partnum=645HR0CCLXS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2019&autoModel=Passport%20AWD&autoModClar=Touring

ALSO: I did a complete Sound Deadening of my doors and partial rear panels: so mine is actually VERY quiet (well except when I'm listening to the stereo)....

Cheers!

 

[Pass/Denv]

I respect your opinion, but strangely enough, the Tire Rack Rating doesn't support it:

The Continental TerrainContact 265R60/18 are rated at Excellent (9.0) for both Ride Quality and Noise:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=TerrainContact+A%2FT&partnum=66TR8TCAT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

While the OEM Tires Continental CrossContact LX Sport 264/45R20 are rated as follows: Ride Quality: 7.6 Quiet: 7.3

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=CrossContact+LX+Sport&partnum=645HR0CCLXS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2019&autoModel=Passport%20AWD&autoModClar=Touring

ALSO: I did a complete Sound Deadening of my doors and partial rear panels: so mine is actually VERY quiet (well except when I'm listening to the stereo)....

Cheers!

Well that is good I guess they've made improvements to the AT tires. In the past, they were all pretty noisy.
Perhaps tthe luxury car manufacturers will move to Continental Terrain Contacts if the ride quality and low noise is that excellent