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Honda Civic vs Volkswagen Jetta

498 messages,  Last post on Mar 11, 2013 at 12:20 PM

You are in the Volkswagen Jetta Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Sedan

Messages Page 45 of 50

#441 of 498 Re: Faster wear [targettuning] by thegraduate

Mar 08, 2007 (3:32 pm)

Replying to: targettuning (Mar 08, 2007 1:11 pm)
Yeah but you gotta stop sometime. It just seems unreal since I change pads at about 30K intervals and do not live in a large city where there is more STOP than GO.
 
You have to remember, she drove about 60 miles (of 70) where she never had to apply the brakes (unless an unlikely traffic tie-up occurred). This meant that for over 80% of her driving, she never used the brakes more than occasionally. The other 20% is when most of the wear occurred. It isn't where she lived, it is how far her brake-less commute was versus the area where she DID have to use them. Between her house and her office, in my head, I'm counting four traffic lights and two stop signs; over 35 miles. She made a round trip, so 8 redlights and 4 stop signs a day, over 70 miles. Considering all of the lights fall in zones where the speeds should be under 40 MPH, it doesn't surprise me at all, nor does it make me think a different car of similar weight and driven similarly couldn't do the same thing.
 
I've got 30k miles on my current front pads now, and they have been used a lot more than my grandmother used. Still plenty of life in them though, although not nearly as much as the original ones would have had at this stage. I drive 28 miles a day, with probably 15 lights, and 3 or 4 stop signs; only 14 miles of interstate in that 28 miles.
 
We always use the tires, yes, but how do you use them? I think the current pattern is looking like I'll get about 65,000 miles from my OEM tires on my 2006 Accord (approximately 1/4th of tread above the "warning bars" has been used, and I have 17,000 miles on the car). If you drive in curves, do more turning, or drive more aggressive in general, tires, brakes, and gas will all be fleeting.

#442 of 498 Re: Faster wear [targettuning] by ruking1

Mar 08, 2007 (4:29 pm)

Replying to: targettuning (Mar 08, 2007 10:24 am)
"Am I buying the wrong brand?"
 
On the Tires Tires Tires thread, there is very slow fishing for recommendations for the 185/70/14 sized tires. I had actually heard from a few Honda Civic folks (same model generation) the Dunlop wore very fast. Indeed Tire Rack has them rated something like 29th/30 tires. They are working hard over there at Dunlop to dominate last place. Perhaps in a couple years, they will stick it!
 
Since I did this about 1.5 years ago, I bought the Toyo Spectrum? for this size and application (T rated) The indications are no loss in mpg and I think a 100,000 mile ?chance. I will report when I get them on, if folks are interested. I got Toyo's because I have some Toyo's (Proxes T1S's) and was impressed with the quality after 17k miles. They have way better rain performance than the more dry performance oriented GY Eagles that came standard with the Z06. They suffer a bit in the dry performance department but I have to say, I don't call on 1 g lateral performance too much. Plus when I take it cross country, I have inevitable run into rain, some snow, and that extra rain performance helps. An example would be: rain all the way from Las Vegas, NV to Grand Canyon, AZ. Yes, I thought that too: IT DOESN'T RAIN IN THE DESERT! Overnight snow storm in the Colorado Rockies.
 
I wonder what other folks experiencs have been with Civic oem tires. One lesson in the side by side comparison would be to get the VW oem tires that fit the Civic. But neither Continental, Michelin nor GY have the oem tire that fits. I do know that Costco sells the Michelin DT, which is a model they sell to specific vendors and not for overall sale to the wider retail tire market.

#443 of 498 Re: Faster wear [ruking1] by ruking1

Mar 08, 2007 (7:56 pm)

Replying to: ruking1 (Mar 08, 2007 4:29 pm)
Correction: Tire Rack data actually currently shows the oem tyre I spoke about (from memory 1.5 years ago) to be 21 st of 22. Firestone currently is the cellar leader in this category.
 
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=AS&width=185%- 2F&ratio=70&diameter=14&tireSearch=true&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2004&autoModel=C- ivic%20DX%20Sedan&autoModClar=&speed_rating=S&speed_rating=T&speed_rating=U&spee- d_rating=H&speed_rating=V

#444 of 498 long life tires..brakes...etc by targettuning

Mar 09, 2007 (6:35 am)

All my questions were "tongue in cheek" and or rhetorical but seriously I never got tire life or front pad life approaching any of these posted numbers. This through 40 plus years of driving and any number of vehicles with most (OK,many) of the popular brands of tires e.g. Firestone, Goodyear, Kelly, Continental, Dunlop, Michelin, Sears and many of the brands sold with off names but manufactured by the major tire companies. I used bias belted tires ( including wide ovals) in the 60's and 70's then radials in all sizes since. I can't say I always was religious about tire pressure and rotation but I have been for a few decades. I was pretty hard on tires in the late 60's early 70's having owned a string of 383-440 cu in Dodge and Plymouth cars and again in the 70's with a 70 Chevelle SS 454 but not now. I say again I do not know how anyone can get that many miles out of tires. I will concede brakes will last if you never use them however. But once again,you gotta stop sometime..!!!

#445 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [targettuning] by ruking1

Mar 09, 2007 (6:44 am)

Replying to: targettuning (Mar 09, 2007 6:35 am)
Well there you have it then. Mine is only 41 years of driving.
 
On a more serious note, however is the Honda Civic is 450#'s LIGHTER than the VW Jetta. 2950#'s vs 2500#'s. So there theory broke down, there should be less wear due to weight. The other issue; while oem tires do take their share of criticism for a whole host of reasons, one usual significance is they normally have the least rolling resistance to get the best epa mpg.

#446 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [ruking1] by ruking1

Mar 09, 2007 (8:19 am)

Replying to: ruking1 (Mar 09, 2007 6:44 am)
"On a more serious note, however is the Honda Civic is 450#'s LIGHTER than the VW Jetta. 2950#'s vs 2500#'s. So there theory broke down, there should be less wear due to weight. The other issue; while oem tires do take their share of criticism for a whole host of reasons, one usual significance is they normally have the least rolling resistance to get the best epa mpg. "
 
I probably should clean up the quote a bit.
 
to: So in this example, the theory has broken down: there should be LESS wear due to lower weight.

#447 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [ruking1] by ruking1

Mar 09, 2007 (10:24 am)

Replying to: ruking1 (Mar 09, 2007 8:19 am)
So what this has done over the same amount of miles is to increase the cost per mile of operation of the Civic over the diesel Jetta, specifically by app 400 dollars. A quick and dirty per mile would be 42,000/400 dollars = $.095238 cents per mile.

#448 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [ruking1] by targettuning

Mar 09, 2007 (1:18 pm)

Replying to: ruking1 (Mar 09, 2007 10:24 am)
Not necessarily, diesels are very expensive to work on and if you ran into some engine repairs on your diesel Jetta it would very quickly kick your carefully crafted "savings" over the Civic to hell. There are so many variables in this possible savings idea between the Jetta and Civic as to render it useless. OK maybe the fuel saving could be charted but as far as wear items..no way.

#449 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [targettuning] by ruking1

Mar 09, 2007 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: targettuning (Mar 09, 2007 1:18 pm)
In the context of my post, your last assertion is almost illogical. It would have no effect, if for example; I didn't have to pay for it. Or someone like you would. Indeed my (Civic) expenses put a hole in YOUR carefully crafted idea/argument that the Civic is cheaper to run than the Jetta. I am just talking about what ACTUALLY happened. (at like miles) Indeed Civic has 47k more miles to go to be at the same level of comparison as the Jetta.
 
Indeed, I have EVERYTHING to GAIN with the tires on the Civic going to 100,000 miles with the original alignment!? Since I did buy the replacement tires 1.5 years ago, one could say, I went into the Civic ownership with eyes fully opened. So I shall see when I actually change the tires on the Civic. Nothing at 89k on the Jetta and I already talked about 42k on the Civic.
 
Upcoming are timing belt changes, 105k/100k on both vehicles. The price is about the same. But as you point out I do have 258k left on the Civic and 211k on the Jetta till both hit 300k.

#450 of 498 Re: long life tires..brakes...etc [ruking1] by ruking1

Mar 10, 2007 (10:18 am)

Replying to: ruking1 (Mar 09, 2007 1:45 pm)
Filled up after the alignment. Got 39 mpg (actually 39.2) I had been getting 38 or so. So the alignment seems to let the vehicle track better and the mpg is 1 better right after the alignment. Will see if it is a trend.

Messages Page 45 of 50

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