I have a 2001 Accord EX Sedan, 2.3L LEV certified, only 67K miles.
OEM recommendations for P195/65R15 80H are:
Front: 210 KPA, 30 psi
Rear : 210 KPA, 30 psi,
"Up to vehicle capacity"
(which is 850 lbs.)

I'm a heavy, city-job driver by day, quick but not fast, casual but not Grandma-style.
Got car from used dealer with new Yokohama YK580's all around (All Season, Speed rated for 130 mph) w/tire pressure @ 33 lbs/all. They seem new, no more than 10k mi., and I love Yokohama's. (60k mi. warranty)

I never carry more than 1 passenger at a time, max weight range for adults and cargo @ 400 lbs., and I'm interested in tread wear LONGEVITY.

I completely understand all the variables related to tire wear including driver style, etc., and know that @ 47 years old, I don't take corners like I used to do so as to prolong tire life.

I noticed a "rigid" feel @ 33 lbs. psi, so I lowered all to @ 31 psi.

What would be the best psi for these tires, on this car, with my driving style for best tread-wear longevity compared to passenger comfort, if my tread wear-to-passenger-comfort expected ratio was @ 50/50, or even 40/60?

My main concerns are improper tread wear from under-inflated tires, and super-sensitive, ultra-tight road (bump) feel from over-inflated tires.

Earlier research for '96 Accord LX says "32 psi. is good for our cars", so

Is anything diff. here? What say you? Thank you!

 

I don't think that you will get a definitive answer.

My guess would be to start at the 30 psi recommended by Honda and see how it feels when diving. It sounds like 33 is the upper limit for your driving. You will probably end up at 30 or 32 psi.

I suspect that you will get most of those miles out off the tires, since you sound like you monitor the tire pressure closer than most people. Having an alignment done periodically will help prevent tread wear.

 

on my Accord, older than yours, I usually run recommended plus 3 psig in front, maybe plus 1 in the back.
My area has pretty smooth pavement compared to downtowns...

With your evident attention it'll work out

 

whateve the door sticker says. 30psi cold translates to about 33-34 hot. so when you are putting 33 in, your really running 37ish, too much and too hard a ride.

 

We also have a 2001 Accord EX Sedan and when the tires are running 30 psi the steering feels about as sharp as a pig wallowing in deep mud; pumping the tires up to 36 psi (cold) improves the handling immeasurably (still not as sharp as our Mazda3 much less our GTI, but much improved over 30).

 

Great advice from all, thank you. I realize that its a calculation relevant to specific driver conditions and desires. I have heard and read that some tires have weak sidewalls which can give more in tight turns. That was one of my main concerns as it relates to uneven tread wear. Like, at what point does less tire pressure increase tread wear, or produce some of the more common anomalies related to uneven tread wear? I had always thought that 32 psi was the general, universal passenger vehicle pressure. Current tires list 40 psi as the upper limit, so I was just wondering what would be the lower limit. I was @ 33, now @ 31. It's a bit softer, but still tight enough for my liking. With all advice given, I think I'll just keep 'em @ 31, or maybe 32/front, 30/back. Suspension definitely leans toward the tight end more than the squishy, common for Accords I'm sure, especially when new (and with 67K mi., this one is more new than 'used'.)

Thanks again for your attention to my obviously **** concerns. It's cool.

 

In your case, I would start out at 31 in front, and add air when it gets down to 27 or 28psi. In the rear you could probably go down another pound or two. I will usually start out a couple pounds over, and add air when it gets a couple pounds low. That way it averages out to the recommended pressure. I can wait longer to add air that way.

 

Thanks Nighthawk....You're on to what I'm after. I want to soften the ride feel without endangering my tread wear unnecessarily. I definitely want to avoid that inner, upward "bowing effect", which causes abnormal wear on the outer edges of the tire, especially when taking turns. Because this is a family car, I would also like to make sure that if I need to make a drastic, emergency speed turn, that I can be somewhat confident that the tires won't 'give way' or blow during the turn due to overly under-inflated tires that roll too much.

I will take your advice with appreciation, and I thank you.

 

PAhonda, you're probably right on that I will end up just around 30-32 psi all-around, and I would imagine that I wouldn't suffer much extended wear at all in that range, nor would I suffer any loss of safety or performance issues as needed. Again, its a meticulous point I know, but one that I had to finally ask. Thank you very much.

 

I run 33 on all four of mine and check it weekly, I noticed a 2 mpg increase and significantly better handling both city and highway. Good on ya for actually caring about the little things!