The new tires are on. The old Exalto A/S actually had 4/32 left, but were nearing 40k. On the way to the tire shop, I noticed how slick they were compared to my 1/3 worn Primacy MXV4s, but these tires were probably a bit under inflated.
Although the new Yokohama Avid Ascends are clearly touring tires, they do deliver a ride that is on the firmer side. Turn-in and Steering feedback is on the numb-er side though, but probably not out of line for a touring tire. Handling is impressive for a T-rated tire, IMO, as it is responsive and had plenty of grip.
On the highway the car is a bit more twitchy due to these being the proper 175/65-15 and not the previous 195/60-15. Since I have never driven a Fit with the original 175 tires, I have nothing to compare to here. I am not sure if all Fits with 175 tires are squirrely on the highway, or if it's a tire issue.
Fuel economy is definitely quite impressive though. I am not sure how they compare with the Ecopia EP422s or ProContact EcoPlus, but these have to be pretty close, if not equal to the leaders in this area. Perhaps it is also the effect of a skinny, smaller sized tire, but I have never seen tires roll this well before, especially with only 34 psi.
On the 20 mile trip from the tire shop to my work, I averaged 36.7 over 20 miles of mostly city driving with a number of hills. Remember, the EPA ratings for this car were 28/35. At the end of the day, before returning the car to my friend, I put in a total of 85 miles and averaged almost 35- and half of those miles were hilly city miles. I do not that this car ever saw mileage in this range with the 195/65/15 Exaltos; it was often a struggle to get 35 on the highway.
I also had a thrust-angle alignment done at the dealer for $89. Normally $99. This is on the higher side for a thrust-angle alignment, but it is the going rate for a dealer. The dealer did a great job, though only a very minor adjustment was needed. The minor toe adjustments straightened the steering wheel a bit and noticeably improved straight-line stability.
Overall these Ascends are good tires for a commuter car. Personally I would only install these on cars where you need an acceptable, lower-cost tire and excellent handling is not a priority. I paid $368 installed for all 4 tires after a $100 discount, which works out to $67/tire + install.
Currently America's Tire has them listed for $109/tire on their site, which is already higher than the $92/tire pre-discount price last month. At that price I may be less inclined to by them though, as that is Michelin price territory.