I am just wondering what size tire to use on my EK hatch some websites say 195-55-15 and others say 195-50-15

 

It depends on the year - which is why you need to specify your year rather than saying "EK hatch".

The EK included the '96-00 Civics. The '96 Civic hatchback and DX models only came from the factory with 175/70-13 tires, and those models need 195/50-15 tires for 15" wheels. All other '96 Civic models, and all '97-00 Civics except the Si, came from the factory with 185/65-14 tires, and need 195/55-15 tires for 15" wheels. The '99-00 Si model actually came from the factory with 195/55-15 tires.

The reason why different models need different size tires is, you need to get tires whose outer diameter is as close to stock as possible. You can see from the following diameters why these are the best matching sizes for those models:

<u>'96 Civic hatchback and DX</u>:
175/70-13: 22.65 inches (stock)
195/50-15: 22.68 inches

<u>all other '96 models and all '97-00 Civics</u>:
185/65-14: 23.47 inches (stock except Si)
195/55-15: 23.44 inches