This may sound odd, but for the purposes of improving straightline driving characteristics (noise, bumps, potholes ...etc) and even improving highway mpg ...

has anyone thought of switching from the OEM 215/50 -17 to 205/60 -16 wheels/tires?

Would this significantly affect cornering and agility much?

What do you guys think?

 

My first guess is that you won't fit 16" wheels around those front rotors.

How about a 215/55 - slightly taller but shoudn't cause any fitment issues - and maybe a slightly lower inflation pressure?

 

16" wheels do fit as several people have used them as winter wheels.

If you found a set of wheels that weighed less than stock 17" wheels, went with a tire that was designed with low rolling resistance in mind, and went with the narrower/taller size, you'll see some improvement in both ride quality and fuel mileage, but don't expect the differences to be huge.

 

CGTSX2004, are you recommending the low rolling resistance and narrower tire for better MPG only? The reason I ask is that when it comes time to replace the OEM tires, I would like to soften the ride a little and I am not concerned about the impact on MPG. So in that case, would I want 215/55 (or even 215/60 assuming they would fit) over 205/60?

 

If you want a tire that has a softer ride but maintains the same basic handling characteristics as the OEM tires, you'll want to pick a tire that has a softer sidewall (though the stock Michelin's are already pretty soft). I've never looked for this type of tires, but I'm sure that if you looked around on http://www.Tirerack.com, you could find plenty of ride comfort oriented tires. Keep in mind that any tire that is more biased towards ride comfort will sacrifice some handling.

 

I have that exact size as my winter wheels.

Can't really say how cornering and agility are affected since their winter tires.

 

I had this the 205-60-16 on my car for winter and I can tell you that the ride feels rubbery. I'm not sure if it's the actual winter tires that's causing this or what but the car really leans when cornering. It's like you can feel that the sidewall of the tire is giving way.

 

Thanks... I have already picked out the tire (a Kumho FWIW) but was curious if getting a higher-profile tire would help as well.

Sorry for the thread hi-jack.

 

I will stay away from kumho as much as I can. They are harsh, noisy and easy to have tunma.

 

Cool beans on the 16's fitting....see what I know?

For what it's worth, on my '02 Camry I went from 205/60-16 stockers to 215/50-17 (sound familiar?) Yokohama YK-420's. There was a distinct difference - for the worse - over harsh bumps. Not sure what that says about a switch in the other direction, but I've got to think it'd be noticeable.