Need some opinions with sizing of winter tires

[darksparkz]

Hey guys, I need some opinions on what size of tires I should pick for winter.

I have an 07 SE, which the stock all-seasons are 215/55/17. I have just got a set of OEM Toyota 16" wheels for winter.

According to Miata.net's Tire calculator, this is the following information:

Stock: 215/55/17
Diameter: 26.3in

Option A: 215/65/16
Diameter: 27.0in

Option B: 205/60/16
Diameter: 25.7in

Option C: 215/60/16
Diameter: 26.2in

I'm planning to go with some performance winter tires, for my sizes, the only two choices are Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D and Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2.

Now, I know the thinner the tire and taller profile the tire is, the better it would be in snow. I am in Chicago weather, so there are some periods of heavy snow, but it's usually plowed away fairly quickly.

Option A:
If I sacrifice some winter traction, I can move up to the 215/65/16, which would keep my car safe from scraping snow, but that's a taller profile, and snow tires have soft profiles, so it would have pretty bad handling in dry traction.

Option B:
If I go with the 205/60/16, that would lower my car's overall height by 0.6in, which might cause me to scrap the snow more.

Option C:
Lose a bit of snow traction by going with the wider tire, but still have good dry traction and car height. I don't know why increasing the width of the tire makes the diameter bigger, but this option seems to be the best?


So what's your opinions? Would the smaller diameter really make my car scrap the snow that much more? Any any opinions between the Dunlop 3D and the Michelin PA2s? Tirerack ranks the Dunlops higher.

I posted this in the Gen6 section because owners of the Gen6 SE would know how the lip scraps in snow, I haven't driven mine in snow yet. Plus, more people respond here =). Thanks!

[darksparkz]

Bumpers

[kolkh]

Originally Posted by darksparkz

Option C:
Lose a bit of snow traction by going with the wider tire, but still have good dry traction and car height. I don't know why increasing the width of the tire makes the diameter bigger, but this option seems to be the best?

As far as safety is concerned, answer looks pretty obvious: option C is the only option, which does not contradict Toyota specifications, i.e this is one of two OEM sizes.

[ScrooYoo]

Go with the 215-60-16

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

Michelin X-Ice 215/60/16 i have those and they're great in snow/ice/wet/dry conditions.

Do a search there's a few threads about snow tires and what others have done.

[darksparkz]

Yeah, but I think the X-Ice are studless ones, and being in a large city, I don't think there'd be 12+ inches of snow often. It just snows fairly hard, but it does get plowed within a day or two, so dry traction is important as well, that's why I'm considering the winter performance tires, which is probably just a better all-season, lol.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

They'll probably cost more as well lol, why not just go with a good all-season tire then?

[darksparkz]

Originally Posted by Punks_Not_Dead5

They'll probably cost more as well lol, why not just go with a good all-season tire then?

Well, it doesn't cost too much more, and it definitely performs a lot better then all-seasons in snow of course. Softer sidewalls and better tread designs help the tire plow through snow a lot better then a typical all-season.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...4x032&code=yes

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

I looked at them as well before the X-Ice, but i live in the country and needed a good snow/ice tire and my neighbour owns a tire place and he said the X-Ice would be better for our conditions, plus i go up north snowmobiling every weekend (ok further north than i am now lol).