General tire question

[Mac29]

Read all 9 pages and don't see my question covered:

I have 215/45R17 Fuzion's on 17" wheels that are needing to be replaced. OEM is 205/65R15 or 205/60R16 for my '00 solara. I know what tires I want to replace these with. I also care about ride comfort, and noise, not just handling. Looks are secondary.

How much of a difference will I notice between 60's, 55's or 45's? In other words if I find my current tires too harsh sometimes AND I want to stick with the 17" rims how much does ride comfort depend on this ratio?

Also, IF I can get a size that fits the width of my rims correctly, I take it I'll be sacrificing some mpg the wider the tires I buy. I see all different sizes but
the first paragraph tells you I'm no tuner-boy.


Thanks!

[touringcamry]

The larger the sidewall ratio the more comfortable softer the ride should be.

On my 2000 Camry, I had 215/50-17 and I thought that was fine. I never thought it was harsh at all. I'm surprised that you find the 45s harsh since there isn't much difference in height.

The 215mm width tires increase fuel consumption because of things like aerodynamic drag due to wider cross section and because the tread is usually stickier and has higher rolling resistance which is typical of performance biased tires.

Also keep in mind that you do have a limited range of widths you have use because of wheel width and clearance of the fender and strut.

[kyle@tirerack]

I agree with Touringcamry.....215 50 17 is the best size. I believe 225 45 17 rubs strut on the inside.

[TRAVISDTD]

Originally Posted by Mac29

Read all 9 pages and don't see my question covered:

I have 215/45R17 Fuzion's on 17" wheels that are needing to be replaced. OEM is 205/65R15 or 205/60R16 for my '00 solara. I know what tires I want to replace these with. I also care about ride comfort, and noise, not just handling. Looks are secondary.

How much of a difference will I notice between 60's, 55's or 45's? In other words if I find my current tires too harsh sometimes AND I want to stick with the 17" rims how much does ride comfort depend on this ratio?

Also, IF I can get a size that fits the width of my rims correctly, I take it I'll be sacrificing some mpg the wider the tires I buy. I see all different sizes but
the first paragraph tells you I'm no tuner-boy.


Thanks!

The tire you are riding on is a little small for the vehicle in the first place which would be part of your reason for it feeling rough. I show that you can put a 215.50.17 and even a 225.50.17 if you wheel has the correct offset. As for tires, sounds like a comfortable all season would fit you well. They tend to ride nicer than a performance tire, you will get more miles out of them and they will do better in wet conditions than a performance tire. BFG G-Force Super Sport AS is a fantastic all season performance tire and would be a great choice for you, they are built by Michelin are comfortable and perform with the best of them. I would also recommend looking at the Goodyear response edge and if you would like a lot of tire for your buck look at the Falken 912 as well.