Wider tires????

[Jagalag]

I've got stock 15" wheels on my '99. The guy at Discount Tire said that I could go with a 215 width instead of the stock 205 width. Besides the benefits of better traction, will this take away from the fuel economy or ride???

[cexsiman]

i want 215's also, you are going to have to go with a lower profile tire if you don't want to have to deal with recalibrating the speedometer, which will mean a slightly harsher ride, but i would sacrifice it for the traction. you may not even notice the difference to be honest. and it will effect fuel economy because there is more rubber resisting on the road. It should also be a negligible drop in mpg.

[Param]

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

Use this link to see your rpm difference. As long as you are within 3% speedometer variance, tires are alright.

However, 215 NOT necessarily going to fit. You have to do few sharp turns with the tires on the car to decide. Do one tire. Mount it on the car. Hoist it & do a sharp turn to see yourself.

Last winter, I have used 215/65/15 Michelin winter tires (Sienna tires)on 99 Avalon. During an oil change Mechanic pointed out to me that the tire was rubbing against the sub frame. He showed me a turn & it barely cleared the wheel well, while on hoist. Again, with all the bumps & turns, I doubt that it has enough clearance. I changed tires back to 205/65/15.

However, that I liked the 215/65/15. Little bit more assured road feel. Also gave me another 1/4" more road clearance space. Drove from Toronto to PA, during heavy snow last year.

Winter tires have rigid sidewall, compared to all-season. Avalon is a bit heavier, which make the sidewall sag a bit more. Solution is to use spacer. You have to watch the offsets too.

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[Jagalag]

I got the Michelin 215s last week. Ride is great. The throttle response is somewhat weaker, because of more rolling resistance I guess, but overall fuel economy doesn't seem to be affected if you drive 5 mph or so slower than your usual speed on the freeway....

[cexsiman]

what wheels did you put them on?

[Jagalag]

the stock 15" rims, you know, these 5 spoke designs:

[cexsiman]

very nice, ride on, and enjoy the grip

[ImDisaster]

Originally Posted by Param

Last winter, I have used 215/65/15 Michelin winter tires (Sienna tires)on 99 Avalon. During an oil change Mechanic pointed out to me that the tire was rubbing against the sub frame. He showed me a turn & it barely cleared the wheel well, while on hoist. Again, with all the bumps & turns, I doubt that it has enough clearance. I changed tires back to 205/65/15.

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That is why you should go with a lower profile...which will improve handling...like 215/60's. I went with 17" wheels and 215/50's and am very pleased with the improvement in handling. Bought General Altimax HP's which are sticky tires and have much better than average winter performance.