I read the thread with the 17" rims and am curious what other options do those of us with the 16" have. My stock tire is 215/55/16....

 

I have the same question. My stock rubber seems to be going at almost 25K. What would be the best replacement?
Would 225/50s be good? or should we stick to original 215/55s??

Any info is appreciated.

 

You have lots of options. Here is a good place to start...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...m=1&pagemark=1

 

My plan is to get new wheels and tires when these things wear out. I'm not down for the 16" I want 17x8 or at least 17x7.5

 

Thanks BeagleMax.

I guess what I am trying to ask is... What's the max I could go to. I have done a bit of homework and other than the speedometer no longer being 100% accurate. Are there any other safety concerns?? I often have lit'lins in the car and even though I never drive the same as when I am alone, I cant imagine a blow out on the highway, etc....

 

The odometer is also affected. Do you want to know what the widest tire you can put on is? Or are you asking something else??

 

Yes. The widest tire... that is safe

 

This will vary by manufacturer specifications. 225/50/16 and 225/55/16 should fit regardless of manufacture (there might be a couple exceptions). Some 245/50/16 will fit on the stock 6.5" rim width (e.g. Dunlop SP sport 9000 and 8000). 235/50/16 will also fit and will do a better job of keeping the speedometer and odometer accurate. However there are not many choices in 235/50/16 and they are comparatively expensive. My advice it to look for a 215/55/16 or a 225/50/16 tire size and look for a tire with a large tread width. For each 0.5" change in rim width a tire will gain/loose about 0.2" in tread width. For example a tire with a specified tread width of 7.6" on a 7" wide rim will have a tread width of 7.4" on a 6.5" rim width.

Also there are issues with the overall grip of the tire. Some offer more grip than others. For my money, I would get the Kumho Ecsta 712 in 215/55/16. Are the other performance tires twice as good at roughly double the price ($75 vs $150)? Wider does not necessarly mean that it will handle better. With other things equal, a wider tire will handle better. Hope that helps.

 

Best thing to do is to go larger. I like the look of the 16in. wheel that came stock on my SE, but the only problem that I had with the setup was the width. Any tire you put on it is gonna be skinny lookin'. Even the 17s from the factory should be wider, but that wheel too is a bit narrow. I say to just go with a 17x8 wheel and throw you some 245/45/17s on it. Looks much better for a reasonable price, not to mention the better handling. Wider IS better!

 

I agree with beaglemax. Go with Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s in 215/55/16. That way you'll be staying completely in spec. The Kumhos are GREAT tires. They're Z rated, have a load rating of 93, a wear factor of 280, and best of all, they only cost $75.00 each at Tire Rack. These are the tires I intend to purchase for my wife's GXE when her Toyos wear out.

 

The Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s that you are talking about, would they be good enough for the winters in NYC?? Also, what does a wear factor of 280 mean? How long should they last as far as miles? What kind of wear factor should one consider when getting a tire?
Lastly, how long did everyones stock 16'' rubber last??

Thanx guys!

 

Thanks to everyone for the input!!! Most appreciated

 

We don't get snow out here in Southern California, so I can't help you in that regard. But I suspect the Kumhos are more of a summer tire.

A tire graded 150 would wear 1 and a half times as well as a tire graded 100. So the higher the wear factor, the better.

The stock Toyo's on my wife's GXE have a wear factor of 240. The Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s in Z rating have a wear factor of 280.

I'm guessing we'll get at least 30,000 miles out of my wife's Toyos.

 

No!!! The Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s are not for the snow!
You would be better off with an all season tire or getting a separate set of snow tires for the winter.

Since I am in Florida, snow is not an issue. New York is another story.

 

I'm a little confused about what wheels *can*
fit on a GXE vs. what are the recommended sizes.
Can someone clear this up? I thought I read
somewhere that the GXE is "challenged" when it
comes to what size wheels you can put on it.

Speedometer issues aside, can you use wheels that
are larger than the stock 16" (ugly-as-sin) wheels
that come on the GXE?

I bought my GXE used and those low-end wheels
are just killing me. I'd like to put new
ones on, but the tires are in great shape and
I don't want to spend the money for new tires
as well. I was thinking of replacing the
wheels with something like this:

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/me...ear.value=2000

and just having the existing 215/55/16 tires put on
them.

Any opinions? I thought Carbon Silver might look
good with my Grey Lustre Max.

 

No...225 50 16 will fit fine! It will be wider AND lower. This will give a better response. I think 17" isn't worth upgrading because it has become the stock size for most cars. If you got the money, go for 18 or 19.


Kumho Supra comes with 225 50 16 and 215 55 16. They both will fit onto the stock 16x6.5" rim. If you happen to get the 225 50 16, you should consider lower your car because it will increase the wheel well gap!!!

 

Those will look much nicer than the GXE wheels. Better hurry though...those are almost completely out of stock

 

So putting 225/50 will fit, but is it safe and recommended??
Also, what tire would you guys suggest for all season in NYC? I really like the Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s!! But cannot afford to have another set for the winter...

 

Speedometer is already off a little because it's averaged for 15, 16 or 17 wheels that come stock. The 225-55-16 will actually be closer to exact, and a fine fit. The only problem is that it's slightly uncommon.

Dave

 

i've had a pretty tough time finding good all-season stock for the 17's. 225/50/17 is a rare size - they all try to sell me 45's or 55's (mostly the latter). michelin makes a good all-year in the Pilot XGT Z4 - best water channeling and cold weather grip i've found in a performance tire that comes in a 50. the bridgestone potenza's nissan gave me are terrible (repeat: absolutely not good) for winter driving. i might as well just buy formula 1 racing slicks. they're way too hard and the channels are tiny and narrow. nice summer tires, but they barely kept my max alive through its first winter in montana. abs brakes are my friend...

anyway, if you're thinking of jumping up to a 17, be aware the selection can be a bit slim, especially in the ever-so-rare 50/17. i would suggest upping to a 55 for a better selection, especially if you're trying for an all-weather-capable max.