I am looking at swapping out the stock 225/50/17 on my OE '02 SE wheels for a 225/45/17. Any thoughts here? Obviously I know the speedo will be a little fast.

 

Speedo will be fast, you'll have much more prominent wheel gap and it will detract from the look of your car IMO. It'll handle more crisply and accelerate and brake more easily, and you'll also be running a little higher engine speed on the freeway to keep up with traffic. Your ride will also worsen a bit.

Few things to think about.

 

That is the size the previous owner had on my car when I bought it. Even with my progress drop, the front wheel gap is ugly. I think the tires just look too small for the car and they arent worth the ride. Oddly enough my 18's ride better than the stupid continentals on the 17's. Since they suck so bad, ive been using them as burnout tires...