16" or 17" wheels?

[grampi]

I would probably like the looks of 17" wheels and tires better, but here are my concerns.

I put roughly 3000 miles on my vehicle per month. Because of this, I want to stay away from having to go with H, V, or Z speed rated tires because they just don't last very long. My other concern is ride quality. I know from experience that going from a 15" to a 17" tire, while maintaining the same overall diameter means the sidewall is going to be much shorter and stiffer on the 17" tire. I don't want to destroy the ride quality of the Yaris, so here are my questions. Does going to a 17" rim and tire result in a bone-jarring ride, and are touring tires (T or S speed rated tires) available in a 17" size? Thanks.

[redyaris]

Exactly why i kept 15"s. Im not putting mucho dollars into performance tires every 2-3 years on a Yaris! Ill keep my little 185s and have some extra cash for other goodies.

[grampi]

Exactly why i kept 15"s. Im not putting mucho dollars into performance tires every 2-3 years on a Yaris! Ill keep my little 185s and have some extra cash for other goodies.

I don't understand why tire makers think that every tire with an aspect ratio of 50 or lower must be an H through Z speed rated tire. Why can't they make these low profile tires in a touring compound (T or S speed rated) that'll be good for 70K-80K miles? Not everyone who wants low profile tires needs racing tires. In fact, most people are probably buying them just for the looks.

[brickhardmeat]

15-16:headbang:

[PetersRedYaris]

205/40/17's ride nice with NF210 springs. Much more firm than stock, but definetley not bone-jarring. The only place I wish I had more rubber is on rough R/R crossings. I can't tell any difference on good roads, no slapping the seams on the pavement. Interstate is super smooth.

[grampi]

205/40/17's ride nice with NF210 springs. Much more firm than stock, but definetley not bone-jarring. The only place I wish I had more rubber is on rough R/R crossings. I can't tell any difference on good roads, no slapping the seams on the pavement. Interstate is super smooth.

My guess is those 40s are Z speed rated?

[Imagine]

You are right grampi thats the reason I switched back to 15s with my Civic. 17's were expensive and sacrificed ride quality. You can run a 50 series tire on the 16, but they still wont be as cheap as 15s.

[grampi]

Are there any 50 or lower series tires available that are good for say 60K-80K miles? That's what I'm looking for.

[d4w1]

Check with www.tirerack.com. KUMO has a AST all weather directional 17", 205/45R17 for a excellent price. This tire cost no more than your stock narrow tires that came with your car.

[Thirty-Nine]

I'd go 15 or 16. I rocked 18s on my xB for a while, but it's just too much wheel for performance purposes. I'm now riding on 16s, which have great handling, less rotating mass, and provide more sidewall for the bumps.

[grampi]

Any suggestions for places to look for rims? Thanks.

[Imagine]

My only real advice to you is the pay attention to the treadwear ratings on the tire. The higher the number the longer the tire life. Tirerack.com will list the tires treadwear rating with the description of the tires. Also, read the tire reviews that tirerack.com offers. Sometimes people will tell you how many miles they were able to get out of their tires.

Read this article for more info..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadwear_rating

[eTiMaGo]

I'd go 15 or 16. I rocked 18s on my xB for a while, but it's just too much wheel for performance purposes. I'm now riding on 16s, which have great handling, less rotating mass, and provide more sidewall for the bumps.

I agree, I love my 18"s, but 16" is probably the ideal compromise between looks, performance, and comfort...

[redyaris]

You are right grampi thats the reason I switched back to 15s with my Civic. 17's were expensive and sacrificed ride quality. You can run a 50 series tire on the 16, but they still wont be as cheap as 15s.


IMO there will be a lot of people switching back to 15"s as soon as they get their first tire bill for speed rated tires on a slow econocar!

[grampi]

Any suggestions for places to look for rims? Thanks.

Anyone?

[Imagine]

Check the site sponsors.
Tirerack.com
Tires.com
Wheelsnext.com
Superbuytires.com
eBay

There are tons, and tons of places to buy wheels. If you knew what kind you were looking for I could help narrow them down for you.

[SailDesign]

My favorite spot is www.edgeracing.com - they have a great deal on Enkei OR52 wheels at the moment, especially if you include tires.

[Rabbit]

i have 17's on my yaris and i put 4000- 5000 a month , and have no problems at all

[PolrWht07]

:headbang: :headbang: I bought my Yaris to make it look good, of course, like most people, but I also have to remember that at some point there will be a car seat in the back (lame I know, but none the less it is a deciding factor) and while i'll keep the 14's I have on there now (stock) because of the dunlops that came with it having such a good warranty, I can say I won't be going with anything bigger than a 16" rim and 50-55 series tire. I just wouldn't want to have to put new springs, and change my suspension all for a bigger rim. While I do think the 17 would be better cosmetically, I wouldn't want to sacrifice the smooth ride my Yaris gets. By the way, I've had mine 5 days now, and love it. Toyota definately got it right with this one.

[PolrWht07]

hey mna, just so you know, futura (made by cooper) has a 17 inch tire that's rated for touring. You can find them at Pepboys, and though i really wouldn't take my 10 speed to pepboys, you can find 17 inch rated futura touring HR tires. I don't know if they'll have the right width, but they do have 17" touring tires.

[YarisPR]

I agree, I love my 18"s, but 16" is probably the ideal compromise between looks, performance, and comfort...

X2 :biggrin:

[grampi]

i have 17's on my yaris and i put 4000- 5000 a month , and have no problems at all

Which tires do you have, how many miles have you put on them so far, and how much tread have you lost so far?

[Razr]

I have a 2yo daughter who's almost always in the car with us, so ride quality is very important to me.

I'm running 215/45ZR17's and with 38,000 KM (~24000 Miles) I'd say they're about 75% worn. Ride quality is awesome - very little difference from the stock 15's that came with the car, but of course dramatically improved handling.

For reference the tires I'm using are Dunlop SP Sport 9000's.

[cali yaris]

My favorite spot is www.edgeracing.com - they have a great deal on Enkei OR52 wheels at the moment, especially if you include tires.

I checked that out, but didn't see any 4 x 100 in those?

[Vanderkitten]

The stock 15" tires if you have the Potenza RE92's are actually a fairly grippy tire for a pizza cutter and will wear out accordingly.

If you want performance on a budget, you can do the 16's and have a less sidewall flax than the stockers with better looks.

I just put on 205/45/17's. I think the 40 sidewall is a bit closer to stock diameter, I am probably 4-5% over. The ride is pretty good, but they are Falken Azensis (?) in a v-speed rating and louder (wider tires tend to be louder).

If you look hard, you can find 16" and 15" performance tires that will give you some good mileage for stellar deals at Tire Rack and Discount Tire. I found some Sumitomo's I was thinking about for the track for $60 each. $36 is the shipping cost... not a bad price.

[SailDesign]

I checked that out, but didn't see any 4 x 100 in those?

They are both 4 x 100 and 4 x 108 (?) or whatever the other one is. There are 8 little holes in them. :smile:

[seanele]

Any suggestions for places to look for rims? Thanks.


www.buywheelstoday.com

go to the website first and find your choice of wheels/tires,
then call them at 1-866-747-6247.
talk to a guy name Bob.

trust me, these people are very good and well trained customer service.
They help me out for my 2005 Honda Element with a set of rims/tires.
Even when i received one of the cap is broken from UPS driver,
they sent me a replacement right away at no cost.

[kimona]

Try the following to start:

Discounttiredirect

Buywheelstoday

Tirerack