185/60r15 on steelies VS. 175/65r14 on steelies... - Toyota Yaris Forums

baseballfan416 · 07-29-2014, 07:02 PM

Looking to replace current tires (185/60r15 on steelies). As an alternative to just replacing the tires, I'm considering getting tires/steelies from tirerack, since it's a nominal amount more for the set. The downside is they only have 14 inch steelies.

Would moving from a 185/60r15 to a 175/65r14 have any impact on fuel economy, and if so, to what extent? I realize the smaller wheels are about 3% smaller in diameter so if they improve fuel economy is it a result of the speedometer reading faster than actual travel or is it a true improvement in spite of this?

CTScott · 07-29-2014, 07:18 PM

The tire width (i.e. reduced friction) would be the thing that would help with fuel economy (minimally {1-2 MPGs max} between 175 and 185). The 175s would rotate 3.3% more than the 185s, so your speedometer would be off by that much between the two.

I believe that 14" setups are typically a bit lighter than 15" setups, so you would notice a bit better acceleration (as well as the smaller diameter would also help this, but would reduce your top end / would mean higher RPMs for same vehicle speed).

07-29-2014, 07:02 PM	#1
baseballfan416 Drives: 2017 L 3-door Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Milwaukee, Wi Posts: 161	185/60r15 on steelies VS. 175/65r14 on steelies... Looking to replace current tires (185/60r15 on steelies). As an alternative to just replacing the tires, I'm considering getting tires/steelies from tirerack, since it's a nominal amount more for the set. The downside is they only have 14 inch steelies. Would moving from a 185/60r15 to a 175/65r14 have any impact on fuel economy, and if so, to what extent? I realize the smaller wheels are about 3% smaller in diameter so if they improve fuel economy is it a result of the speedometer reading faster than actual travel or is it a true improvement in spite of this?

07-29-2014, 07:18 PM	#2
CTScott ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 09 5dr LB, 2x 08 3dr LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA, CT Posts: 13,460	The tire width (i.e. reduced friction) would be the thing that would help with fuel economy (minimally {1-2 MPGs max} between 175 and 185). The 175s would rotate 3.3% more than the 185s, so your speedometer would be off by that much between the two. I believe that 14" setups are typically a bit lighter than 15" setups, so you would notice a bit better acceleration (as well as the smaller diameter would also help this, but would reduce your top end / would mean higher RPMs for same vehicle speed). __________________

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