I'm really looking forward to test driving the xA when it's available in Ohio, but one thing concerns me ... the 15s.

I know a lot of you in this forum have put larger rims and tires on your xA's but are any of you still driving on the factory 15s ... and are you happy?

If I'm going to "need" to put larger wheels and tires on the xA then I need to factor that into my decision. I mean, if a set of 17s really improves the look AND the feel of the xA, then I'm going to have to factor in another $700-$900 to the final cost.

One good thing about having to wait until June in Ohio is that the tC will be avaialble at the same time ... even though I like the looks of the xA better.

the looks are up to you.

but the idea that wheels with a larger diameter are good for handling is almost entirely false.

people like to point out that the sidewall is shorter with bigger wheels and hence stiffer, but that really isn't an issue if you get a decent performance tire in the first place. Notice that F1 tires are not low profile.

15s with good tires on them should work great, and will be light which will help that 108hp get you moving.



I'm really looking forward to test driving the xA when it's available in Ohio, but one thing concerns me ... the 15s.

I know a lot of you in this forum have put larger rims and tires on your xA's but are any of you still driving on the factory 15s ... and are you happy?

If I'm going to "need" to put larger wheels and tires on the xA then I need to factor that into my decision. I mean, if a set of 17s really improves the look AND the feel of the xA, then I'm going to have to factor in another $700-$900 to the final cost.

One good thing about having to wait until June in Ohio is that the tC will be avaialble at the same time ... even though I like the looks of the xA better.

it will ride BETTER on stock wheels and tires.

it rides fine on stock... looks plain but rides good. Whats with the name rustedborg ? I have a not so rusted borg...

I know a lot of you in this forum have put larger rims and tires on your xA's but are any of you still driving on the factory 15s ... and are you happy?


I'm quite happy with the stock wheels and tires. The car handles fine.

I hear of folks who have gone to larger wheels and not been happy with the handling or ride. The car was engineered for 15s.

You will have a stiff ride with any tire of 65 series or less. They have to have a stiff sidewall to prevent damage from rocks.

The stock wheelcovers are a bit lame, but I never see them while driving.

George

I've got 2 xA's both with the stock wheels. I've never driven one with 17's on it so I can't attest to how they feel or handle, but they do look better than the 15's do. You might want to take a test drive with 17's and 15's to compare first. With the stock wheels, the ride is somewhat bumpy, and I suspect with the 17's it's a bit harsher.

I wonder if going the opposite, maybe like 185/65/15 makes a difference... somehow I can't see it doing much, maybe making it 215/65/15 or something of the sort ? Comments... anyone anyone ?

it rides fine on stock... looks plain but rides good. Whats with the name rustedborg ? I have a not so rusted borg...

I started visiting online forums back in college during the late 90s ... at the same time that Star Trek movie with the Borg in it was in theaters. I noticed that some of the borg creatures in the movie had what appeared to be a bad case of rust. I thought, "Rust must be like a cyborg's worste nightmare ... like herpes all over your body." So, in college I started identifying myself as rustedborg in online forums as a joke and it's just easier for me to use one screen name for all the different forums I visit ... that way I don't forget my screen name.

Despite the name, I prefer the look of the xA or tC over the "cube-shaped" xB. :wink:

So, to get back to the topic, there really isn't any benefit to getting larger rims/tires ... other than looks? Cool. If so, the xA looks more attractive all the time.

oh darn, I thought I found someone else who knew what a Borgward is...

I think 16s are a good compromise.
16s, with a lowered XA would look great, not be too heavy etc.

Well, I'll tell you that the stock tires aren't that great. The ride is fine, but on one occasion, the car started to hydroplane. I live in the SF Bay Area, so it doesn't rain that much. On one particular storm, there was a little more rain than usual. On the way home on 680N through Danville, my car was all over the road and I was going about 60. During a lane change, the car slid on the water that lays between the lanes. I wouldn't say it was that deep, but then with poor tires, it doesn't take that much. On the 17's I have, I'm going to get some excellent wet/dry handling because that wasn't cool at all. I drive that same patch of road with a `99 Accord & `89 CRX and I don't experience the same issues. With the CRX not having problems, I know that it isn't because the xB is too light (xB & CRX weigh about the same).

So all in all, great ride w/ stock rim & tire, but poor wet handling IMO.

I have 16's on my xB, and if I were to change the size on my wife's xA I would put on some 16's. 2fixA has 16's on his xA, and they look great!! 8)

oh darn, I thought I found someone else who knew what a Borgward is...

I have a friend with a Borgward, and it would fit that username perfectly! :)

it will ride BETTER on stock wheels and tires.

i agree w/ randode

had 19's on the xb and it rode like crap... felt every imperfection on the road. Stock has a much better ride.

upgrading wheels and tires will help the look of the car a lot. the stock wheels look small on the xA. you can get some performance gain from upgrading to a wider tire on a 17" rim, but you want to keep the power you will want to get a light 17" wheel.

The steelie 15s are okay... better performing tires will definately increase youR grip!

i can't decide between 205/40/17 and 205/50/16. im leaning more towards the 16" because it'll cost less to purchase and to replace tires for. man, my parents are gonna kill me for spending that much money on this stuff.

i'm rolling stock on my xB right now, and i hate every minute of it. They just make the car look cheap.
The stock wheels are small with plastic hubcaps, and i almost feel guilty rollin on them with everyone rubbernecking as they check out my car.

Once winter is over, I'll be putting on some 17s... i really havent decided on more than the size just yet.
I am not however, looking forward to the routine of putting on my "winter wheels" every year. What a pain in the ___.

Once again, whether or not you like the stock wheels and tires depends on what you're used to. I had 14" wheels on my Corolla (and have driven econo-boxes in the past that ran on 13's!) so the 15" stock wheels look HUGE to me....Jeez, the last vehicle I owned that had wheels that big was a 4WD Mitsubishi Montero.

I plan to keep the stock wheels and tires until I need to replace the tires anyway; and at that point, will re-examine my willingness to shell out an additional $800 or so for what amounts to a cosmetic upgrade.

C.F.

I'm rolling on the stock alloys and the ride is fine .. I'll end up getting a set of lightweight 16s for summer driving ... but it's just a cosmetic choice for me. most everything else I could say has been said. LoL

I wonder if going the opposite, maybe like 185/65/15 makes a difference... somehow I can't see it doing much, maybe making it 215/65/15 or something of the sort ? Comments... anyone anyone ?

I wouln't run a 215/65/15. You'll see why after a quick review about reading tires sidewalls.

215 = millimeters
This is the width of your tire

65 = sidewall measurement which is the percent of the width (65% of 215 mm)

15 = inner radius in inches

So, to make some sense out of this, a 185/65/15 has 120.25 mm sidewalls (185 x 65% = 120.25)

A 215/65/15 is going to have a sidewall that's 139.75 mm and will A) mess up your speedometer by 6.3% (too slow) and B)give you the appearence of really fat sidewalls, which is probably not what you'd want.

Having a taller sidewall usually means that your handling will decrease because the sidewall is flexing more.

Now, if you wanted to run a 205/60/15 you'll get a wider foot print, retain a fairly low sidewall, and you're speedometer will only be 0.9% off (if you're going 60 mph, your speedo will read 60.5 mph).

A simple tool for calculating this stuff is here:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

now thats an answer... everyone else take note ! ahahhaaa... thanks... I was thinking that big fat sidewalls would be a look, but the way I take corners I don't think I could sacrifice the handling. I was wondering if the width would compensate. I was just thinking hypothetically to smooth out the ride, and make for carrying a heavier load in my xB....

I wonder if going the opposite, maybe like 185/65/15 makes a difference... somehow I can't see it doing much, maybe making it 215/65/15 or something of the sort ? Comments... anyone anyone ?

I wouln't run a 215/65/15. You'll see why after a quick review about reading tires sidewalls.

215 = millimeters
This is the width of your tire

65 = sidewall measurement which is the percent of the width (65% of 215 mm)

15 = inner radius in inches

So, to make some sense out of this, a 185/65/15 has 120.25 mm sidewalls (185 x 65% = 120.25)

A 215/65/15 is going to have a sidewall that's 139.75 mm and will A) mess up your speedometer by 6.3% (too slow) and B)give you the appearence of really fat sidewalls, which is probably not what you'd want.

Having a taller sidewall usually means that your handling will decrease because the sidewall is flexing more.

Now, if you wanted to run a 205/60/15 you'll get a wider foot print, retain a fairly low sidewall, and you're speedometer will only be 0.9% off (if you're going 60 mph, your speedo will read 60.5 mph).

A simple tool for calculating this stuff is here:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Wow...great info! Will the wider tire affect gas mileage much, do you think?

I am seriously thinking about changing to a wider tread.

Sean

oops forgot to ask....this will work with stock rims right?

Sean

Yes, a wider tire will effect gas milage. Probably not a ton, but it will (more rolling resistance).

oops forgot to ask....this will work with stock rims right?

Sean

205s will fit on the stock rims, but will not offer optimum performance since the tire will be deformed slightly from the bulging sidewall.

Once again, whether or not you like the stock wheels and tires depends on what you're used to. I had 14" wheels on my Corolla (and have driven econo-boxes in the past that ran on 13's!) so the 15" stock wheels look HUGE to me....Jeez, the last vehicle I owned that had wheels that big was a 4WD Mitsubishi Montero.

I plan to keep the stock wheels and tires until I need to replace the tires anyway; and at that point, will re-examine my willingness to shell out an additional $800 or so for what amounts to a cosmetic upgrade.

C.F.

Koool ... hey, aren't you the same guy who suggested in an earlier thread on stock tires putting huge wheels and tires on an xA and making the worlds smallest monster truck? :wink:

I guess I'm just going to have to wait until my dealer has xAs with multiple wheel/tire sizes available for test drives. As much as I like the look of 17s or 18s, the quality of the ride is more important to me than the look of the wheels.

I was very happy with them......all 35 miles back to my house where my new 17's were waiting! :lol:

I like the stock wheels just fine.