I know this is going to go against the grain of many of you . . . but I'm switching to 16" rims.

Why??

Well I'll tell ya . . .

1. I want a quiet ride and there are no 17" tires out there which satisfy my criteria for quietness. Hey, I live in Michigan okay
2. Hey, I live in Michigan and the roads are so crappy 18" inch rims are totally out of the question. It's bad enough with the 17" and the stocks on my car now.
3. Discount has a cool 16" rim and my choices of tires increase dramatically. Also, the decibal levels drop to what my ears will tolerate. 205/55R-16
4. I don't want nor want to spend the money on dedicated 17" summer tires.
5. I just want to.
6. My MPG will improve slightly. Currently at 32mpg and hope to tweak to 35mpg


oh, one more . . . did I mention I live in Michigan?

 

go with steelies, obviously with you function > form so i'd just get steelies because they're cheap

 

whats with the proclomation? are you looking for affirmation on your decision to go 16s?

anyway i'd rock stock Corolla XRS/Matrix XR 16's.

 

fa sho ^ ... if not i know plenty of nice 5x100 sick rims available...

u can also jump on old matrix or celica wheels... from previous years which look alot nicer then some of the current ones..

 

you didn't even bring up the performance aspect of having smaller rims. smaller rims = less weight = less rotating mass. and plus there is no reason to have 18 on a coupe that size. I going to do the same thing fairly soon, I'm going with enkeis.

 

Wow.. low to mid-30's mpg out of a tC ! What have you done to it, to attain that good of gas milage( or is it just your enhanced driving style ) ???

I thought the tC was rated/ and most people got 26- 27 mpg.

Yes, you can get a good 16X7 alloy for $150-200 per wheel , just check around- figure what style you want, and go for it dude.

 

speed-o is going to be off.

 

not by too much, if at all. As long as you get the right series rating, like a 205/55/16 , what ever is the next closest comprable sizing.

 

super-stormtrooper07, yea two tanks ago 35mpg so I filled her up again to confirm if it was a fluke because I'm thinkin that it was . . . and my next tank was at 30mpg.

I record my mileage and gallons every fill up and therefore compute an actual mpg which "overfilling" as some people to do to get a higher (ie: false) mpg rating is not in the equation.

anyhow all I did was add a bottle of Techron, and pretty much stick to Mobil gas because it has additives to keep the injectors clean. Also, I change the air filter and walla . . . better MPG.

But back to the 16" rims, and again most everybody in this forum will think I'm nuts cause I'm staying clear of 18" and so on . . . but hey . . . did I mention I live in Michigan

Like Brande0408 said, less rubber on the road will improve mpg that much more. Plus as you state . . . the 205/55R is the correct size and in this case the exact the size recommended by Toyota Scion.

 

post picstures of the 16s .... i myself prefer smaller rims... but 17s is as bi as i would go on the tc.. but if i could go 16s and have it not look crazy as hell lol. i would

 

Yes, a 205/50/16 is excellent, or a 205/55/16 (more comfortable ride) also works well.

I dont believe they make a 195 in a 16" tire size... I've tried searching for that ... to no avail.
Also remember, the less contact rubbber surface on the road, is also excellent during the winter months when there is ice + rain , as a narrower tire on the road surprisingly performs BETTER then a wider tire. Most people would the the opposite is true, but there are several advantages with going with a narrower tire. Go wider when its summer time/ dry condition for max. grip.

What ever you do, when you get your 16X7 wheel, dont 1/2 azzz it and get something cheeezy. Do it right (5Zigen, Buddy Club, Volk, SSR) so that 1000's of miles down the road you can say you did it right the first time. Like I said, you can get something good for $150-200 ... but to get something awesome your gonna have to spend about $300+ per wheel , but IMO its well worth it (more durable, lighter wheel), and in the process years down the line, if you ever needed to resell them, you'll get better resale value out of a trusted/quality wheel then some cheezy knock off brand the people quickly forget about after 1-2 years. Ohhh, also the Enkei RPNF-1 wheel, in 16" is probably right about $210-215 per wheel, very light weight, made in Japan, but most vendors out there sell it in Silver, which if you have a white tC, I personally would warn against getting a silver wheel. I do believe its avail. in black.... which could be awesome if your down with a black wheel.