OEM is 215/45. Why run a 225/45 or 235/45 on the same width rim? Does it give a little more play/flex in the tire around corners? I've even seen 245/40 but wouldn't that mean with the extra width the tire would need a thicker sidewall not thinner?

Pro's/Con's of using a wider tire?

Just finalizing some tire buying - Prob going to stick with the 215 since the tC handles great as it is but just curious - thanks!

 

Wider tire = More contact with the road = More traction.

No reason to NOT go 225/45 on OEM wheels.

 

They're kinda OEM. 17x7 konig's...but 40mm offset

Thanks for the input - I knew that much, but thought it was too obvious to be the whole explanation, haha

 

There's an optimal range of tire to wheel widths, depending on the aspect ratio. A 225 tire is technically a bit too wide for a 7" wheel, when using an aspect ratio of <50. for a 225 tire, a 7.3" wide wheel is optimal from a performance perspective, 215 is perfect for 7". While it's true many people run a 225/45 on a 7" wheel, and that doing so provides 10mm more tread width, the slightly higher sidewall equates to less immediate turn-in and a bit more "squirm" potential. If you compare tire weights you'll also find that 10mm additional width comes with a weight penalty too, along with a larger diameter which decreases acceleration performance.

Nothing really "wrong" with running 225 versus 215, but there are trade-offs to consider.