Hi all, new here on SL, I have a 07 BSP tC. My question is:

Which is better, 195/55-16 or 205/60-15, for Winter tires?, Also is it better to have a heavier or lighter wheel?

Decided on a package deal from tirerack finally. They don't offer steelies so I am going to go with a cheap alloy wheel (6.5 or 7 wide with 35 or 38 mm offset). Most likely getting Dunlop Winter Sport M3's. I am just going to forget about the sensors and deal with the dash light.

I was going to just buy tires and put them on my stock rims. But it is almost the same price to buy a package deal at a smaller size than just the 17" winter tires plus I would imagine the 15 or 16's would run better than the 17's in Winter. What does everyone think about this decision?

Also are performance winter tires better or studless ice and snow? (I live in suburbs of NYC)

Thank you in advance to those that respond.
Mike

 

I think getting the package is a good idea. Also, I believe that smaller wheels/tires are better in the snow. I think TireRack may have a tech article on that, so 15"s may be the best on paper, but I don't know how much better they'd be in real life compared to 16"s.

I guess as far as the performance winter vs. studless ice and snow thing goes depends on just how much snow you get. If you really get hit hard, I'd probably go with the ice and snow. However, if you don't get anything major and constant, maybe try the performance as they may perform better when you get a break from the snow in the winter.

 

Thank you for your input and your time. I appreciate it. Anybody else that knows wheels and tires willing to help?

 

I have the Winter Sport M3's in 195/65/15, and they were great in the winter. I took it easy on the ice, but these tires could go through snow and slush nicely. I even went through an unplowed stretch with 5 inches on the ground, and these tires could bite through it. The 15" wheel also gives more cushioning for those potholes and hard edges; I kept these tires on through to April, since all that melting snow results in a lot of mud.

I didn't get a TPMS light, but I have an '06, so it doesn't have the in-wheel sensors (tire pressure system uses the ABS sensors to detect differences in wheel rotation).

 

A few other items to consider:

- Having a separate winter tire / wheel set means that your 17's don't get exposed to road salt, potholes, etc.

- A smaller wheel diameter and higher aspect ratio means there's more tire and air to absorb impact from potholes

- Narrower tires means that there's less surface width in contact with the road, which means a lesser chance of hydroplaning or slush-planing (but never drive too fast in snowy conditions; that means you have a higher potential of not being able to stop in time, and trying to stop is worse in the snow since you have less traction).

And try to purchase now; I remember last year, TireRack ran out of 15" steelies the day after I ordered mine. That was at the end of November, though, so there's still a bit of time.

 

for the guys who have 15's-how does that affect the ride? i'm gonna put 15's on with the trd springs and tokico shocks, so i'm kinda worried about the ride going to crap. the winter tires are gonna be dunlop graspics.

 

It won't handle as good as with lower profile tires, but it will ride better since the tires have more sidewall to absorb bumps.