hey guys, im kinda a n00b to the tire/wheel world. i had a question i hoped someone on here could answer. im looking at getting some high performance summer tires and using my OEM tires as winter tires (not a lot of need for snow tires in the city).

my question is should i get 205/55/R16 tires or 225/50/R16? would the wider tires flex more or what? would this be a good idea and has anyone done this? i beleive the stock rims are 6.5" wide.
Thanks,
Greg

A bunch of people have done that - if you do a search, a number of threads come up. Bottom line seems to be that it depends on the tire you go with - the stronger the sidewall, the less of a reduction in performance you will see going to the wider tire. Most tire manufacturers list the recommended rim width range for each size, and generally speaking, 6.5" works for a 225 tire, but it's really the lower limit.

I would recommend going with a stock size first, and see how you like that (better tires make a world of difference over the re92's - I think the change from 205 to 225 is probably just a small increment (either better or worse, depending on the tire). I went through this decision back when I replaced mine - ended up going with p-zero nero m+s in the stock size and am really happy with them.

I second that...it depends on the tire. I went with a 225/50 Falken Ziex 512 and am not too happy with the them. I don't think it's the tire per se but the fact that the sidewalls are soft and it feels mushy. A buddy ran the Falken 451 in the same size with great results.

I second that...it depends on the tire. I went with a 225/50 Falken Ziex 512 and am not too happy with the them. I don't think it's the tire per se but the fact that the sidewalls are soft and it feels mushy. A buddy ran the Falken 451 in the same size with great results.

does it look wierd to have a beefy tire on the rims?

and will i get better handling in turns with a 225 or a 205?

225s look fine.

the quality of the rubber makes much more difference than the width of the tire.

between a 205 and a 225 of the same compound, the 225 will likely hunt (wander) more on the road, be affected by ruts and be more likely to hydroplane. It will corner slightly better.

cheers.

mch.

i think 225/50/R16 it is!