Would it be worth going from 16” OEM alloys to 15” Gen 3 OEM alloys, on my Gen 2? The goal is comfort, quieter ride and a bigger sidewall. Tyre prices are about the same for both tyres I’m looking at (205/60R16 and 205/65R15). Also, is it worth removing a 1.6” and reverting back to stock ride height, to achieve comfort and a quieter ride?
I’ve got a lift kit on so, when I get new tyres, I’ll be getting larger ones compared to stock. I’m in the UK so my current tyres are 195/55R16.
Everything is correct now. 195/55R16 Europe Regardless of whether the car is raised or lowered, the distance inside the wheel arch remains the same, and when you insert a wheel (205/60R16) whose diameter is 32 mm larger, the wheel will start to touch the wheel arch. Use a tire calculator.
I have. See below. But my question is whether it’s worth buying smaller 15” alloys to improve ride quality and comfort.
You can see that they are different. If you decide to install 15 wheels, then the tires should be 185/65/R15. The ride will be softer.
185/65R15 will be softer than 205/65R15? My question is, should I reduce from 16” alloys to 15”, or is it not worth buying new alloys? They’re about £200-300 here used for a full set of 4.
205/65R15 is a significantly larger tire than 185/65/R15 or 195/55/16. This size can get stuck in the Gen2 wheel arch. 185/65/R15 will be softer than 195/55/16.
The correct size in the UK for 15" wheels would be 195/60 R15, which is also what I run here. Use the calculator to find the correct wall height ratio for the 205 width. I can't really offer any perspective on 185 vs 195 vs 205 as I have only ever run the 195/60s. I use the stock 15" wheels for the Gen 2. I would think the ride comfort difference of 16" vs 15" would be pretty minimal, but I have no real data to support that. The greatest difference for ride comfort would be the actual tyre manufacturer, from my experience. I have had Goodyear, Firestone, Hankook, Bridgestone, and now currently running Michelin (Energy XM2+), and the only tyre that I even noticed a softer ride on was the current Michelin tyres. Tyre pressure makes a difference too; the higher the pressure, the harder the ride. I run the Michelins at 35 PSI front and 33 PSI on the rear as I have with all my tyres over the years.
