Taller tire/sidewall for spring?

[jkm311]

I love the cushioned ride my new winter tires are currently providing. I have them on black 15" steelies. But, when I put my stock 16" alloy rims back on in the spring, I need to purchase new tires. My first set of RS/As are cashin' out. The big question is, has anybody purposely purchased a taller version of the Goodyear RS/As or any other reputable brand? I ask, because the Michigan roads are not getting any better, and I might be trying to go with a taller tire/sidewall than usual to combat the inevitable potholes coming up. Just like a majority of us on here, I'm normally a fan of lower-profile tires on larger rims, but I want to handle the springtime roads with more confidence. If anyone has any advice/tips/photos pertaining to taller tires, I'd love to get your take. Thanks.

[moonstonemike]

I'm running 205/60/16 as my winter tires My grandfather has 205/70/15 on his vibe

[lovemyraffe]

I was running 205/60/16 too. Worked out ok.

[jkm311]

Raffe, do you have a photo of those mounted on the rims at all? Anybody running with anything taller than 60s?

[lovemyraffe]

Any of the pics with the stock steel wheels and wheel covers have the 205/60/16 tires on them.

[jkm311]

I have the alloys and 55s, currently. Anybody have the alloy rims and anything 60 or taller in a photo?

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by jkm311 »I have the alloys and 55s, currently. Anybody have the alloy rims and anything 60 or taller in a photo?in my garage thread. my snows on the factory alloys have a 60 series tire on them.

[jkm311]

Perfect! Now to get a hold of your winter rims. I'd make those puppies my summers! Thanks for ringing in, KeithVibe.

[vibolista]

A member... MountainMax put P225/60 R16s on a set of American Racing alloy wheels on his first gen Vibe. The wheels were about the same offset as the OEM steel wheels (39mm). He reported no problems with interference. He lives in a small community that only has unpaved access for hundreds of kilometers in each direction, so he needed more clearance and a softer ride. Unfortunately he took his pictures down. They looked really good. Just don't go for RS-As. There's a bunch of way better tires out there, and they even cost less than RS-As.

[jkm311]

I'm open to any reputable tire manufacturer. I'm just trying to decide if 60+ is the way I want to go on my stock 16s. Might be a little overkill during the summer months, but our Mich. roads suck. Especially my drive to work.It's too bad his photos were taken down! Thanks for the info, though.

[Dino]

I have the factory 16" alloy rims on a 2005 vibe. I put a set of 205/55R16 Yokohama Avid V4S on my car and they did fine for traction on wet roads. When I eventually wore them out I replaced them with a good used set of Avid V4S in a 205/60R16. I thought by buying used I could give them a try without risking too much money. I have been very pleased. With the old tires my speedometer was off by 5%. When it indicated 40 mph I was only doing 38. The gas mileage averaged 31mpg using the indicated mileage for combined driving. That works out to a actual of about 29.5 mpg. When I went to the 205/60R16 my speedometer indicates perfect according to GPS and radar. My gas mileage now is running 32 to 33 in combined driving, and I even got 35.5 on the highway. That works out to about a 10% improvement in real mpg. I am guessing that the car must be geared closer for the 17" inch rim/tire combination, and the larger diameter tires might roll easier. I don't know why but am happy about it. Also the car sits just a little bit higher which helps keep the mud flaps from dragging on some driveways. The ride is diffidently smoother and I like the look of the beefier tires. Note both the new tires and the old ones are the same brand and type, just different sizes. I am considering trying 205/65R16's next.