2009 VIBE GT - WINTER TIRE OPTIONS (CAN I GO SMALLER?)

[VANCOUVER]

HI guys,I can't seem to figure out if I can use smaller winter tires on my VIBE GT. I currently have the stock 215 / 45 / 18 inch wheels that come with the GTs. Can I go down to a 17 or even a 16 for the winter? I heard that smaller wheels cut through snow a lot better and they are WAY CHEAPER! Any advice would be much appreciated! Also, if any of you have gone down in size for your winter tires, can you post to let me know how it worked out?Cheers!

[vibenvy]

16" wheels are the absolute smallest wheel that will fit over the calipers on a 2009 - 2010 GT. That being said, yes, the smaller the wheel/tire, the cheaper the wheel/tire. I too have read on here numerous times that a smaller wheel/tire does cut through the snow better.Last winter was our first winter with our '09 GTs (mine and my mom's) and we picked up some '07 Toyota Camry 16" steel wheels (4 from eBay, 3 from Craig's List and 1 from a local junkyard) and had 205/55/16 Kelly Explorer all season tires mounted on them. We had no problems getting around in snow and/or ice. Not only will you get around better in the winter with different tires, but your 18" tires (which are uber expensive) will last longer and when they do need to be replaced you can replace them with summer tires which are significantly cheaper than all season tires (which are what is currently on them) and your gorgeous 18" wheels won't get ruined by salt, sand, etc. Also, one more word of advice, don't waste your money on new TPMSs for the winter wheels because if you do, the Vibe will need to be re-set by a dealer every year in the spring when you put the 18s back on and in the fall when you put the winter wheels on. The TPMS light is pretty small and after a few days of it being on you won't even notice it .Also, I figured I'd throw a picture of my GT with the 16" winter wheels on up here so you can get an idea of what the 16s look like on the GT. With the 16" steel wheel and 205/55/16 tire, they're just a wee bit shorter than the 18" wheel with 215/45/18 tire so the GT will sit a tad bit lower, but it's nothing that you will really even notice. Also, another positive side effect of the smaller wheels/tires, is your GT will ride smoother due to the thicker side wall. It feels like a Cadillac compared to the stiff ride with the 18s .

[Kincaid]

I guess I'm kind of an old school guy - I like the chunky look of those 16's.

[vibenvy]

I don't mind the look of the 16s either, but I definitely prefer the look of the 18s !

[VANCOUVER]

Thanks for all the info. Did it affect the speedometer/mpg much?

[kowell]

If you chose an appropriate size then the effect should be fairly minimal.According to this tool the best size would be 205/60R16 or 215/55R16 but 205/55R16 should fit within an acceptable range as wellhttp://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[vit]

I got a set of 195/60R16's from Tirerack for my '10GT

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by VANCOUVER »Thanks for all the info. Did it affect the speedometer/mpg much?No, the speedometer didn't seem to be affected. The mpgs didn't either.