GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Im really thinking of going to 17" wheels just to freshen up the vibe. I like of the TC wheels & they are cheap at local junkyards & craigslist. My concern is that I may lose some MPG due the the larger wheel. Do i have anything to worry about ?

That will depend on the size of tire you go with.... and the weight of the rims.

There was no difference, maybe even an increase, when I went to 17's on my old Vibe. 205-50-17 is nearly identical to 205-55-16. If you go bigger your speedometer will show larger discrepancies thus decreasing the accuracy of your mpg calculations. A taller tire will also take more torque (and more fuel) to turn.

I saw no real difference in the gas mileage aspect going from my 16s to 17s. Possibly an increase, mostly due to the fact that I put them on in spring, around the time when they put summer gas back in the pumps. As long as you get the right tire size, I don't think you'll see a big change in gas mileage. And if you get the right size, your speedometer will be dead-on correct!

Depending on what tire you put on the rim...the cirumferance/ height of tire is limited to about that of a 215-60-16. I have 215-60-16 Fussion tires and when new they rub a bit on the molded mudflaps at full turn. Visually I wish I could go a bit bigger to fill the wheelwells but it is what it is. 09 model. It was a 5.2% increase from the base 205-55-16 but only a 2% raise from the GT stock tire. Just going from a 205-55-16 to a 205-60-16 is a 3% raise. My 04 got the 205-60-16, much better look in the wells.

I would say I lost a bit of mileage as it slips into passing gear a bit more often on hills. Mpg calculations are a bit off as the tires are 5.2% bigger but the speedo is almost dead on now. Still one mile too high at most speeds.

Hey, I just found out that if mistakenly put a u into the word bigger, it gets censored

It'll depend on the wheel weight, the driving you do (city/hwy), and how heavy/light you are on the gas.

I had stock 16" alloys and went to the 17" TRD (m-theory) wheels and noticed BIG acceleration and braking differences (negative) due to the mass (the 17x7 with 215-50-17 tires were 48lbs each. My current summer setup is 17x7.5 with 225-45-17 and weighs in at 37lbs/corner (forged 5zigen FN01R and general g-max)

I like lightweight wheels as I drive mostly city and I find heavy wheels rob acceleration. Heavy wheels are better for highway cruising as the rotational mass will keep the car moving. (This phenomena is also true when you move to a lightweight flywheel)