Hi everyone,
After 4 years with my '02 ES sedan, I am dreaming up things I can do to it to mix things up, without turning it into something from the fast and the furious. Tires and possibly new wheels are at the top of the list of ideas. I've done my homework, now it's time to start posting the questions.
I have several questions, but since they are all related I thought I would consolidate them into one long post.
1) How much of a difference would a wider summer tire make compared to a "high-performance all-season" for regular street driving? I consider my driving style fairly spirited, but I have no plans for any autocross. The tire I have in mind is the Goodyear Eagle F1 in 215/40/17. These tires aren't cheap, so my concern is it will be money down the drain if all I use them for is regular commuting. After all, you can only take corners so fast on public roads without endangering people.
These tires also come in 205/50/16, which I undestand will fit on the stock rim and save me the cost of new wheels. How much of a difference does 10mm in width make?
2) The 215/40/17 tires raise the question about bang for the buck with wheels. After reading several threads and articles on how much slower unsprung weight can make a car, I would like to keep the weight down on a potential new set of wheels. The wheels I had in mind where the Enkei RFP1s, 7" by 7.5" with a 48mm offset. They way only 15.2 lbs. Same type of question with #1: is this overkill for everyday driving needs?
3) How much will ride quality suffer? Upsizing wheels and tires raises the issue of reduced ride quality. I realize ride quality is subjective, so this may be difficult to answer. To give everyone an idea of where I stand on this, I find the ride in the '02 ES perfectly comfortable (according to various publications, I think the proteges are considered stiff for their class). My 85 Jeep Cherokee was uncomfortable.
4) In addition to ride quality, upsizing increases the risk of damage to the expensive new wheels and tires. How much additional risk is there going from 195/50/16 to 215/40/17? Consumer Reports has an article on upsizing, where ride quality plummeted, risk of damaged increased, and performance gains where minimal. This has me concerned. I am particularly interested in hearing from people in the Boston area on this one.
This post is becoming even longer than I thought it would, so I guess I will save the winter tire questions for another thread...
After 4 years with my '02 ES sedan, I am dreaming up things I can do to it to mix things up, without turning it into something from the fast and the furious. Tires and possibly new wheels are at the top of the list of ideas. I've done my homework, now it's time to start posting the questions.
I have several questions, but since they are all related I thought I would consolidate them into one long post.
1) How much of a difference would a wider summer tire make compared to a "high-performance all-season" for regular street driving? I consider my driving style fairly spirited, but I have no plans for any autocross. The tire I have in mind is the Goodyear Eagle F1 in 215/40/17. These tires aren't cheap, so my concern is it will be money down the drain if all I use them for is regular commuting. After all, you can only take corners so fast on public roads without endangering people.
These tires also come in 205/50/16, which I undestand will fit on the stock rim and save me the cost of new wheels. How much of a difference does 10mm in width make?
2) The 215/40/17 tires raise the question about bang for the buck with wheels. After reading several threads and articles on how much slower unsprung weight can make a car, I would like to keep the weight down on a potential new set of wheels. The wheels I had in mind where the Enkei RFP1s, 7" by 7.5" with a 48mm offset. They way only 15.2 lbs. Same type of question with #1: is this overkill for everyday driving needs?
3) How much will ride quality suffer? Upsizing wheels and tires raises the issue of reduced ride quality. I realize ride quality is subjective, so this may be difficult to answer. To give everyone an idea of where I stand on this, I find the ride in the '02 ES perfectly comfortable (according to various publications, I think the proteges are considered stiff for their class). My 85 Jeep Cherokee was uncomfortable.
4) In addition to ride quality, upsizing increases the risk of damage to the expensive new wheels and tires. How much additional risk is there going from 195/50/16 to 215/40/17? Consumer Reports has an article on upsizing, where ride quality plummeted, risk of damaged increased, and performance gains where minimal. This has me concerned. I am particularly interested in hearing from people in the Boston area on this one.
This post is becoming even longer than I thought it would, so I guess I will save the winter tire questions for another thread...