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2011 wrx winter tires 16" or stock 17"?

7K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  horrorbiz 
#1 ·
Looking at blizzak tires do I get stock 235/45/17 or the optional 215/55/16? My main concern is will the optional tire size look stupid?
 
#3 ·
For a winter tire, you want the tread patch to be as reasonably small as possible so your tires cut through snow and slush. A wider tire contact patch will tend to float on top of the snow... similar concept to how a snow shoe works. The bubblier side walls, although they may look stupid, will help protect the faces of your wheels if you should happen to brush against a curb and will also give you a slightly softer, more comfortable ride.

For reference: my stock 17x7 WRX wheels came with 215/45/17 all-season tires, but now I have a set of 205/50/17 winter tires mounted on them.
 
#4 ·
"Man Show" def has a good point. Always go as narrow as possible with snows. If you already have the wheels or just money to spend, the 16" setup will open up a world of more options for tires...ESP snows!

But IMO go with something cheaper for snows from Hankook or Sumitomo. Blizzaks are a great snow without a doubt, but when it comes to snows compounding and quality are on a totally different page than HP or UHP tires. A softer compound (cheaper tire) would typically give you accelerated tire wear for summer applications, but in the winter where days aren't hot it'll actually be more beneficial to have a softer compound which will actually allow for more flex in the tread pattern...thus allowing better traction in winter applications. But IMO save your money on the Blizzaks.
 
#8 ·
You're kidding yourself if you think the wheel diameter or 10mm of width matter that much on a winter tire. Get a good tire at a price you can deal with and keep the overall diameter close to 25".
 
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