Corrected in my list. It's still noteworthy that they list that tire at lower RPM than any other 175/65/15 unless 856 is just a dyslexic typo for 865. 865 175/65/15 Yokohama AVID ENVigor 856 175/65/15 LRR Continental ContiProContact### (mislisted on tirerack.com as 844)
Does the suspension upgrade on the 16" mean it should have a smoother ride? Also, in Canada we have only three trims: Standard, Technology, and Premium Packages. The premium package comes with 16" alloy wheels for about the same price as your c 4 with tire upgrade.
All else being equal, the 16 inch wheels would give a little rougher ride but it might not be enough for you to notice the difference.
From the Edmonds review they say the 16" wheels have a much larger turning radius than the 15" wheels. What other advantages / disadvantages are there between the two?
Yes the radius is much larger 37' vs 31'. 15": higher MPG. Turning radius (by 6'!) Marginally better acceleration 16": Bling factor . Slightly better side grip/handling. Marginally better braking.
I notice on the Toyota site that the 15" alloys are only available for the model III and IV (standard on the IV and optional on the III). Does anybody know if there's some physical reason why these alloy wheels wouldn't fit on the I and II models?
With tires, the smaller the width, the more is the MPG. A regular 175 tire should give more MPG than a low-rolling-resistance 185 tire. tires-easy.com has 25 different selections for this tire size: 175/65R15 tires on tires-easy.com
Not sure if this is the case. Most of rolling resistance comes from sidewall. IIRC Nokian boasted that their hakkapeliitta r winter tire to be the lowest rolling resistance tire they made, all due to sidewall construction improvements. EU will be requiring all tires sold to have rolling resistance on posted side wall, same way as threadwear/temperature/etc is. Then we can compare oranges to oranges good luck
No, but if you do replace them you need to get the steering adjusted. The reason the 16" turning radius is larger is that they limit the steering so that the tires don't rub on the car.
It really is quite simple. If you drive straight ahead, the inner and outer edge of the tire tread travel the same distance. If you are turning (or navigating a winding road), the inner and outer tire tread are travelling different distances. This means you are always scrubbing the tire tread when you are not driving straight ahead. The wider the tire, the greater this effect! Not only does this increase tread wear, it reduces your MPG! If you bought your C to enjoy fuel efficiency, don't put wider tires on it! ______ Prius c III, moon-roof, absolutely red
There is also evidence in theory that a wider tire will lower RR up to a point but it gets really screwy because CdA changes as well. I gave up trying to second guess the manufacture and I will just stick with 195/65/15s. lol
Not sure where you got this but it's incorrect. Only the IV's with the 16" alloys have the turning-circle-limited steering set up. Nothing would need changing for the 15" alloys on the I, II or III models. ron
Not sure it is such a big factor. The difference btw 195 and 175 on a full 360 turn will be less then 5" (4.95" to be precise), half of it on 185 series. Most of the time car is going in a straight line anyways. My 15mi commute has an equivalent of 2.5 360 turns, most of it in 1mi getting out of neighborhood.
If you need more proof, go out to a parking lot (where it's very quite), roll down your window and listen to the difference in noise level when you are going straight versus turning. Assuming your wheel alignment is okay (which will also affect MPG), the difference in noise is due to tread scrubbing. I won't argue as to whether the effect is small or large. You are listening to increased friction. Try it...
