G4 Outback. Q. of width of snow tire on 17's.

1098 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by GLwagon, Dec 13, 2012

G4canadianoutbackguy

Discussion Starter · Nov 17, 2012

I have a G4 2011 Outback 2.5L Sport. I'm going to put on new Michelin Xi3's on the OEM 17 rims & then buy a 2nd set of rims this spring. I don't think we have TPMS here in Can.

Q: Should i go with a 225/60/17 size or a 215/60/17? I have heard that the slighly narrower 215 width cuts through the snow better. (and is also slightly cheaper). At 100 kms per hr, using the 215, the spedeo is only off by 1.7% or thereabouts. Thoughs?

Thanks in advance.

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rockhopjohn

· #2 · Nov 18, 2012

215s are usually better for winter tires on the cars, although its so little a difference it might not be noticeable. The theory i that the smaller contact patch means same weight on smaller are which helps traction. The narrower tire is also less likely to float on snow and slush. I've owned 225s and 215s and haven't seen any significant difference, so cheaper is better in my book.

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GLwagon

· #3 · Dec 13, 2012

I just put Mich Xi3 215/65-17 on my 2013 2.5i OBW (17x7 rim +55mm offset)
My Stockers were 215/70-16. (16x6.5 +?? offset, I'd say 50mm)
The GPS says the stock tires were spot on at 60mph, I'll have to check the new tires soon, but they should be 0.6% off.
I don't know how the stock tires cleared, & the new ones do too.

Tire size calculator

Narrower cuts snow better, I would have gotten 205 or 195 if I could...

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