I currently have 205/55/16 should i go for 17in or 18in upgrade?

[SMcDaniel]

So I purchased my TDI as a daily driver to save on gas in my truck, but I cant keep anything stock. I'm going to a blacked out look and im gonna get different wheels. I do not plan to lower the car or change anything in the suspension. I dont like lowered cars personally, or adjusting the camber i like my wheels straight with the body line and straight in general lol, i dont like the look of these being lowered either ( again just personal opinion no hate to anyone who has done it. I But I hate the 205/55/16 look. I want to go bigger wheel smaller tire, At first I was thinking about going to 225/45/17 but I don't want to rub anything and I honestly hate how much tire you see on the current oem setup I want more wheel then tire. Im okay with the overall diameter of them but not against going bigger. I bought it for the crazy good gas mileage so I dont want to affect that too much either and I don't want it to affect the speedometer at all. However I was also thinking about maybe going for an 18in wheel. I drive my truck when it snows and the jetta during the no snow times. But my question is can I see some side by sides of 17in vs 18 black wheels on the mk6, I'm a visual person and I will never decide without seeing the difference side by side on the car. I know 225/45/17 is another stock size also but I cant really compare the difference between the 17in and the 18in in my head on which i would like better.

 

[Lightflyer1]

So basically you want some giant wheels with some really expensive rubber bands on them. Never could understand why people do this. Really affects the ride and doesn't provide anything other than a slimmer wallet. If the overall diameter is not the same, it will affect the speedometer odometer and or fuel economy.

 

[Matt-98AHU]

To each their own.

I personally am perfectly happy with our two Mk4 TDIs having the 15" OEM wheels. Big, floppy sidewalls good for absorbing road surface imperfections, more cushion for the speed bumps we regularly have to drive over, plus, I get noticeably better fuel economy with the smaller wheel package. Fair bit less unsprung weight, too.

Basically, there's a lot of advantages to the smaller wheel/bigger sidewall tire setup. They just don't "look as good."

I stopped caring so much what it looks like and have just enjoyed the cheapness, ride and fuel economy of what is still supposed to be an econobox.

 

[Mozambiquer]

So I purchased my TDI as a daily driver to save on gas in my truck, but I cant keep anything stock. I'm going to a blacked out look and im gonna get different wheels. I do not plan to lower the car or change anything in the suspension. I dont like lowered cars personally, or adjusting the camber i like my wheels straight with the body line and straight in general lol, i dont like the look of these being lowered either ( again just personal opinion no hate to anyone who has done it. I But I hate the 205/55/16 look. I want to go bigger wheel smaller tire, At first I was thinking about going to 225/45/17 but I don't want to rub anything and I honestly hate how much tire you see on the current oem setup I want more wheel then tire. Im okay with the overall diameter of them but not against going bigger. I bought it for the crazy good gas mileage so I dont want to affect that too much either and I don't want it to affect the speedometer at all. However I was also thinking about maybe going for an 18in wheel. I drive my truck when it snows and the jetta during the no snow times. But my question is can I see some side by sides of 17in vs 18 black wheels on the mk6, I'm a visual person and I will never decide without seeing the difference side by side on the car. I know 225/45/17 is another stock size also but I cant really compare the difference between the 17in and the 18in in my head on which i would like better.

Depends on your goals... 16" are better priced tires, better ride, and better fuel economy.
I go the other way, I get rid of 17 and 18" wheels on my cars and swap to 16" wheels or smaller

 

[braddies]

215/60/16 fill arches more,
225/65/16 fit the rear but spring perch was in the way in front
215/60/17 or something might be workable

 

[P2B]

I know 225/45/17 is another stock size also but I cant really compare the difference between the 17in and the 18in in my head on which i would like better.

I run 195/65/15 in winter and 225/45/17 in summer. I prefer the look and grip of the 17s, ride is compromised vs the 15s but not too bad except on crap roads. My son had 18s on his MK4 wagon for a while but even he couldn't stand the rock hard ride.

There are number of wheel and tire visualizer sites available...

 

[JELLOWSUBMARINE]

The stock 225 45 17 IMO was a perfect compromise.

To me the right tire pattern and shape will make or break this 225 45 17. As long as temp and traction ratings are good I've always steered away from extreme mile rated tires as generally they are harsher riding. For me a high mile rated tires tread becomes aged and hard well before being worn out.

 

[rocky raccoon]

I went to a smaller wheel - higher sidewall tire to eliminate my periodic chuckhole damage. If you live and drive in a smooth road environment by all means drive what you like. I blew two tires on Beaverdam VA back roads before changing wheel size. As someone else said, choose the combination that doe not affect your speedomenter calibration.

 

[oilhammer]

I tell ya, those 17" and 18" VAG wheels (that are made in China, same as many other OEMs) sure keep us busy. They bend so easy, and they cost around $600+ each. I'll keep my 15" and 16" wheels, thanks. They ride better, they are quieter, the tires cost less, last longer, stay round, use less fuel, and I've yet to ever see someone bend a 15" wheel.

The 2011 Jetta is a cheap econo-sedan. And it works best as one. Just be thankful the diesels at least got the disc brakes in back.

 

[Jim Stapleton]

I went to a smaller wheel - higher sidewall tire to eliminate my periodic chuckhole damage. If you live and drive in a smooth road environment by all means drive what you like. I blew two tires on Beaverdam VA back roads before changing wheel size. As someone else said, choose the combination that doe not affect your speedomenter calibration.

I'm seeking the same for my 2012 JSW - a taller sidewall, compared to stock 205/55/16. I've compared a wide variety of sizes for 16" rims (205/60, 205/65, 215/60, 215/65, 205/70). The challenging part - what actually fits and doesn't rub. Any insight you can provide will be appreciated.

 

[P2B]

I'm seeking the same for my 2012 JSW - a taller sidewall, compared to stock 205/55/16. I've compared a wide variety of sizes for 16" rims (205/60, 205/65, 215/60, 215/65, 205/70). The challenging part - what actually fits and doesn't rub. Any insight you can provide will be appreciated.

You need to go to a smaller rim if you want a taller tire without affecting speedometer and odometer calibration.

 

[ducatipaso]

I'm running 225/50-16 on NB steelies with zero issues with a mild drop. best part is they're DWS06+

 

[Lug_Nut]

I don't want it to affect the speedometer at all.

That's set your possible sizes for you.
Current 205/55-16 has a maths diameter of 24.9 inches.
A 205/50-17 would calculate out to 25.1, or less than 1% difference from the 205/55-16
A 215/40-18 would be 24.8, or about 1/2 of 1% difference.

I went from 16's to 17's on my B5.5. It looked great when parked. But since I can't see it when I'm driving, and saw a bit more than 5% MPG loss, and the ride was harsher (less sidewall to soak the bumps), and had no discernible handling improvement (same width rims, same tread contact width), and the 17's were more expensive and didn't last as long before wear-out, it was a foolish decision.

 

[Bob S.]

Depends on your goals... 16" are better priced tires, better ride, and better fuel economy.
I go the other way, I get rid of 17 and 18" wheels on my cars and swap to 16" wheels or smaller

Exactly what I have done for the same reasons.

 

[Judson]

If you ever run larger brakes, or intend to, like from the GLI, be forewarned that 15s will not fit. I run 17s for this reason. I’m told a few 16s will but I don’t know which ones.

 

[ducatipaso]

you don't upgrade your tires for economy improvement. you upgrade your tires and wheels for driving experience improvement. if that comes at the expense of economy, so be it.

Fahrvergnügen

 

[privateTDIjet]

If you go 18", always keep a spare 18" tire in the garage. They blow monthly up here. They also ride like crap but who cares! Im riding on 4 big CDs!

 

[ducatipaso]

If you go 18", always keep a spare 18" tire in the garage. They blow monthly up here. They also ride like crap but who cares! Im riding on 4 big CDs!

facts. and run the pressures really high. it's quite easy to blister a sidewall on 18s. damhik.

 

[3L3M3NT]

Do whatever you want... it's your car in the end. If it was me, the largest size I'd go with is 17" rims and run 225/45/17 tires.
You could look for rim and tire combos on Tirerack just enter your vehicle info and it'll pull up up rim options and if you wanna have them install new tires on them right away, they'll do that too.

Hopefully you're able to find a set of rims that you like.

 

[hinajourney]

So I purchased my TDI as a daily driver to save on gas in my truck, but I cant keep anything stock. I'm going to a blacked out look and im gonna get different wheels. I do not plan to lower the car or change anything in the suspension. I dont like lowered cars personally, or adjusting the camber i like my wheels straight with the body line and straight in general lol, i dont like the look of these being lowered either ( again just personal opinion no hate to anyone who has done it. I But I hate the 205/55/16 look. I want to go bigger wheel smaller tire, At first I was thinking about going to 225/45/17 but I don't want to rub anything and I honestly hate how much tire you see on the current oem setup I want more wheel then tire. Im okay with the overall diameter of them but not against going bigger. I bought it for the crazy good gas mileage so I dont want to affect that too much either and I don't want it to affect the speedometer at all. However I was also thinking about maybe going for an 18in wheel. I drive my truck when it snows and the jetta during the no snow times. But my question is can I see some side by sides of 17in vs 18 black wheels on the mk6, I'm a visual person and I will never decide without seeing the difference side by side on the car. I know 225/45/17 is another stock size also but I can’t really compare the difference between the 17in and the 18in in my head on which I would like better, so I’ve been checking out Shineheroes for some clear visuals and reviews.

Going to 17s is a solid middle ground, better look without a big hit to ride quality or fuel economy. 18s will definitely look more aggressive but can be harsher on the ride and might affect MPG a bit. If you want more wheel and less tire but still keep things comfortable and efficient, 17s with a low-profile tire usually do the trick

 

[Judson]

I run 225/50/17s. 50s because it makes the speedo within 1mpg of actual on my car. I use Neuspeed softsport with Koni FSBs. Ride is about as good as you can get on 17s. Braking is far far superior to stock due to the springs alone (though I run bigger brakes from a GLI). 15s are much softer if that is important to you and probably less rolling resistance means higher mpg. I average 43mpg but get 47 on the highway. Will be getting .260s and a burpod tune later this year which should help my mpgs a bit.

 

[P2B]

I run 225/50/17s. 50s because it makes the speedo within 1mpg of actual on my car.

I run 225/45/17 because I value odometer accuracy over speedo accuracy. I have a GPS and a scanguage to provide accurate speed.

 

[ZippyNH]

Bigger heavier rims cost you mpg...
Bought the car to save fuel...
Trying to make it less fuel efficient...
You do you...