Did the tire dealership screw me?

14009 Views 9 Replies 10 Participants Last post by tr121336, Jun 14, 2013

skipdog172

Discussion Starter · Mar 10, 2012

I have a 2010 Nissan Versa 1.8SL Hatchback that came equipped with stock tires. These were P195/55R16 86H tires. I called the tire dealership and told them this. I've been going to this place for years and so has my family. The tire place highly recommends a set of Michelin Harmony tires that are P205/55R16 89H tires. I didn't realize the specs were different until I got home and did more research. I had simply called the place and told them my specs assuming that is what I'd get.

I ran the specs through a tire calculator and it seems to not match up. Well here is what a calculator showed me:

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
195/55-16 4.2in 12.2in 24.4in 76.8in 825 0.0%
205/55-16 4.4in 12.4in 24.9in 78.2in 811 1.8%

I'm trying to learn more but I was thinking this could mess up other things with the vehicle. I was also thinking that a wider tire would mean more contact area and would thus hurt my gas mileage. I plan to put on 30,000 miles next year so even a 1% hit to my MPGs would cost me $30 next year. If it was as bad as a 3% hit, that'd be $90!!!

So what I'd like to know is if these wider tires matter. If it really isn't going to change my gas mileage by at least 1%, I'm fine paying the extra cost for the superior traction/handling because I really do love how they handle.

I am NOT fine with having these tires on my beautiful nissan versa if they may affect any of the fancy safety and computer stuff that keeps me safe and keeps my car operating properly and for a LONG time. Is extra width not a problem? I've just heard horror stories about wrongly sized tires but my own research hasn't been able to gleam anything besides wider tires offering better handling and worse gas mileage.

Appreciate any comments!

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VinnieVersa

· #2 · Mar 10, 2012

First let me say that I am not an engineer. I don’t think there is a simple answer to your question. The question of tire width and gas mileage is difficult to answer. There are too many variables in tire design with the same tire manufacture, never mind comparing two different tire manufactures.

One would say that the tire contact patch would be wider on a wider tire than a thinner tire and result in more friction. Not so, as there are a host of other factors of the tire that come to play into the tire “grip” The contact patch has three dimensions, width, length and depth. There are too many variables, like hysteresis( bending or flowing) properties of rubber, tire cord adhesion that effect the length and width of the contact patch, plus the roll ability of the sidewall and its handling and friction ability to keep the contact patch gripped.

The Michelin Harmony are great tires. I have had Michelin on my vehicles for years and they have performed the best. Never had a flat, or cord adhesion ( bubble on the side walls) problems like I have experiences with Goodyear and other manufactures.

One thing we can not compare is the “ contact patch” and how it will relate to MPG. Suggest that you just keep the tire pressure towards the higher range of lets say 35psi rather than 32psi for an example.

In a nut shell, I think you have excellent tires that are safe and exhibit super rubber properties.

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tower62

· #3 · Mar 11, 2012

If it were my decision, I'd go with the wider tires, so long as they fit your wheels (rims) properly. I've been told that you can generally fit one width lower or one width higher on the same wheel. You could call Nissan and make sure that 205's won't contact other vehicle parts when turning. The tire's profile (55 in this case) is much more important IMO than the tire's width. If you start altering the profile, then you're tampering with speedometer and mileage accuracy as well as handling, etc.

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frenchy chan

· #4 · Mar 11, 2012

i have aftermarket rims, but i run 215/50R17...the only time i get rubbing is when i turn the wheel all the way to the right or left and it's not very much

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westrock

· #5 · Mar 11, 2012

Yes it will add a slight amount of rolling resistance. The upside is you will gain some slight headroom on braking abilities. The slighly wider tire will not affect anything critical. Your speedometer will read just a teensy bit slower since 205/55 is a slightly taller height than 195/55 (it means the tires height is 55% of 205mm). So when your speedo says 60 you might actually be doing like 62. It also means your odometer will slightly slow down. The slightly taller tire will also soften the ride.

It costs me $18 in gas every day i go to work so $30 wouldnt bother me, but my situation is different then yours so consider what i said and decide if you think its best. 205/50 has always been one of my favorite dimensions for 15 & 16" wheels. But thars going the other direction, just a slightly shorter tire.

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gary0006

· #6 · Mar 1, 2013

I went with slightly wider tires with no issues, they looks better too

skipdog172 said:
I have a 2010 Nissan Versa 1.8SL Hatchback that came equipped with stock tires. These were P195/55R16 86H tires. I called the tire dealership and told them this. I've been going to this place for years and so has my family. The tire place highly recommends a set of Michelin Harmony tires that are P205/55R16 89H tires. I didn't realize the specs were different until I got home and did more research. I had simply called the place and told them my specs assuming that is what I'd get.

I ran the specs through a tire calculator and it seems to not match up. Well here is what a calculator showed me:

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
195/55-16 4.2in 12.2in 24.4in 76.8in 825 0.0%
205/55-16 4.4in 12.4in 24.9in 78.2in 811 1.8%

I'm trying to learn more but I was thinking this could mess up other things with the vehicle. I was also thinking that a wider tire would mean more contact area and would thus hurt my gas mileage. I plan to put on 30,000 miles next year so even a 1% hit to my MPGs would cost me $30 next year. If it was as bad as a 3% hit, that'd be $90!!!

So what I'd like to know is if these wider tires matter. If it really isn't going to change my gas mileage by at least 1%, I'm fine paying the extra cost for the superior traction/handling because I really do love how they handle.

I am NOT fine with having these tires on my beautiful nissan versa if they may affect any of the fancy safety and computer stuff that keeps me safe and keeps my car operating properly and for a LONG time. Is extra width not a problem? I've just heard horror stories about wrongly sized tires but my own research hasn't been able to gleam anything besides wider tires offering better handling and worse gas mileage.

Appreciate any comments!

Save

08versailles

· #7 · Mar 1, 2013

My Altima calls for 215/65-16s
Has 235/60-16s for winter
Roughly 4% difference in speedometer reading
Hasn't put me in the poor house yet
If your 205mm width is superior, I'll pay $30+ per year for that

My planned Versa tire upgrade this year will be from 185/65-15 to 195/60-15 on stock SL rims
Enjoy your upgrade

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Versa12

· #8 · Mar 1, 2013

Your new tires have a higher load rating so in terms of safety they are more safe in that aspect.

Like the others said, just because a tire is wider does not mean it will have more rolling resistance than a narrower tire. It depends on the material used, tread design, and contact path.

When adding a tire of a larger diameter it is like adding a taller gear. So it may take a smidge more energy to take off from the line but you will go farther for every revolution than your previous tires.

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sgvaibhav

· #9 · Mar 1, 2013

Another point i would consider-

If the ride feels smooth, and as i would desire, i would like them (Y) and go with them.

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tr121336

· #10 · Jun 14, 2013

Does the vehicle manual/specs state that you can put those wider tires on as an option? The car has been set up to power and STOP a certain size range of tires. Mileage wouldn't be an issue if you can't stop.

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