215/45/15 on civic 99-00 si rims?

Right now I'm riding with 65s which is really big and I can't go any lower, what's the smallest tire I can get to get slammed? My unreliable friend suggested 215/45/15 .. is that a good idea? thankz

 

215/45-15 is a really oddball size, and none of the really good tires come in it. For example, the Tire Rack carries zero tires that size. The only tire I know of in that size is the truly crappy Toyo Proxes T1R.

What kind of car is this on (year, model, version)?

 

I think the smarter way to go is 205/50/15. The sidewall for the tire you want is going to be 3.8 inches while the sidewall for the 205s will be 4 inches; you probably won't notice the difference. Also, with the thinner tire, it's going to be easier to tuck it in your fender than the 215s. And lastly, the 205/50/15 size is very common and is a lot easier to find the the ones you want

 

No, it isn't. Not necessarily, anyway. The best tire size depends on what car it's going to be used on, not just on the wheel. And until we know that, we can't know what tire size is the best.

 

Thanks for the replies! The car is a Honda Civic 99-00 and with Si Rims 99-00 too!

 

on a Honda Civic 99-00 and with Si Rims 99-00,
I think the smart way to go is 205/50/15

 

You can use 195/55-15 or 205/50-15. Either size will work fine and either is "the smart way to go" . The outer diameter of 195/55-15 is equal to the outer diameter of the stock 185/65-14, whereas the 205/50-15 is 1.6 percent smaller and will throw off the gauges by that small percentage. Other differences are minor too. The biggest difference between those two sizes is tire availability and pricing.

Quick recommendations:

1. If you are looking for the stickiest street tires you can get and you don't mind somewhat short treadlife (15-20K miles) and a somewhat high price, get one of these:

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec 195/55-15 or 205/50-15
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 205/50-15
Kumho Ecsta XS 205/50-15
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 205/50-15
Toyo Proxes R1R 195/55-15 or 205/50-15

2. If you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of ultimate grip in exchange for longer treadlife (25-40K) and a slightly lower purchase price:

Yokohama S.drive 195/55-15 or 205/50-15 (the 195/55-15 is significantly cheaper)

3. If you need to use these tires occasionally in snow and frigid cold as well as warm weather the rest of the year, you'll need an all-season tire such as:

Kumho Ecsta ASX 195/55-15 or 205/50-15
Goodyear Eagle GT 195/55-15

 

oh wow thanks! most likely i'll be getting the yokohama S. drives probably the 205/50/15. sounds about right. thanks for the advice

 

I would get the 195/55-15. It's $8-10/tire cheaper than 205/50-15, and there are no significant advantages to 205/50. 195/55-15 is $79/tire with free shipping at Discount Tire Direct.

Oh and FWIW, 195/55-15 is the stock size for the '99-00 Civic Si.

But if you want to get the 205/50-15 anyway, that's fine too!