Chapinsky84 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I have a 2010 Fusion SEL AWD that came standard with Michelin P225/50/P/17/93/V and because I lean towards a softer, cushier ride, I traded the 17's for Perelli 16's size 215/60/16. I at first thought that the riding qualities had improved, but after the newness wore off, it seems to me that they don't ride any softer than the 17's. I park along side a big Ford with P225/75/16 tires and those sidewalls look twice as thick as the Perelli's! In fact, the sidewalls on the Perelli's aren't all that much thicker than the 17's I took off. Are there P225/16 tires that have sidewalls like the big Ford (225/75/16) or have they gone the way of the big barges? I feel as though Discount Tires did me wrong by not installing the wider, fatter tires, if they are available. I told the folks at Discount Tires that I wasn't interested in performance tires, but wanted that fattest, best riding (softest riding) available that would fit my car. It appears they put a narrower tire back on with little increase in thickness. I am angry and confused! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I have a 2010 Fusion SEL AWD that came standard with Michelin P225/50/P/17/93/V and because I lean towards a softer, cushier ride, I traded the 17's for Perelli 16's size 215/60/16. I at first thought that the riding qualities had improved, but after the newness wore off, it seems to me that they don't ride any softer than the 17's. I park along side a big Ford with P225/75/16 tires and those sidewalls look twice as thick as the Perelli's! In fact, the sidewalls on the Perelli's aren't all that much thicker than the 17's I took off. Are there P225/16 tires that have sidewalls like the big Ford (225/75/16) or have they gone the way of the big barges? I feel as though Discount Tires did me wrong by not installing the wider, fatter tires, if they are available. I told the folks at Discount Tires that I wasn't interested in performance tires, but wanted that fattest, best riding (softest riding) available that would fit my car. It appears they put a narrower tire back on with little increase in thickness. I am angry and confused! You are limited by the overall diameter of the tire, so the only way to get thicker sidewalls is to go to a smaller wheel size, which you've already done once. I don't think you can go any lower. Make sure the air pressure is at the mfr recommendation and not higher. That's about all you can do. If you wanted a floaty ride you should have bought a Buick. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) I have a 2010 Fusion SEL AWD that came standard with Michelin P225/50/P/17/93/V and because I lean towards a softer, cushier ride, I traded the 17's for Perelli 16's size 215/60/16. I at first thought that the riding qualities had improved, but after the newness wore off, it seems to me that they don't ride any softer than the 17's. I park along side a big Ford with P225/75/16 tires and those sidewalls look twice as thick as the Perelli's! In fact, the sidewalls on the Perelli's aren't all that much thicker than the 17's I took off. Are there P225/16 tires that have sidewalls like the big Ford (225/75/16) or have they gone the way of the big barges? I feel as though Discount Tires did me wrong by not installing the wider, fatter tires, if they are available. I told the folks at Discount Tires that I wasn't interested in performance tires, but wanted that fattest, best riding (softest riding) available that would fit my car. It appears they put a narrower tire back on with little increase in thickness. I am angry and confused! Hi CmelChappy. :D You can use this tire size calculator to compute the diameter/sidewall variations inherent between different tire sizes and tire/wheel combinations to see what will fit your car: LINK: Tire Size Calculator As akirby mentioned, you are limited by the overall allowable diameter of the wheel/tire combination and can not go smaller than a 16" wheel. Good luck in your search. :beerchug: Edited April 1, 2011 by bbf2530 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 While the height of the sidewall does make a difference in ride, the individual construction of the tire can make an equal or greater difference. I've never been impressed with Pirelli's so it could just be the quality of the tire, not the size. Did you get a lightweight wheel? That can make more difference than the tire size too. Incidentally the stock Fusion comes with a 205/60-16, so you' already have a tire bigger than stock. Any bigger than what you have is going to start rubbing the fender liners. The width of the tire has nothing to do with the height from a design perspective. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifyre Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 If he bought the P4 Four Seasons they're actually one of the better riding tires available according to Consumer Reports. The best riding all-season the CR has is the Kumho Solus KH16 but it sacrifices a couple other factors that may or may not be important to the individual driver and they're $20 per tire cheaper. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_10579 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 (edited) Yeah, a 225/75/16 tire is going to have a thicker sidewall than a 205/60/16. im not sure what you're asking.. my jeep liberty has 235/75/16s so not sure what the 225 is on but is it a car or SUV? also tread depth has a lot to do with the "look" of tires. if a tire has a sidewall that has tread wrapped around it it will appear thinner to the eye. Edited April 8, 2011 by _10579 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07FusionAWD Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 (edited) I have a 07 Fusion V6 AWD i installed 05 17x8 mustang wheels on it and 245/45/17 tires. They dont rub and the ride seems pleasent. and the speedometer is almost dead on with the digital police speed sensors, when the stock tires ride few miles under from what the speedometer tells you. Edited July 6, 2011 by 07FusionAWD 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.