The old SXV20R Camry

[nidge]

Here's my old girl I've had since 2004 after I got it from an auction. Ex-police vehicle. Still thinking if I should bump the wheels up to 17x7"  215/50R17 from current stock size 15x6" 205/65R15 (exact same diameter). Thoughts?

[campbeam]

Looks very good as is. Comparatively, 17"tyres are going to cost more.

 

[nidge]

Yeah the cost factor on tyres is a big deterrent. Not sure how much ride harshness and fuel economy will also be affected.

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, nidge said:

Not sure how much ride harshness and fuel economy will also be affected.

Expect both to be affected. Read somewhere [a long time ago] that wider tyres have to overcome more wind resistance and this in turn impacts upon fuel economy. Something else to consider is less load on a tyre can impact upon braking and handling performance particularly in the wet.

A few years ago, I got caught out on wet road and change of road camber resulting in rear end coming around in 180 degree spin temporarily before then whiplashing around to complete the full 360 degree. Fortunately I had about 3 lanes of local highway with no cars nearby. Other experience with slightly wider tyres was hitting brakes hard at 80kph and essentially aquaplaning. Again fortunate that the car starting to pull out of a turning lane stopped otherwise my Camry would have become a write-off.

[nidge]

Thanks for that. I would have thought wider tyres would improve braking and traction! I suppose there’s a reason manufacturers pick a certain wheel/tyre spec for their cars after loads of R&D. I’m pretty happy with the way the Camry is actually :)

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, nidge said:

improve braking and traction

I spent a bit of time [ internet searching ] looking into brake pads and rotors for better braking performance. Ended up coming across a YouTube video by ChrisFix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZltSorr9W0

Good quality tyres make a big difference to shortening the braking distance.

Only buy known quality brand tyres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbMti7VQC1k

Got my own personal experience with bargain Chinese brand tyres namely Talon and Goodride which has confirmed the above. 

[nidge]

Totally agree! I've only ever used Bridgestone or Goodyear, but looking to put on a set of Michelin XM2 for the next tyre change. I'm pretty particular about the load and speed rating and matching or exceeding manufacturer guidelines. I wonder if all the talk about eco-friendly tyres is legit - do Bridgestone Ecopias really save that much fuel?

[campbeam]

Recent posts about tyres in the Aurion Forum have mentioned the following:

Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus

Hankook Ventus V2 Concepts

Michelin MX-V8 Energy

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Primacy 3 ST

Michelin Primacy LC

Yokohama C.drive2