Well the new rims and tires came in and will go on in about an hour.

So I will know how the 215/45 R17 really feels and looks compared to the 205/45 R17.

I am only gaining 4.5mm in overall diameter so hopefully it wont be that noticeable but I could be wrong....

Chris

 

One thing no one has bothered to point out is that your size comparisons are all theoretical. Not all 215/45/17s are created equal. You have to look at the manufacturer's specs for section width, etc. One 215/45/17 may be as narrow as another brand's 205/40/17.

Case in point - we have a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon in addition to the new '05 MCS Convertible. The LGT has 215/45/17 RE92As while the MCS has 205/40/17 SP9000s - take a tape measure and the sidewall height is identical on the cars. OD is the same as well, so no issues with speedo readouts if we were to use that tire on the MCS. The width of the tire was a bit different however, which we would expect with the wider tire size - the RE92A tread was about 1/4" wider and more square than the SP9000 tread, but the SP9000 tread was not as wide as the tire itself (maybe a function of stretching the tire on the 'Bullet' wheels? Are they 7 or 7.5 incehs wide? The LGT wheels are 7 inches wide) .

 

Just got my new rims and tires and put them on (pics to follow shortly) and I love the new 215/45 R17's I have!!!!!!

I went from stock runflats (205/45 R17's) to these and the difference is amazing!

The steering response is tighter and seems to corner just a little better. That extra surface area made a big difference!