The tires on your vehicle are needed to translate the performance of the car and provide safety while driving. The heavier the vehicle is the wider tires are needed to translate the weight to a larger contact area. The size also tends to be bigger so that they have larger rims and height to width ratio. Sportier vehicles tend to prefer a low height to width ratio. From the alphanumeric marking on the side of the tire, the first number represents the width in millimeters, so 225 is 225 millimeters wide, the second is the height to width ratio, so 50 means that the height is half of the width and that is applied above the rim. The R indicates that it is a radial tire and not a bias tire and the last digit is the rim size.
Tire sizes for smaller and mid-sized passenger cars tend to have a dimension of 215/70R16 or 225/65R17. A powerful sporty car will have a dimension like 205/55R16 or 225/50R17, while an SUV or pickup truck might be looking at dimensions like 265/70R16 or R17, 275/55R20, 275/60R20 or 275/65R18. This means that if you are looking for all-season tires for a passenger car you should have 205/55R16 all-season tires or 225/50R17 all-season tires, while a large SUV or pick-up truck might use 275/60R20 all-season tires.
The correct dimension for your vehicle can be found in the owner’s manual and you should stick to that dimension. If you want to deviate you should discuss with your car dealership as a larger tire can impact the reading of the odometer and speedometer. If you want a lower height ratio to make the tires look sportier, the rim size can be increased to ensure that you have the same circumference to ensure that the instruments will provide the correct readings.
Electric cars and hybrids also need to have special tires that are recommended for use on these vehicles, as they are heavier and need a more wear resistant compound. The tire dimension already takes into account the increased load, but the tires will need to be able to also handle the higher torque. Tire rotation tends is necessary more frequently than for normal cars, albeit they also need it to even out the difference in wear between the front and the rear tires. Tire pressure is also important to keep track of, as it will impact the rolling resistance, which is important for all vehicles as it lowers the wear and the energy needed to drive, so if you use fuel you will consume less fuel as you drive and for electric cars, you will get further on each charge.
When selecting new tires, it is important that you get the dimension correct, but you also need to make sure that you select the correct tires for the season that you will drive in. All-season tires shouldn’t be used in winter conditions, where you then need to use winter or all-weather tires with the same dimension.
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