i've got the 195/55 15 size.

when i replace them, i'd like to either go to 205/60 or 195/60 or 195/65.

the reason? i want a softer, less harsh ride. i know that i will lose some stability in turns and cornering. and i know that my speedo will be off.

but will this be okay to do? will it result in a softer, slightly more cushioned ride if i do this?

 

You are the first person I've ever seen ask that...most of us like the stiffer feel and better handling, that's why we bought the Protege in the first place.
I guess you could go to 195/60 but what you should really look for is a different kind of tire, not a different size of tire. Stay away from the performance radials and look for maybe a touring type of passenger tire.
Check out Tire Rack, they have good descriptions and even some reviews.

 

Maybe you could downsize to a 14" rim. Then you could run a 65 series tire without fitment issues.

 

Basic answer is yes - a bigger tire will soften the ride.

 

thanks, yo!

I will see if there are any 195/55 (stock size) that get good ratings for "softness" and "less noisy" and "cushioned". I was just thinking that this particular size tire is really made for performance and therefore will not excell in the above mentioned qualities that i'm looking to improve.

So, you think that the best move (for me) would be to 195/60, as opposed to any other choice, such as 205/60, or 195/65... ?

 

yes. As you put the wider tire on the same rim - it gets less tall (and tall cushions road bumps better). The narrowest tire will get the best gas mileage (less rolling resistance).

The trade-off is: these will squeal in any kind of a sharp turn.

 

thanks for the info pfunk

 

I use a 205/50/16. Perfect size for these cars IMHO. Handled much better than with the 17s and you have pot-hole protection too. Plus they look bad-***.

 

^^hehe^^ wtf? Did you forget to change your font, lol.

 

Naw, just playing around.

 

i bet they do look bad ***. that's cool. so do you have an ES, or did you just upgrade your wheels to 16 inch?

 

'03 ES models came with 16" wheel standard. I'm running 205/45/16 on my stockers.
Probably bumpier than you are looking for.

 

I'm running 245 45ZR 17's on my....oh wait

hehehe...

 

I have a Protege 5. Yea, they look good. I have went throught two sets of 17 inch wheels (on set got ruined by a huge rock on a bridge with no way to miss it, and the other set started to flake) and I like these much better.

 

yeah yeah yeah, you got a V8 now.