I am thinking of fitting 215/50/17 summer tyres on my 1.6 tdi 4x4 2014 Octavia estate .

225 45 17s are too harsh when going through potholes.

Will they fit?How will the car be affected?

 

225/45/17 diameter is 634mm

215/50/17 diameter will be 647mm

 

The 215's will fit but the car will travel ~2% faster for the same given speedo reading. 205/50's will be an almost perfect match for the stock 225/45's, but they may look a bit skinny for summer tyres.

 

Saying that, the Octy speed tends to read a bit faster than reality so the outcome of fitting 215/50's will probably be a more accurate reading.

 

Edit: I swapped my standard 225/40/18 VRS tyres for 225/45/17's and the ride improved. The higher sidewalls helps to hide the worst of the potholes and tarmac joins, but steering feels a little more vague when cornering hard.

Edited 21 February, 201511 yr by Orville

225/45/17 diameter is 634mm

215/50/17 diameter will be 647mm

 

The 215's will fit but the car will travel ~2% faster for the same given speedo reading. 205/50's will be an almost perfect match for the stock 225/45's, but they may look a bit skinny for summer tyres.

 

Saying that, the Octy speed tends to read a bit faster than reality so the outcome of fitting 215/50's will probably be a more accurate reading.

 

Edit: I swapped my standard 225/40/18 VRS tyres for 225/45/17's and the ride improved. The higher sidewalls helps to hide the worst of the potholes and tarmac joins, but steering feels a little more vague when cornering hard

 

 

My concern is that 215/50/17s are larger and may scrub in the wheel arches when the suspension is compressed .

I already had a 55 profile tyre blown up due to potholes and willdefinitely go for XL type this time so the extra profile height is a must.

On the other hand 215/45/17s are a lot cheaper but they lower the car by 3-4mm.

They will definarely not scrub the arches. There is only 13mm difference in wheel height, and only half of that (6.5mm) extends in to the arch. The narrower tread further reduces the risk of scrubbing. Tyres will be fine, but check with your Insurer that they are happy for different sizes to be fitted. The car will also ride a little higher than before, useful for sleeping Policemen or bumping up/down higher kerbs.

Edited 21 February, 201511 yr by Orville

They will definarely not scrub the arches. There is only 13mm difference in wheel height, and only half of that (6.5mm) extends in to the arch. The narrower tread further reduces the risk of scrubbing. Tyres will be fine, but check with your Insurer that they are happy for different sizes to be fitted. The car will also ride a little higher than before, useful for sleeping Policemen or bumping up/down higher kerbs.

Having already done a little research I will probaly opt for the Primacy 3 .

Dunlop's Bluresponse gets good reviews also and is cheaper by a good margin.

The Michelin get 60000 to 70000 klms warranty in the US though