22 inch tires Possitive/Negative experience?

scott2008

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2008 CX-9 GT
Looking to swap the 20's for 22's. Love the look, but concerned about tire noise more than mileage. Any comments and can you recommend a quiet tire as opposed to one for handling.(breakn)
 
Have you done any research on tirerack.com (see the reviews from owners)?
Tire noise is mainly a result of tread pattern design.
 
I see it being a negative. MPG and Acceleration decline! No surprise there!! Typically there is a 10-15% drop and with these cars not having the best MPG as it is, I would not want to screw with it unless you have loads of money to burn. The larger, wider tire will increase Skid pad grip but only to a certain limit. So basically it helps a little more but is really just for looks. Typically a narrower tire like stock 20" size will have more grip than a 22" wider tire. Goodyear says, and they postulated that the added width may have given the outside tire more grip, which would increase body roll and could therefore decrease the load on the inside tire enough to lose 0.01 g on the skidpad.

Anyways, the other problem is what wheel you will choose? Will you choose a cheap wheel that weights 30+lbs or a more expensive more quality wheel that weights 21-25lbs like an OZ wheel? There is a big difference in ride quality and handling from Cheap Chinese made wheels that weight a ton compared to a nice Italian wheel that is lighter, even by 3lbs.

IMO I would stick with 20" max. If your looking for something different just find a nice one, lighter than or equal to stock weight, don't forget tires too. Check Manufacturer sites, not all tires weight the same. Cheap ones weight more typically and that can add 1-2 more lbs to mix. 35lb wheels with 25lbs tires per side is a lot of unsprung weight which will reduce MPG, Handling, Grip, and ride comfort.

Just my advise!
 
Well taken. BTW I work for an American manufacturer, so buying anything Chinese is usually not an option.
 
^^ (boom06) hehe

20" tires are pretty big already as they are a step up from the standard 18". I'd love to see a pic or two of one that has 22" tires on their CX-9.
 
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