What will you do? Upgrade to 16'' or 17''?

[Sawasdee]

Hi guys!

I need to buy new tires for the summer but first, I need to know what will be the best choice of my wheels size!

I have a Mazda3 i 2008 with 15'' rims.

What will be the best choice for new mags and tires?

If you own the same model, what will you do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[flatlander937]

I am going to be auto-xing my 09 3i... but in stock class I'm stuck with the 17x6.5 wheels that mine came with stock(touring package). If I were to run in STF class, or if it were allowed in stock class, I would run 16" wheels no doubt. Lighter, better ride, etc etc. Contrary to popular belief, bigger rims are NOT better performing, UNLESS you plan on running super large brakes... which the 3i definitely does not have.

Bonus is 16" tires are considerably cheaper. Depending on how wide you want to go, you may have better selection of brands/tires in one size or the other though.

I personally like the Enkei RPF-01 wheels the most.

Here is a good list of lightweight wheels and how much they weigh... heavy wheels and tires are very noticable compared to a lighter set... you would be surprised at the difference it will make.

http://www.soloracer.com/racewheels.html

Ideally I would eventually like to have my stock wheels with a set of DOT autocross slicks, some cheap and skinny wheels/tires for a good set of all seasons for winter, and when time/money allow, I'll add a set of RPF-01s with some good summer tires to look good in the nice months.


My $0.02.

 

[Sawasdee]

Good suggestion! But one question! I'm not too familiar in buying wheels and tires and would need an advice.

My choice is made for the 16''!

But now, when I'm looking for the wheels, how do I calculate the size I need!

It's giving me 16/7 or 16/8

What's the one I should take and what will be the tire size?

Thanks!

If I'm looking at the ENKEI RPF1 in 16'',

I am going to be auto-xing my 09 3i... but in stock class I'm stuck with the 17x6.5 wheels that mine came with stock(touring package). If I were to run in STF class, or if it were allowed in stock class, I would run 16" wheels no doubt. Lighter, better ride, etc etc. Contrary to popular belief, bigger rims are NOT better performing, UNLESS you plan on running super large brakes... which the 3i definitely does not have.

Bonus is 16" tires are considerably cheaper. Depending on how wide you want to go, you may have better selection of brands/tires in one size or the other though.

I personally like the Enkei RPF-01 wheels the most.

Here is a good list of lightweight wheels and how much they weigh... heavy wheels and tires are very noticable compared to a lighter set... you would be surprised at the difference it will make.

http://www.soloracer.com/racewheels.html

Ideally I would eventually like to have my stock wheels with a set of DOT autocross slicks, some cheap and skinny wheels/tires for a good set of all seasons for winter, and when time/money allow, I'll add a set of RPF-01s with some good summer tires to look good in the nice months.


My $0.02.

 

[flatlander937]

Sorry for the late reply... but if you search the forum I'm sure you'll find people running both 16x7 and 16x8 wheels. I think that an 8" wide wheel may be close to the limit of what you can squeeze into the stock wheel wells... and may be too much width unless you A) get a wheel with very little offset and roll/pull your fenders so it doesn't hit the fender or B) buy coilovers so you can bring the wheels in with more normal offset wheels(normally I THINK the tire could hit the stock struts if you run too wide and too much offset).

Honestly I have no direct experience fitting wider wheels to a Mazda3, so somebody else would be better off giving you a definitive answer. I feel safe saying that 16x7s would be the way to go unless you absolutely must have the super wide tires for looks or cornering performance(which honestly you'll get more of by buying a -better- tire than just a wider "cheaper" tire)... with what size tire specifically, I'll let you search to figure that out. I think 225/50R16s would be about right, but I'm not sure how much they would bulge out... I think 7.5 width would be more ideal but otherwise should work pretty well. Like I said, I don't have personal experience with fitting different size wheels and tires on a Mazda3... On my Jeep I just cut the fender and the body to fit 40x16-17 tires on only 4" of lift... not quite so simple with a car