I've had it with the low-profile 225/45/17 tires and am moving down to a 16". Would a 225/60/16 be too big? Thanks!

 

This tire calculator should help you decide what size tire in a 16" will work for you Tire size calculator

 

I have 235/45R17's on my car and I get a very slight rub on the back side of the front wheel wells when turning. So, this is the biggest that you could run without doing some other modification. These are 25.3" in diameter. The tires you are looking at are 26.6" (or 1.3" larger in diameter). So, you are definitely looking at some rubbing issues unless you do some other modifications to the car.

Are you tired of the harsh ride that the car is giving? Is that why you are giving up the 17's? Just curious. part of this problem can be the brand of tire you are using (ie, a sport tire is going to have a stiffer side wall, leading to a stiffer ride). Part of the problem can also be the pressure at which you run the tires. If you keep the tires up near max pressure, then your ride quality is going to be negatively impacted. The final variable in this is whether you have sport springs on the car. These will be a bit firmer than the standard "comfort" springs. All of these play into the ride quality of the car.

Let me know some more info about the car and we can get you taken care of for a cheap as possible.

 

here is a calculation. I can't upload to the PM you sent me.