I think I'm going to need new tires soon. I've currently got 205/55/16 which I believe is the stock size. I was thinking of getting something slightly wider for a sportier look. What would be the recommended size for a wider tire on the stock rim? I'm guessing the stock rim is only 6" or so. I don't want to go any taller, so I was thinking 215/50 or 225/50?

Or should I just keep with the stock 205?

 

oldpunk, either of those tires should work for you. i an running 235/45R17's on my car right now. so, you will be just fine. go for it.

 

I'm not that knowledgeable of tires, but the stock 16" wheels should be 6.5" wide.

I just changed my summer tires (and wheels) from 16" to 17", tire size went from 205/55R16 to 225/45R17. Now the steering goes left and right in slow speeds, because the roads here are in such horrid condition and the 225 tires don't fit in the tracks made by the more common 185-205 wide tires. I guess your roads are in better shape, Thermo?

 

Aonsaithya, please keep in mind that over in the US, we tend to have more larger vehicles on the road. So, the tread groove is a little wider so the car rides right in the middle of the groove. Worst case, put 1 side on top of a rut and the other tires down in the rut. Car should still travel straight. It is when you get on the sides of the bowl that the car starts pulling left and right.

 

Hmm, sounds logical. Larger grooves over there is presumably worse with rain as they create far more opportunities for aquaplaning.

 

For the 17" rims on the non-sport models the factory size is 225/45/17 (at least here in the US)

 

That tire size will be fine. How is the ride with the stock wheels? I will be getting some stock wheels soon and would just love to know how the car rides in stock form.

 

I'm loving the ride with the stock wheels. Although I have the "comfort" suspension, the ride is quite sporty and responsive. I bought a full set of Continental Extreme Contacts in November 2012 and couldn't be happier. I was running the Pro Contacts before but they were starting to show their age.

I think the term "comfort" for the suspension can be misleading. While it is obviously more comfort-oriented than the sport setup, this is no "big-old-cadillac" feel. It's much more responsive and tight than the 2011 Camry which had the higher profile 16" tires that give you no feel for the road. The 2013 Altima is much more responsive than the Camry but still can't compare to the Jag.

As I have said before, the "comfort" setup with stock tire size is in my opinion the perfect balance between a comfortable ride and an ultra-stiff sport suspension. You'll be comfortable in the car but still feel confidently in control and get a good feel for the road.

 

One more tire question- what's the recommended tire pressure? My 205/55/16 Toyo's say 51PSI on the tire, but when I checked them there was only about 30-35 PSI. They don't look like they're low on air. Just wondering what Jaguar recommends because I know sometimes the car manufacturer and the tire manufacturer say two different numbers.

Thanks

 

I am running 245/50/R18 at the moment...ride is stiff but on the corners...saweet

 

You'll want to go with the car's numbers. The numbers should be printed inside the driver's door frame, open the door and you'll see a sticker. Mine says 38 for the front and 35 for the rear. Sounds like yours may only be slightly low.

However, I'm not sure if Jag recommends different pressures for 16" vs. 17" vs. 18" rims available on our cars. I have the 17" rims, so the numbers I provided are definitely accurate for that size.

Bracester: Out of curiosity, is your car a sport that came with stock 18s? If so, are your tire pressure recommendations different?

 

oldpunk, the pressure that needs to be in the tire is a function of 2 things: 1) the weight on the tire and 2) the stiffness of the sidewall. So, having 2 identically sized tires may require 2 different pressures. The best advice that I can tell you is to start with 35 psi in all 4 tires and then get yourself some colored chalk and some white paper. Tape the paper down on a level surface and then using the chalk, color the tread of your tire on about half of the tire (hitting all 4 wheels). Now, drive the car forward over the paper to allow the chalk to be transferred to the paper. At this point, look at the paper and you should hopefully see a perfect imprint of your tread. If the edges look light, you have too much pressure in the tires. If you have a light center to the tread, you need more pressure in your tires. If you need to adjust the pressure, change it by 2 psi or so and then repeat until you get a good tread transfer.

For a reference, I am running 38 psi up front and 33-35 psi in the rear with tires that have a fairly stiff sidewall and a max tire pressure rating of 44 psi.

 

Hey buddy, when I first got my wheels on my 94 accord quite a while ago I was told to look at the MAX pressure for the tire and inflate to 10psi less than the printed MAX PSI on the tire....has never failed me since. Always have a good ride and no adverse effects even in the hottest of weathers 105+ Degrees F. My current MAX pressure for my tires is 50 so I keep them at 40 regularly for all 4 tires.