I have a 2015 One (1.2 Turbo, Manual) and feel a little loose going into curves at speed. Since I'll need new tires soon, I was wondering if I could increase grip with a wider tire. But I read in a few places that the 102hp One loses some quickness and handling when going bigger and heavier than the stock 15" wheels and since it's a rather large investment, I don't want to take the chance.

Does anybody have some personal experience going from the 175/65 15 to 195/55 16 or 205/45 17? Also thinking about Toyo tires.

Thanks.

 

You can run 195/60-15 tires on your stock wheels.

 

Probably upgrading to a better tire than OEM garbage they usually put on will make a lot of difference. Some tire dealers offer a trial period where you can exchange them if they don't feel right.

 

Thanks but in my country, the government strictly controls wheel/tire sizes by manufacturer recommendations. The sticker on my door sill has these three:
175/65 15
195/55 16
205/45 17

So I cannot put a 195 tire on a 15" wheel.

 

Thanks. Any opinion of Toyo CF2?

 

A good choice considering you need 175/65-15 for your current wheels. This would be workable for daily driving and not require changing to a different set of wheels.

If you only do street driving (no performance driving events or track) then you will be fine.

The CF2 is new and not available in the US but it looks like an Ultra High Performance Summer tire and has a modern eco design with good dry or wet handling.

To get better grip you won't be able to stay with 175/65-15 and likely have to move toward 205/45-17.

 

Tire Size
I bought a 2011 Mini new that had 15 inch all weather tires on it. I wanted to upgrade so I found a set of used 17 inch Mini lites. The car looked great but the larger and heavier tire/wheel combination had a real negative effect on the cars acceleration and gas mileage. My car is an automatic Non-s , and with the larger wheels and increase weight it felt like I was carrying a couple of people in the back seat. It had to down shift more on hills and was not as responsive. My wife it noticed it. I sold the wheels and found a set of 16 inch Rotas and put them on the car. The 16 inch is a good compromise between good looks and not reducing performance. Bottom line is the weight of the tire and rim you put on your car. My 17inch wheel and tires weight 44 pounds each verses about 30 pounds each for the 16 inch. Be sure when you compare tires and rims you get the lightest combination you can. Also, if your car is an manual or an S then you may not notice the decreased performance as much as I did.
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2011 Sparkling Silver Clubman, Matte Black checker board roof , dual bonnet stripes, Rota wheels (16") , Clubman side scuttles and rear badge, S model grille, hidden hitch, Euro Rear lights (yellow turn signals), 2013 Coupe leather/cloth front seats.