I have the X-Lite R16 wheels. The recommended tires are 195/55/16. I'm thinking of getting 205/50/16 tires.
Which summer tires do you run? I'll need to get new tires in a week or two.
I will not be tracking/auto-crossing the car on these tires; they will be for street use only.

 

I am planning to run 225/50/16 on the same wheels. Lots of great brands offer it in this size.

 

Great summer tire choices for 205/50/16 are more limited than they used to be.
For this size, Firestone Indy 500 or BFG G-Force Sport Comp-2 are reasonable choices
(the Indy 500 is probably better, though).


I highly recommend the new Continental ExtremeContact Sport in 205/55/16 instead.

 

OK, doesn't sound like you do aggressive driving and your needs are for street use. How many miles do you drive per year? How cold does the weather get (do you use winter tires).

Why do you think you want to limit your tire class search to "summer tires" when you can also consider both Grand Touring All Season and UHP all season tires and open up many more possible tires to choose from?

Differences between tire classes- for street use all of these tire classes can work but there is a tradeoff between them. No one tire does everything perfectly well and prices do vary.

UHP Summer tires are good but don't give the higher performance and handling of Max Summer tires. UHP tires will wear longer, however your R53 is very capable and will handle better with the highest performance tires you can choose.

All Season tires while suited for colder weather will work fine for street use and daily driving with more comfort lower noise and much longer treadlife but trade off some handling and grip. These can be the commuter tire of choice yet work well in both dry and wet conditions.

16" OEM MINI wheels are good and will fit multiple tire sizes for street use- all are OK and allow for a selection of tires.

195/95-16 is OEM and common for runflats, more limited for non runflat models.

205/50-16 is fine but doesn't have as wide a selection. UHP summer tires are OK. Some UHP all season tires like Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 are worth considering.

205/55-16 is also good and has a larger selection of tires.

225/50-16 fits rims 6-8" wide, perfect for 7" rim but will work OK. It's wider and taller than OEM so a bit more tire for road grip but also more rolling resistance. Though wide, when mounted on an OEM rim the tire may bulge out on the sidewalls a bit.

Is budget a concern? What about tire shops locally? Is there a costco where you can use any specials they are running on Bridgestone (Ecopia EP422 plus) or other brands?

Lots of choices possible.

I have an R53 that I use for daily driving using 15", 16", and 17" wheels and have used Extreme and Max summer, UHP all season and Grand Touring all season tires. All options can work depending on your needs.

 

+1 for the BFG G-Force Comp2's.