So I'm looking into winter tires, and thinking ahead for replacing the OEM tires.
I don't really want to worry about upsizing the wheels. Have people run other 14 tires, that aren't the OEM 165/65R14 size?
So I'm looking into winter tires, and thinking ahead for replacing the OEM tires.
I don't really want to worry about upsizing the wheels. Have people run other 14 tires, that aren't the OEM 165/65R14 size?
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View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)
Many people who want more alternatives in a 14-inch diameter run 175-65-14.
This is a 23" diameter tire (as opposed to 22.5" for 165-65-14). Your speedometer would be off by 1.5 mph at 60 mph. It's such a small error, you would never notice it. I can't tell you if there are good snow tires in that size or not.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
My tire math is terrible... is a 185/55R14 too wide?
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View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
It's not too wide to fit under the fenders. The question is, will they fit on your wheels.
The factory wheels are only 4.5" wide. 185-55-14 would probably fit on them...but I wouldn't be shocked if the tire manufacturer specified a minimum wheel width of 5"-5.5" for those tires.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
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View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)
All Mirage wheels (14", 15", steel, alloy) are 4.5" wide.
edit - Check out this quote from Fummins about 185 tires on the stock wheels:
See this post: https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post74283I haven't had any problems with having 185's on the 4.5" wheel though they are noticeably heavier and do look a little too wide.
Last edited by Top_Fuel; 09-05-2018 at 06:24 PM.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
I put 185-60-14 (22.7 dia) on the stock steel wheels and they worked out great. I bent a rim bad though (pothole) so I have civic steelies and 185-70-14’s (24.2 dia) on the car right now. I’d say that this is about as large of a diameter that this car can use. I’ll be swapping my much nicer 185-60-14 tires to the civic wheels soon.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 43.1 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.8 mpg (Imp)
I would never add width to a tire for snow. NEVER!!!!! Especially on a small front wheel drive car like the Mirage. You couldn’t give me a wider snow tire for free. I’ve been climbing winter ridge roads in southwest Wisconsin for over 25 years. My experience is that skinner tires just bite in better & cuts through the snow easier, too. If I owned a lightweight car with wide tires, I would invest in tire chains instead. Seriously! Personally, I would stick with factory size tires. I would never go wider! Others may have different opinions, but I driven enough on bad winter roads with various vehicles to know adding width to a snow tire on a small car is counterproductive.
I just did a general search of what I saw out there in the U.S. market. If I were buying snow tires today, these would be my top 3 picks. Someone could surely research this some more, but I wouldn’t have a problem with any of the 165/65r14 tires listed below. I would have a problem going with a wider tire, but that’s just me.
Dunlop WinterMaxx WM02 @ tirerack.com for $84.47 with free shipping
Nokian Nordman 7 (non-studded) @ tires-easy.com for $78.10 with free shipping
Vredestein QuacTrac 5 @ tirerack.com for $80.27 with free shipping
I have no experience with the Dunlop snow tires, but I am sure these tires would be fine for winter roads.
I have a pair of the Nokian tires, & I used them on front to climb ridge roads last winter. I was very happy with them. The price today is less than what I paid for them last December. I added these to an extra pair of 14” x 5.5” steel rims, but the 14” x 4.5” factory rims would be a better fit. Nokian has a long, standing reputation for quality snow tires. My oldest daughter now lives in Finland, but I must admit my Nokian snow tires were made in Russia.
The Vredestein tires (European) are all-season tires that may actually do well on winter roads. I’ve only noticed these recently. The reviews for this tire seem very good. It’s worth looking at in my opinion, & I have only seen tirerack.com carry them in the 165/65-14 size. If these were available last winter, I would have considered them for sure.
Keep in mind – the Dunlop and Nokian are not meant for year round use. Thus, some of the appeal of the Vredestein, too. If these tires don’t trip your trigger, I would start looking at 175/65-14 tires. You would be going from a 22.4” diameter tire to 23” diameter tire (which is not a huge difference), & you will find numerous options. As long as 165 wide snow tires exist, that’s the route I am going. I am a firm believer in skinny is better than fat!
I think i'm running 185/65R14 winter tires on my steelies. No rubbing.
Fuel Log: Good enough
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