Originally Posted by
Mark
It really comes down to what you want in tires year round. As long as few good options (summer & winter) exist, I am ok with 165/65r14 tires (22.4”) year round.
A 175/65r14 tire (23”) has many more options in the U.S. market, & they would be fine on factory 14” x 4.5” rims. I wish this was the standard tire size for the U.S. Mirage, & I know many are using this size with no issue.
If a person is going to stick with 165 or 175 wide tires, factory rims (alloy or steel) are just fine. There’s no reason to go with wider rims, which would create extra weight. In this case, picking up some used rims (alloys or steel) is the best plan. The Mirage was obviously designed for 165/65r14 (22.4”) & 175/55r15 (22.6”) tires.
If your heart is really set on a wider/lower profile tire like a 185/55r15 (23”), it may be better to focus your money toward those new rims & use your factory rims for winter tires. It really comes down to personal choice and what a person wants.
If a person is just interested in more tire options, a higher profile 175/65r14 (23”) tire has more available options than a lower profile 185/55r15 (23”) tire. The bottom line is both tires are 23” in diameter.
Good luck with whatever you decide or do!
Well, thinking forward, I would rather adjust the car for a more common tire, like 175/65R14, and then eventually replace the OEM tires, rather than be locked into little choice.
At least there are a few choices in the OEM size, though. My Scion iQ had one set of all seasons, and one set of winter tires in the OEM size, and I think they've since been discontinued.
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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)