Im trying to pick my tire size for the 15x6.5 Si wheels i got for my 00 civic. I am keeping the suspension stock and wanted to fill in the wheel gap with more sidewall. I realize the oem recommendation is 195/55/15, but i definitely want to go with 195/65 or 195/60 because IMO more sidewall looks better than more wheel gap.

However, i never knew all the aspects that go along with changes in tire size. im particularly concerned with floppy cornering on the 65(which I am leaning towards). I have 185/70/14 snow tires and they suck for cornering, i dont want this on my summer set.

Are there any other significant disadvantages of running a large sidewall besides speedo inaccuracy?(which doesnt bother me)

Does anyone have experience running either of these sizes on a 6th gen with stock suspension? also, pics would be great, i cant find much on google for civics with this size that arnt lowered.

Im pretty interested in the Falken Ziex 912 model, at about 65 a piece. this will be my first time picking my own tires, in the past I have gotten them used/free, or just bought the cheapest new set I could find.

 

Im happy with my Kumho Ecsta AST's. They're 205/50/15 on Si rims. Grips great. Not perfect in wet weather but what all season tire is?

 

Use this to play with tire sizes.

You'll find some sloppiness with handling by going to a taller sidewall. Will you notice? Probably not.

What you have in mind will throw off your speedometer (trust me - it gets annoying having to constantly recalculate in your head). The link above will show you how much it'll be off.

Additionally, depending on your wheel offset and suspension condition, you might run into a problem with the tire rubbing when you hit a bump because of it's larger diameter and increased unsprung weight. If your springs are soft, and your dampers have seen better days, it's not going to control that wheel/tire like it did before.

You'll also notice that the car feels taller when you go to get into it.

Finally, you'll notice how much slower the car goes with the larger tires. The larger size will give you different gearing ratios to the ground, and it means your car is now driving with taller gearing, and will accelerate noticeably slower than before.

 

thanks christianL. thats a pretty cool tool. you definitely talked me out of the 65's. if i go with 60, it says: going 60mph my speedo will be 1.9mph slow, which isnt a big deal to me. not worried about clearance on the 60's either, the wheel gap will be only .2mm smaller than on the snow tires i have on now, which clear fine.