Would there be a benefit in going to 6.5" for the 3rd gen?
Both in 16"

The CJ Lancer Activ has fairly nice looking 16X6.5" wheels:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/2010_Mitsubishi_Lancer_%28CJ_MY10%29_Activ_sedan_0 1.jpg/800px-2010_Mitsubishi_Lancer_%28CJ_MY10%29_Activ_sedan_0 1.jpg

The 6.5" rims would, in theory, support the standard tyres better than the standard 6" rims. Plus they'd better support wider tyres. For a general guide on what size tyres work with a given rim width, see:
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/pdf/Street_COP_app_1.pdf
http://customwheelsmarket.com/rimwheelwidth1.html
http://www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyre-wheel-calculators/wheel-rim-size-calculator

Wider rim allows for a wider tyre which gives more grip. If you can afford it, the Lancer VR-X rims are much nicer...

"Wider rim allows for a wider tyre which gives more grip." Yes - more grip when the road is dry. When it is wet, it is much worse.

"Wider rim allows for a wider tyre which gives more grip." Yes - more grip when the road is dry. When it is wet, it is much worse.
Aquaplaning (I just researched your comment)... I had never heard of the tyres width coming into play, but it does make sense. Thanks for the info, really good to know!

Yes, but you'd need a serious increase in width before that becomes a significant factor on its own. You probably shouldn't be putting anything wider than a 235mm tyre on a 6.5in rim, and that's only a 9% increase over the standard width. The increased aquaplaning risk would be somewhat less than that unless you're running bald tyres or you spend a lot of time driving through puddles at speed. All other things being equal, the wider tyre should also wear better.

"Wider rim allows for a wider tyre which gives more grip." Yes - more grip when the road is dry. When it is wet, it is much worse.

This is so true, the narrow tyre cuts through the water the wider tyre just wants to skim across the top, I had wide tyres on my Chrysler Valiant and it was a shocker on a very wet road, fitted factory width tyres and much better in the wet.

Thanks guys,
The VR-X rims look nice but 18s are bigger than I am willing to go as for starters they would make ride quality worse, as well as I think with that size rim and tire profile the car would need to be lowered a bit or it'd look odd, which I am not willing to do (again, ride quality issue). I ideally would go 17s but even still I am worried of either looking too high, or making ride worse.

To make my question a bit clearer, will 6.5" rims make a positive difference when running the same 215/60/16 profile?

As shown by the calculator in the third link I posted, the 6.5in rim would be a better fit for the 215/60/16 tyre than a 6in rim, 6.5in being the 'standard' width for a 215/60/16 tyre, whereas 6in is the minimum advisable rim width. In this case, the wider rim will support the tyre better, which should lead to less flexing & heat buildup. Conversely, the sidewalls will protrude slightly more, which might make them marginally more susceptible to damage.

Thanks Macropod,
Could you tell me, in a real world scenario though, will that half inch make any difference or is it just theoretical?

It may make the steering feel a little more accurate, but whether this is noticeable in real life I couldn't say for sure. With such high sidewalls it's not like your steering will be super-sharp anyway.

If you like the design of the rims... why not get them?

The differences are real enough, but it's most unlikely anyone would notice any difference - they're just too small for almost anyone to detect at a 'seat of the pants' level.

....
If you like the design of the rims... why not get them?

I like them more than my current stock wheels, but not enough to warrant spending additional money on them (rather get better tires).

If I find a set for cheap I likely will get them though

I agree with the first part of macropod's post (#9). According to the author of the book "High Performance Handling", the best rim width for the road is usually the middle of the permitted range, while for the track its at or near the maximum width. The range for 215/60/16 tyres is 6 to 7.5in, so you can't get a rim exactly in the middle (6.75in); 6.5 would be best for ride, 7in for handling, but I suspect that only an expert would detect the difference.

I don't understand macropod's last sentence. The wider the rim the less the sidewall will protrude, making the rim more susceptible to damage.
Some tyres have features to protect the rims, such as "Maximum Flange Protection" on the Dunlop Fastresponse tyres I recently bought.

This is an opportunity to correct a comment I made regarding the Pirelli Cinturato P7 which Spetz recommended to me. Looking back at the 5 tests which featured both that tyre & the Fastresponse, 3 tests gave a higher score to the P7 in the dry tests, while in the wet it was the Dunlop which beat the Pirelli in 3 tests. Overall very close, but I'm happy with my Dunlops & the price I paid ($155 at Beaurepaires).

I don't understand macropod's last sentence. The wider the rim the less the sidewall will protrude, making the rim more susceptible to damage.
The protrusion to which I referred is when viewed from the tread. Sorry if that wasn't clear. The reason for this occurring is that the wider rims won't pull the sidewalls in as much, thus increasing the exposure of the sidewalls to damage from rocks etc. See: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=198. For the same reasons (as you have noted), the wider rims will also have less protection against 'gutter rash'.

Shepherd, one of my primary concerns is road noise hence my recommendation to the P7s, from recent research I also find that the Toyo Teo Plus are a very good tire and may be the one I go for.

Macropod, would you be able to feel the trade off between handling and ride comfort when comparing 215/60/16 and 215/55/17 for the 3rd gen?

would you be able to feel the trade off between handling and ride comfort when comparing 215/60/16 and 215/55/17 for the 3rd gen?
I doubt it. I suspect more would be imagined than felt. A change in tyre pressure to suit different tyres on the same rims might have just as much effect.

Though the profile is substantially different, I drove my car on 225/40/18 tires and the ride was atrocious

Different tyres have different stiffness of sidewalls too, so it's not a 100% accurate comparison to compare different tyre sizes of different makes/models of tyres. A stiff 215/60/16 would ride worse than a soft 215/55/17 imo.

I have heard that Nexen N8000s have a very soft sidewall, if that helps.


Macropod, would you be able to feel the trade off between handling and ride comfort when comparing 215/60/16 and 215/55/17 for the 3rd gen?
You just need to look at the numbers to see that there is very little difference in those size of tyres. If you are obsessed with a soft ride (which I think you are) just stick with the former.

"Wider rim allows for a wider tyre which gives more grip." Yes - more grip when the road is dry. When it is wet, it is much worse.

I think much the same & would always prefer a good quality tyre to a wider but mediocre tyre. If I did go to a wider tyre I'd be all the more concerned that it performed well, especially in the wet.

macropod - thanks, I understand now. I was surprised at the variation in section width between the narrowest & widest rims.

Spetz - while I agree that a 215/60 tyre deserves a wider rim than 6inches, it might give you some comfort (as it does me) to know that a 225/60, 225/55 or even 225/50 tyre can be fitted to a 6in rim. Its once you go to 45 profile or lower that a wide rim is mandatory.
I've read a few negative reports on the Toyo Teo+'s wet road performance. Our size isn't available in the UK but the other sizes get a poor rating of E for wet grip.
My FastResponse tyres are 99V (they only come as XL in our size). I was concerned that they might not ride as well as the old 95V tyres but if anything they are better.

Those Lancer Rims look like an updated version of the older Verada ones, they look very similar.

Though the profile is substantially different, I drove my car on 225/40/18 tires and the ride was atrocious
Substantially different. True. And undoubtedly the 1/3 lower profile was a significant contributor to the deterioration. FWIW, 45 profile tyres on 18in rims would also have lowered the car by 15mm - should've been 45s at least to maintain ride height. The smaller diameter of your 40 profile tyres would also have been a contributing factor to the deterioration in ride quality. Whether any change would be noticeable just by going from 60 to 55 profile (ie a 9% reduction) with the same brand & model tyres is debatable.

Those Lancer Rims look like an updated version of the older Verada ones, they look very similar.

Was going to mention this!
They look almost identical to the old verada rims, which would be much cheaper if you can find them and in the correct offset/tyre size:
http://liveimages.carsales.com.au/carsales/car/dealer/155239990.jpg?height=700&aspect=FitWithinNoPad&width=1050

I agree with comments about optimum wheel widths providing a real though marginal improvement to handling.

As for me, I decided to keep my 16x6 wheels and squeeze a set of 225/60 Turanza ER300 tyres on.
I sometimes drive on bumpy roads (particularly dirt roads away from the city) where low profile tyres don't make as much sense. The extra width is useful on dodgy surfaces and my rims, which are a little prone to being damaged if I am careless, are protected a bit more.
I've read on the forums about others putting 225/55 on 16x6 rims. The diameter of 215/60 falls between the two ... I chose increased ground clearance (not a typical AMC priority!) instead of sharp handling on bitumen. The downside, which none of the several tyre places in Sydney I spoke to (some of them really are hopeless but that's another story) told me is that at full lock I sometimes get rubbing inside the guard depending on direction and ground evenness. I could probably solve this problem and increase my bitumen handling by picking up a set of 16x7 rims which I may do at some point.

As for me, I decided to keep my 16x6 wheels and squeeze a set of 225/60 Turanza ER300 tyres on.
...
I chose increased ground clearance (not a typical AMC priority!) instead of sharp handling on bitumen. The downside, which none of the several tyre places in Sydney I spoke to (some of them really are hopeless but that's another story) told me is that at full lock I sometimes get rubbing inside the guard depending on direction and ground evenness.
The 225s would increase your ground clearance by around 6mm, and would be about 5mm wider on each side. I'm surprised they'd rub, but there you go ...

I could probably solve this problem and increase my bitumen handling by picking up a set of 16x7 rims which I may do at some point.
If anything the 7in rims would make the rubbing problem worse, because they'd increase the tyres' section width by about 6mm (3mm each side).

If anything the 7in rims would make the rubbing problem worse, because they'd increase the tyres' section width by about 6mm (3mm each side).

You are probably correct though I believe it would depend on the wheel offset and also what part of the tyre is rubbing. (I'm not sure that it is the tread though will check.) Is anyone aware of the third gen 16x6.5 and 16x7 offsets compared to the 16x6 and how this would affect inside rubbing?

IIRC, the std offset (for a 6in rim) is 46mm. For whatever width increase you use, to keep the same rim:guard clearance you'd increase the offset by half that amount. So, in that scenario, the nominal offsets would be 52mm for a 6.5in rim and 69mm for a 7in rim. To accommodate your larger tyres, you might need to increase those figures by 3 & 5mm, respectively.

Thanks, though I think you may have calculated in the wrong direction. The offset should be heading back towards zero for this application.

Factory (circa TL) 16x6.5 & 16x7 offsets anyone?

You can verify for yourself, at: http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator

The 17X7 OEM wheels still have the same +46 offset though?

Macropod, when I had those 225/40/18 wheels on my car, it wandered a lot on the road, had a lot of torque steer, and would follow bumps etc. Is this an issue with the tire profile or possibly the offset of the wheels?

It also varies from tyre to tyre.

Macropod, when I had those 225/40/18 wheels on my car, it wandered a lot on the road, had a lot of torque steer, and would follow bumps etc. Is this an issue with the tire profile or possibly the offset of the wheels?
Everything from a change in track (e.g. if you used an offset that doesn't preserve the original track), steering geometry (e.g. if you lowered/raised the suspension) and the make & model of tyre come into play.

The suspension remained the same. But the driving experience became really bad, though there was clearly more grip

When you look at the logistics of a wider tyre, it can easily be 'distracted' by minor irregularities in the road surface. A small hump hitting the shoulder of the tyre will cause the wheel to be pulled off-track more strongly with a wider tyre because the centre of force is further away from the pivot point. If you have a wider tyre, the pulling moment is greater and the effect will be felt in the steering wheel. Also, any mis-alignment of the wheels - toe-in, camber will be more pronounced and you will scrub your tyres much faster than the standard ones. If you are going to the wider options, you have to be more critical of wheel alignment.

macropod, the website you linked to calculates the "Inner Clearance" as "the inside of the wheel to the strut housing". Note there is no mention of the tyre - just the wheel. The quoted difference of 13mm when comparing 6 & 7 inch wheel sizes (both with 46mm offset) is half an inch (rounded off). Furthermore if it accounted for tyre size it would ask for the sizes to be entered.
Additionally, my comment about the offset needing to be reduced (towards zero) to account for wider tyres and inside rubbing is correct. Enter 6 inches with 46mm offset and compare it to 7 inches with 33mm offset and prove it to yourself.

macropod, the website you linked to calculates the "Inner Clearance" as "the inside of the wheel to the strut housing". Note there is no mention of the tyre - just the wheel. The quoted difference of 13mm when comparing 6 & 7 inch wheel sizes (both with 46mm offset) is half an inch (rounded off). Furthermore if it accounted for tyre size it would ask for the sizes to be entered.
I am fully aware of that ... Why do you suppose I suggested the additional offsets to accommodate your increased section width - which you say is already causing problems with the larger tyre.

As for the rubbing, you previously said:

I sometimes get rubbing inside the guard depending on direction and ground evenness
That's not the same thing as rubbing the insides of the tyres, so which is rubbing - the insides of the tyres, or their outsides?