Need pic: MPSS vs Primacy
 

I think I want to change my tires to Michelin pilot super sports 215/45 R17 but I would like a picture, side-by-side compared to the stock OEM tire does anybody have one. I'm trying to get rid of the stretched look of the OEM tire while improving my performance with the new tire. Tirerack says they are .2 inches wider on the tread width but I have found inconsistencies with how each company measures actual tread with on a tire and I knew that Michelin pilot super sport tend to run wider. I realize Mitchell and Makes both tires and that I would like to actually see them side-by-side just so I can visually get an idea of what I'm looking at before I go and spend my money.

Thanks.

I would not say that the stock tire on a 7" wide wheel (stock) is stretched.
I have 7.5" wheels and with the primacy and there is a very slight stretch.
IMHO, If you are looking for performance a slight stretch will help more than a tire that is a little too large for the wheel.
You could also just get 225/45/17 MPSS if you're still concerned about it I know many went with those and are happy. I'll probably go with 225/45/17 MPSS too when I'll need new tires. Should fit pretty much perfectly with my 7.5" wheels.

I'm running 225 MPSS on 7.5" wheels and they work great-- go for it.

Michelin should measure the tread width consistently across all their models.

So, Tirerack has the below measurements.

215/45 r17
Michelin Primacy HP - 7.5"
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - 7.7"

On a 7.5" wheel, MPSS in this width will probably still look a little stretched

225/45/17
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - 8.2"

On that same 7.5" these will probably look just right and are only .3" taller so your speedo should be off by about 1-2mph no biggie.

Michelin doesn't sell a 235/40/17 in MPSS so if you want that tire, your choices are really only 215 or 225 anyhow. That pretty much makes the decision for you.

I have the PP so I have 7.5" wheels. I thought about going 225 but I concerned about two thing: 1) will the .3" taller wheel (and it's extra weight) make the car feel like it's lost torque, and 2) will the handling feel less responsive because of the taller sidewall

I have driven 225 tires with 17x7 stock and 17x8 hypergram wheels. 225's on the stock wheel were a little more cushy on bumps with just a little heavier steering response due to side walls flex inward near the rim compared to 215 stock tires. When I transferred the 225's on 8" wide wheel, drive became a little more harsh but got lighter steering response since side walls flexed outward near the rim. But all differences were very subtle, there was nothing out of ordinary in both cases. Since I preferred wider tires for softer drive and better grip (boosted engine), I am driving with 245's on 8" wheels now.

If I were you, I would go with 225's on 7.5 wheels.

Mate i have 17x8 wheels, would 235's tires feel responsive as well? Or will be different between brands?

The 7.5J setup allows you to run staggered 215 front and 225 rear according to Toyota. STI recommends 225 square setup.

I've ran two sets of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 215/45/R17 on 7.5J STI JDM rims and the tires don't look stretched at all, actually the sidewall is more perpendicular to the ground. I've also ran my first set of these tires on the stock rims, they didn't have the stretched sidewall look of the Primacy.

I’m sure a quick google search and “copy paste” job will sort this in a muinute.

What @DAEMANO said. I’d go 225/45/17 on the 17x7.5” PP wheels with MPSS.

235 width is the ideal tire width for 17x8. I think it would be the best compromise between harsh ride and steering response.

The problem is that 235/40-17 is 0.9% smaller (24.4") and 235/45-17 is 2.9% larger (25.3") than the stock wheel diameter of 24.6". And, since tire selections in 235/40-17 are very limited, you will probably need to go with 235/45-17 if 2.9% lower reading in speedometer (and about that much slower acceleration) is okay with you.

Among 225/45-17, 235/45-17 and 245/40-17, 245/40-17 has the closest diameter (24.7") to stock; it will have a bit heavier steering but better grip. Without a boosted engine, 245 could be a little too much grip though.

You guys that have gone from 215 to 225 on 17’s, how does acceleration differ.

Can’t see how this is going to work. How do you know if they are relative to one another I size? You could guess I suppose but it wouldn’t be as good as a side by side pic. I want to stick with 215’s and if I saw a pic side by side I could judge if I needed to step up to 225’s.

I haven't noticed any difference in acceleration. Width change is 10mm from 215 mm to 225 mm, diameter changes from 24.6" to 25". That is all needed to know for size change.