About the 16" wheels some countries get as standard
 

Unlike the US and other countries, in Peru the starter version of the GT86s has 16" tires. There's a better version but it's $8k more :mad0260: and I'm not paying $8k more to get the 17" rims/tires, bigger brakes and small comforts like keyless entry, etc.

This version has the following tire/rim combo: 205 / 55 R16 6.5J
and most online reviews are made with the 17" combo other countries get 215 / 45 R17 7J

I've done my fair share of reading on tires/suspension and I keep wondering if these 16" rims/tires will give me a diluted experience on the car. I'm told that the suspension is the same, but what changes is just the rim and rubber. Has anyone driven both versions to give an opinion?

On the note of upgrading tires/rims, I'm still confused on what to do. I don't want to lower the car because we get lots of speedbumps, and I don't want to ruin the car's character. I've seen other users setups with awesome 18x8 front and 18x9 in the back, but I keep wondering if the larger rear wheels would produce understeer because of the larger amount of rubber on the road..

The 16" wheel will give you a much more comfy ride. It is slightly detuned in a way to make the car more affordable and more comfortable for the every day user. Toyota also knows that it's a tuner's car. Keep tires and wheels square. Changing the width sizes will change the characteristics of the car. What kind of goals do you have for the car?

Yes, if you put wider rubber in the rear, you'll induce understeer because you're giving the rears more grip (and thus, the fronts have less). Stick with a square wheel setup (same size wheels all around) to keep the car's character :)

I went from a 205/55 R16 to 225/40 R18 18x7.5" +48 rim and I didn't notice much of a difference in ride quality.

I believe the lower spec car (the GT here in Aus) is lighter and is the model spec they used for the suspension development so i doubt it will be any worse than the cars with 17" wheels. And i know its not the ultimate comparison but during spirited driving on cruises i certainly havent had trouble keeping up with the up spec model.

It is also true for Chinese spec 86! I am also worrying higher profile tires will seriously affect the performance!

Tada San wants the car to b a fun car. The rear is made to slide out easily but if u go for huge rims with thick tyres it ll b changing the whole characteristic of the car. Its really up to the owner.

Btw in UAE we get the 16s too. They are made by Enkei n weight ok.. So im in a dilemma either to go for a lighter 16" like the 16x7 sbc rpf1 with a 215/55/16 or 225/50/16

Or

17X7 with 215/45/17.

I ride on 16s in the winter here in canada and I can assure you they don't dilute the driving experience. the handelling feels the same to me. the ride over bumps is only slightly softer.

The tyres on my stock 16" rims were downright shitful! So happy I changed wheels and tyres

Thanks for the tip. It'll be my 2nd mod (and it's not exactly a cheap mod, so I gotta wait it out a bit). First mod will be a decent radio! :party0030:

You could just get some "extreme summer performance tyres" with a stiff sidewall, e.g RE-11, AD08, Starspecs, etc. which will give you a significantly better response and dry grip (but worse aquaplaning properties). But really, all the vids I saw with the stock 16", handling looked just fine.