Steering feel with wider tires?
 

For those of you that went a lot wider, is there a loss of steering feel and sensitivity? I love how the car feels nimble and quick and don't want to lose that.

When I had my Miata going to a wider tire made the steering feel a little spongy and not as crisp.

I'm trying to decide between 225 vs 245.

Thanks for any help!

keep in mind that rim width is going to play a significant factor. if you get the widest rim suitable for your desired tire size, you make sure that you are getting the best response and performance from the tire.

I just put 235/40 tires with 8" wheels. Steering feels much harder - more force to make car turn. Main advantage is much better braking for now. I do not think getting wider than 235 tires makes sense for this car.

Right, assuming the appropriate rim width for the tire size. I'm thinking 8" for a 225, 9" for a 245. Thanks!

Again, I'm just looking for impressions of steering precision when changing to a much wider tire.

Wheel offset will affect the scrub radius too, and that can play a factor.

So have you guys who run 245s notice any difference in steering feel?

The tire itself probably plays a larger role in steering feel than small increases in width.

I switched recently from 215 winters to 255 summers, and the first few turns of the wheel, YES, I could fee a dullness in the steering. The 215's definitely felt sharper.

After about a mile, though I was used to the feel of the wider tires, and I definitely love the additional lateral grip. Bring on the cloverleafs!

--Dan
Mach V

You love how the car feels nible and quick but you want to mess with it. I have to ask why? Perhaps the people who designed the car knew what they were doing. Sort-of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I went 235 and the difference is nothing major. You will not even notice it after a few miles.

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18x8.5 (235) front 18x9.5 (255) back....no difference in steering just takes more juice to get the big boys in the rear to roll. (still getting used to that)
I feel more planted. Handles great still. Looks fantastic. Keeps my lead foot in check.

I immediately noticed more steering feel switching from the stock setup to 215 width max-performance summer tires on lighter 8" wheels in +45. Really happy about that. The only downside is the tires look a little stretched.

Whether the increase in steering feel comes from switching to sportier tires, lighter wheels, or slight stretch, I don't know, but I bet tires is the major contributor.

This! Scrub radius can make a big difference in feel.

I'm running 225/45 Z2's on 17x8 +45 (which is pretty close to the stock scrub radius) and the feel is just a tiny bit heavier most of the time, but it tramlines (follows grooves in the pavement) WAY more now. If you drive on roads that see a lot of heavy vehicles, you'll quickly find the grooves where they stick to. It's not annoying or an issue, but you will notice it.

I agree Subaru/Toyota know what they're doing, but because manufacturers sell cars to the masses the car clearly has compromises. I have my own wants out of the car and am willing to compromise on comfort and fuel economy, as well as pay more for better tires.

I'd like some more grip but I want to know the point at which grip comes at the expense of feel and if it's worth the trade off. I think it's an honest question.


Thanks everyone for your replies! They are helpful!