Quote:
Originally Posted by mcrews
I laugh......
1. you should own a scangauge that would have the correct speedo.
2. I drove an Infiniti Q45S w taller tires for 170,000 miles and the speedo was off......who cares!!!!! I saved $1000 -$3000 in gas.
Beside, you have the SCANGAUGE which is accurate.
With your logic, then stip the car to bare metal to reduce weight and get better mpg due to light weight. 
Tire size is one of the cheapest ways to improve mileage. your usually buying tires anyway. Size up.
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Call me anal, but I like being able to have a relatively level before/after comparison basis.
So, I value maintaining a consistent odometer. That being said, I'm gonna sacrifice that accuracy for the next 20K miles or so...
I found a guy listing OEM 2005 Corolla steel wheels (15x6") for $150 OBO. Also included were Falkien ZX612 (IIRC) 195/60R15. Sooo, the equivalent, that I should be aiming for is 195/65R15. I talked him down to $120, so at $30 a wheel & tire, that's not bad, IMO.
There's still a reasonable amount of tread on them too. (6 to 8/32"). So, at this point if I'm gonna use these tires, not only am I not going larger, but I'm going smaller.
Next set will be similar to OEM or larger.
Thx guys for the info on the larger tires. Not sure if I wanna go 1"+, etc, but I will most definitely round up, rather than down. I didn't know about the link between gear ratios and FE.
And, in relation to those who were mentioning that they'd keep the same wheel size, here's one of the big French benefits that I observed on my test drive on the new wheels just now: NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness, for the uninitiated). The ride is noticeably smoother and quieter. That alone, even if this doesn't gain me FE benefits, is a major plus for me.
And I weighed all 8 wheels+tires, and averaged them.
Weights, per tire
18.83 kg (45.51 lbs) 16x6.5" with 205/55R16
16.39 kg (36.13 lbs) 15x6.0" with 195/60R15
2.44 kg (9.38 lbs) Difference
I was surprised by the weight difference just now. Double checked my #s, and those are it. Remember, though, that the 15" tires are smaller. So, if I were to get the correct size, the weight diff should be smaller.
Will post some more pics & datums when I have a chance to review it all...