2001 Corolla CE rim/tire mod for looks but want to maintain or improve fuel economy

[morkys]

Ok, I have a 2001 Corolla CE. I replaced the stock 175/65-14 Michelins with snow/ice tires so the steel rims are now my winter wheels. I am deciding between either of a set of 14" IKON CE -001,003 or 004 rims or, more likely, a set of FAST Static rims. Both rims are approx 3-4 LBS lighter than stock steel, so right off the bat, I get a better looking rim but also gain an ounce of pepp and/or fuel economy. Probably neglible, but, the point is, the change is in the right direction. Now, I have to chose tires. Stock for the CE is 175/65-14. I have to decide which tires to use. Here are the tire sizes I am considering.

175/65-14
185/65-14
195/60-14

The stock steel rims are 14" x 5.5" I believe, while the Alloy rims like the FAST 14" Static rim is 14" x 6". So, I want a good tire with low rolling resistance. I am tempted to go with the stock size. The 185/65-14 will be taller and heavier, and that can't be good for rolling resistance. The 195/60-14 will be wider, but lower, and possibley heavier, but, the height of the tire is essentially identical to stock. I am leaning towards the 195/60-14 because it will look nice and provide lot's of traction, and should be fine for rolling resistance I think. Whichever tire I get, I will be raising tire pressure from the 29-32 that most people run, and probably creep up, starting with 34 rear and 36 front until I reach a comfortablely high PSI but below the 44 PSI max of most tires (or whatever the max is for the tire I end up with).

So, any advice as to the tire size and which model? The 175/65 and 185/65 can both be found in the common Michelin Harmony/Destiny. The 195/60-14 is not available in that model, so I need suggestions.

thanks in advance for any feedback,

[aerohead]

If you'll check the stickys at the top of the forum page,you'll find some relationships on the physics of wheels/tires as associated with mpg.Based on the mass and polar moment of inertia of your purchase options,you could work out what the significance to performance from one choice over another would be.

[Daox]

Stay with the 175s. The others are wider and will harm aerodynamics. It may not seem like much, but BMW did testing (there is a thread here somewhere on it) and Cd was noticably improved with a skinnier tire. Also, a wider tire will likely have increased rolling resistance.

[morkys]

Instead of a 195/60-14, which is 23.21 vs the stock 22.95" ... a 185/60-14 is about 22.74 and only 1/4" shorter. Being barely wider, but a smidge shorter, I wonder if this one would be a reasonable compromise.

Which is worse for fuel economy? Compared to stock 175/65.....Taller and wider 195/60-14 or shorter and not as wide 185/60-14.