Downsizing from 205mm & 16" to 195 & 15" wheels/tires worth it?

[Varn]

I don't think that you save enough to pay for your new wheels. I went from 175/70 to 155/80 on my vw They were a bit cheaper and narrower.

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by compdrag

Take a look at konig heliums. If your stock rims were like mine which weighed in at 20lbs a piece. I dropped 10lbs a rim. Take a look at them.

That's what I did. I doubt they'll be narrower, but they are MUCH lighter. I lost 7 lb per corner vs my stock 16" rims, and got cheaper tires in the new size.

I have no idea what the MPG change was. I moved the next month so everything is different. I do notice it handles speed bumps and rough road surfaces better. Lighter wheels = quicker suspension response = less jolt transferred to the body.

[MPGee]

Originally Posted by Varn

I don't think that you save enough to pay for your new wheels. I went from 175/70 to 155/80 on my vw They were a bit cheaper and narrower.

That very well may be true, if I didn't need new tires, and the set of 4 wheels did not include 4 tires as well. The 4 tires I received were in pretty good shape, too.

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Update: Empirically, doesn't seem like my fuel economy has improved any. In fact, it seems to have dropped a little. I'm guessing this is due to several factors:

1. New tires are 1 size smaller (195/60R15 vs 195/65R15) (In effect, lowering the gear ratio, per prior discussion.)
2. New tires have more tread and are newer than old ones.
3. New tires not designed for high FE, vs old ones (Falken Ziex vs Michelin Hydroedge).

I look forward to when I wear these out, so that I can try out some "proper" tires.