New wheels- Aerodynamic impact?

[riva2model64]

Hello all,

I have a 1994 Toyota Camry V6. I recently got new wheels and tires in a package deal. The original size of wheel on my car is 15x6. The new wheels I have are 15x6.5

I don't know if it's my imagination, but the new wheels appear to be jutting out from the wheel well by maybe half a centimeter or so.

Will this have any noticeable impact on drag?

I can post pics it would help.

[MetroMPG]

Did the wheel style also change?

A picture would help.

[Joris]

The new wheels are wider, so theoretically they have more drag because of the increased surface area. If they are smoother than the old wheels it could compensate for the increased surface area.

[freebeard]

Did the tire size change? Is the tire tread covered by the fender?

Wheels also have offset, the same rim width can float in and out as it changes. If the tread width stays the same and the rim width increases that could improve the aerodynamics.

Also waiting for pics. Before and after?

[Xist]

If you have noticeable impact on drag, you will also see a mileage change. They also may weigh more, but wheel weight seems to make a surprisingly small difference.

[riva2model64]

Thank you for the replies everyone!

I'll try to take and post pictures tomorrow as it is pitch dark right now.
I only took one "before" picture, so it won't be much of a before/after comparison, sadly.

The wheel style changed slightly, the new wheel is more open.

Tire size did not change, it is the same 205/65/R15 as stock.

I could see a difference in gas mileage if the drag is noticeably higher, but I have a new commute and only have solid MPG data for a different commute/season, so my new MPG results would not be quite Apples-Apples.
I also only have one trial run for highway MPG so I don't know how accurate that would be. For what it's worth though, my fuelly average was 22.4 MPG, and I'll also update my next tank.

The new wheels weigh a few lbs. less