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I don't think any of us have had our cars long enough to need new tires yet, but anyhow come back to this thread when you do.

I'm on the fence about getting some this fall, or just waiting until spring. I need an all-season with good winter capability. Winter tires are fantastic, but I don't want to bother with storage and changeover.

FYI although I have the hatchback, I have 16"s from a sedan. I swapped with a local kid. For me the extra sidewall height adds a little ride comfort which is appreciated because all my driving is mostly on urban streets and roads that aren't well maintained. Size 205-55-16 also gives you a lot more choices than 205-50-17, and in the smaller size I should be able to find a tire that's more winter capable, and quieter, and probably with less rolling resistance too. The big wheel, low-profile sidewall trend looks nice, but for me it's not very practical.

Also, I parallel park a lot, in front of my house actually, and the sidewall on 16"s is enough to prevent you from curbing your wheels too bad. I had my original 17's on for a shorter time than the 16"s, but the 16's are still in good shape whearas the 17's took a few hits.

The Toyos actually aren't too bad in winter. Nothing amazing, but widely acknowledged to be way better than the Goodyear RSAs on 17" S models.

Bill

Funny you mention the sidewall/curb point - that's one of the reasons I didn't/won't get the larger tires. I like the fact that I've got a little more rubber between me and the road (absorbs bumps better) and the fact that if I brush up against a curb, there's a better chance of me going over it rather than taking it on the rim. :)

Most curbs have a natural curve inward. With 17's its easy to scrape your rim because the rim is closer to the ground. On a 16", the edge of the rim is higher up, so the sidewall of the tire will hit the curb before the edge of the rim will, and protect your from "curb rash".

Yes, protection from bad potholes is also another reason.

Consumer Reports has a tire report coming in another month so I'm going to wait. My top choices right now though would be Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, Goodyear Assurance TripleTred, and possibly the Falken Ze-912 and 329 if I get some more data about them.

I will keep my 17's and not curb it like my wife did her Accord. And the 16's didn't help one bit.

My 6 came with 16s, and when I upgraded to alloys, I decided to get those in 16" as well so I didn't have to buy new tires at the same time. There were only 18K on them, and as mentioned the extra cushioning doesn't hurt. Car still handles quite well. Can't deny 17s look a bit more sporty. Anything bigger than that just looks silly to me.