Ok. I have a problem. I have a 07 civic hybrid. I'm looking for 15" rims to replace the ones that came with it. But I want to use my old tires on them.
Anyway. If I go with a bigger size like 16 or 17 how much will it bring down my gas mileage. Right now get 47 MPG.

 

I doubt you will even notice a difference. Did a google search and found this:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...utJ&show=7

Hope that helps.

 

Hybrid cars are a different beast. The wheels are usually light weight alloys that are designed for your car. You will noticed some differences if you get a heavier/larger wheel. If you decide to change your wheel size, make sure you get wheel/tire diameter size close to OEM.

 

running a larger wheel such as 18 on a honda can have more of an affect on the miles and how fast your going. Thats why i think its dumb to run anything biggger than a 16 on a civic

 

Wider tires usually mean more drag and lower mileage. Larger diameter tires will cause the car to travel more actual road miles than the odometer indicates. This could give the perception of lower mileage.

 

As long as you stick with the proper tire size to keep the same overall diameter...you shouldnt notice a difference. The biggest difference in a heavier wheel is acceleration...unless the thing weighs something crazy like 10-15 lbs more per wheel I doubt you would notice anything at all.

 

^ dito......
just buy the right size tires to keep the outer diameter the same you should be fine....
but keep an eye on the weight if you dont want the HP/mileage to suffer keep an eye on the rims weight!

 

If you use rims that are at least as light as the stockers, and at least as narrow, they shouldn't hurt your power or mileage. You will also want to run tires at least as narrow as the stockers, with the same overall diameter. Tire construction can have an effect too. My mileage seems the same with a slightly wider tire on my Civic, but the better construction probably makes for less rolling resistance.

FYI, '06-up Civics come with bigger rims than earlier models from the factory.

Use the selector at www.tirerack.com to find a good rim and tire size for your Hybrid. Call them if you have any questions.

 

Honda put those 15" alloys and 195/65R15s on your Hybrid for a reason- lower interia and less rolling resistance. If you go to 17" or 18" rims and lower, wider tires your mileage will go down at least a few mpg. It's comparable to owners of full size trucks who switch from the factory size to three or four sizes larger- their mileage goes down and they wonder why. The increase in wheel weight and contact patch, athough small, is more than enough to bring your fuel economy down.

The only way to know for sure is to put on a set of larger wheels, and monitor your fuel consumption. If you're not inclined to do so, you may be better off leaving it as is.

Geno