Tire size help
 

I am thinking about getting some 225/40/18 on some nice black rims. I've got a good deal lined up. I am new to the car game and want to make sure they will fit. Any advice

Andrew

They will fit but your speedometer will be off. You will actually be going slower than indicated by about 3%.

Can I ask why you're choosing that size? The ideal sizes for 18x8 wheels would be 225/45-18 or 245/40-18.

The truth price and the look of the rims .... I am a bit short on cash

I need new tires now but don't want to sacrifice the performance or feel of the car

I put 225/40r18 Hankook V12's on purpose to get the 3 % geardown, and car ran better.

They will fit perfect on your 8x18 wheels. On my smaller with 7.5 wheels that size had some slop.

I have Enkei whells 7.5 x18 that someone installed before me, so this time I put 215/40r18 for a 5% geardown which fits best.

With tire being Michelin PS4S, they are light and have all the traction I need even in rain.

Thanks so much for the advice

The make/model/quality of tire makes far more difference than size. What actual tires are you getting?

If you want something performance that's cheap, Firehawk Indy 500 is very affordable for a performance tire, and available in the exact OEM size.

Michelin PS4S is good if you have a horde of money to burn. Not denying it's good from all the reviews, but the value for them is also very poor. Indy 500 will probably give you like 90% of that for almost half the price.

Of course some A/S will be cheaper, but their grip is gonna be very average.

Hey I lost the tires michelin pilot sport a/se but I may get them and replace them next summer. On another note due you drive your RX8 in the winter? I never have and am nervous to do so. I have no garage. I ask you because we have the same weather if you really are from Montreal. Man our roads suck.

Yes I drive it in the winter when I have to. It's a very well behaved car on snow tires. Definitely not on all seasons.
It's also a lot of fun in an empty parking lot after a snowfall ;)

But rust proof it a lot if you're going to do that. If you have no garage that's actually not bad at least the car is always cold. Bringing wet salt into the warm garage is a recipe for rust.

RIWWP summed it up well here.

Cold Weather

As it mentions, the main issue with an 8 is its ground clearance, but at the same time, I'd imagine Montreal(and anywhere that's not on the west coast, really) clears their snow often. I had difficulty driving mine because when Victoria sees snow, all we know to do is panic, scream and run in circles. If you get snow tires and drive on cleared roads, I don't see much of an issue.

Usually, I avoid A/S tires just because they are masters of none. The grip is awful for spirited summer driving and AutoX, and they don't work for crap in snow. Don't forget that your braking distance also goes up with A/S tires, and tires have more effect on braking than most people give them credit for.