from Stargazer's Passat - istargazer.ca 

Stardate 06.09.2001 Well, it's almost been a month since I got the wider tires. Here are my impressions: 

Short story: I'm happy that I got 225/50/16 . 

Long story: Even though I had to get used to the "fatter" tire look from the side view (they reminded me of donuts--but maybe I was hungry). I'm happy with the wider tires because they do make the car look sportier. The front tires stick out a bit from the wheel well--a 1/4 inch maybe, not much. However, there is more splash back on the car. It doesn't bother me that much, though. Besides, when the rainy season starts here, everything gets wet anyway! As for performance changes, I thought the car felt a bit more sluggish off the line after I put the wider tires on, but I'm not sure if I felt that way just because I was expecting it to be like that. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the car did not track in heavily grooved roads any more than they did with the 205/55/16. There is a more solid stance to the feel of the car, but while it still corners well, I think the tires actually squeal more now than when I had the 205/55. Maybe it's because I'm actually pushing the car more with the new tires and taking it closer the limits. I don't know. I just remember I used to drive the old tires pretty hard and they never seemed to squeal. 

Update: I upped my tire pressure to 34 psi on all four tires (from 32 psi) and the squealing is pretty much gone--handling is still great. There is a slight clearance problem with the wider tires, however. I only notice this when I'm driving fast on roads with little dips. The front right tire will rub against the top outer edge of the black plastic wheel liner. This has only happened to me a couple times and I never notice any rubbing at all when I drive normally or when I turn the wheels all the way while parking. I think it's just a subtle reminder for me to upgrade my suspension . When I first upgraded my tires to 205/55/16 (from 15" stock), I wasn't ready for a wider tire. But after a while I wanted a sportier, more aggressive look and that's why I got the 225/50. Next time, I will still buy 225/50/16, but I'll buy a different brand so I can make some more comparisons. 

Stardate 09.08.2001 - 57088 km - 3 x Pirelli P7000SS ~ R.I.P. Well, I finally got a new set of tires! After debating between a couple brands, I finally decided to get another set of Pirelli P7000 Super Sports ($970.40 CAD) because I was really happy with the performance I got out of the first set. This time, however, I got 225/50/16 instead of 205/55. Initial impressions of the wider tire: It's great! They only extend beyond the front fender very slightly, but it makes the car look much sportier. Also, my worries about increased tracking on grooved pavement, were unfounded: it was much more noticeable going from 15" to 16" wheels. I can hardly tell any difference with the 225's.