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15" wheels to Niro?

13K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  Spiritwalker2222 
#1 ·
Hello,

Sorry if this has been covered already. Couldn't find an absolute answer though.

Can anyone confirm that 15" wheels will clear the front brake calibers?

We have so bad roads up here Finland that I would rather use 195/65R15 instead of original 16".

I went to the dealer but he just read from the brochure that it's not possible.
I said that Ioniq has the basic wheels 15 inchers, but got no answer if the brake caliber/discs are the same.

So...anyone tried to fit 15" on the Niro.

Btw nice forum. I think I'll spend some time here...
 
#2 ·
The clearance betwwen the wheels and wheel wells is pretty good, not as much as a big SUV or truck of course, but more than a sedan. I guess that's the clearance youre concerned with when you mention bad roads. Otherwise, I've never heard of anyone going from the smallest wheel to even smaller.
 
#4 ·
Ok... :)

The 195/65R15 is more quiet on hard tarmac -> less noise in the cabin.
It also has higher profile so it gets bumps, potholes, rocks etc better without getting damage to the rim.
It has overall softer ride over the 205/60R16

It is also about 15% cheaper to buy, especially on studded winter version that we have to use here.
It's a bit larger on the diameter too so that will cut down the fuel costs a little.
Winter tire also has better grip when it's a bit more narrow.

Did this clarify the question at all?
 
#5 ·
Great description Huikko! It seems like the perfect tire with how well you say it soaks up bumps and holes, even sold at an affordable price too.

Haven't tried to fit it to the Niro, but you can probably ask the dealerships service department and get and answer about the calipers from them.
 
#8 ·
I can't give a definitive answer, but my last car...a Hyundai Tucson....had 16" wheels but my winters were 15" so in that case there was enough clearance. I would like to do the same for my winter tires when the time comes this fall.
I'll be watching to see if we get a 'for sure' answer.
 
#12 ·
I'm also planning to put 15" winter tires on the Niro but will probably go with 205/65R15. On another thread @Neo confirmed these fit fine, he said: "I went with Michelin Xice in a 205/65-15. I love them. The taller tire gives a softer ride which is a nice improvement when the tires are cold and rock hard and the road is less than perfect. The 15 inch steel wheels fit with just enough clearance."

Anyone else switched to 15" for their winter tires?
 
#13 ·
15" wheels and tires would be quieter and more efficient if everything else was equal. But it is not! If you want a close match for the diameter, the same tire is seldom available (although you do want a different model for winter anyway).

But forgetting about efficiency, you want a narrower tire for winter use and I've confirmed that with personal use. I don't see any advantage in getting 15" tires for winter use, other than they tend to be cheaper than 16" tires. But huge advantage to going narrow, regardless of rim size.
 
#16 ·
15" rims do fit.

I went last week to get winter tires and was told the wait to have the work done is 30+ days. So I checked to see if my winter tires from my old car would fit. I got lucky as the bolt pattern, offset, center hub diameter are all the same. Only difference is my old winters are on 15" rims. I just installed them. There is about 0.100" clearance from the calipers to the rims. Not much but there is clearance. This is diametrically. Lots of clearance to the face of the rim, I'd say 1/2". The rear has a little more clearance, but not much. I'd say 0.150" at most.

Not sure how long I'll leave the tires on, they are 4 years old and don't have the TPMS. At most I'll keep them one season. I'll check the price difference when I get new tires, but still undecided if I'll get 16's or stick with the 15" rims for the winter tires.
 
#17 · (Edited)
15" rims do fit.

I went last week to get winter tires and was told the wait to have the work done is 30+ days. So I checked to see if my winter tires from my old car would fit. I got lucky as the bolt pattern, offset, center hub diameter are all the same. Only difference is my old winters are on 15" rims. I just installed them. There is about 0.100" clearance from the calipers to the rims. Not much but there is clearance. This is diametrically. Lots of clearance to the face of the rim, I'd say 1/2". The rear has a little more clearance, but not much. I'd say 0.150" at most.

Not sure how long I'll leave the tires on, they are 4 years old and don't have the TPMS. At most I'll keep them one season. I'll check the price difference when I get new tires, but still undecided if I'll get 16's or stick with the 15" rims for the winter tires.
Personnaly, i would go with the 16' original alloy wheel and cap cover for winter, and buy some nice mags like i did for summer!
 

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#20 ·
I assume this impacts your speedometer and odometer calibration. With smaller rims, you're likely to be really going slower than your reported speed, and really putting on fewer miles/kms than your reported distance. That's standard with any car when you change the tire size. But with the Niro being so heavily computerized (and so heavily goal oriented toward fuel economy), I wonder if it might have any impact on any of the computer's decision making logic? I imagine that there's a way to recalibrate the speed/distance logic so that it reads correctly with the smaller rims, but I'm not aware of what that entails.
 
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