CarSpecsHQ

215/45R17 vs 225/50R16

225/50R16 is a safe swap for 215/45R17 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.98%.

17" → 16"
215/45R17 24.62" · 225/50R16 24.86" · drawn to scale

Side by side

215/45R17225/50R16Difference
Overall diameter24.62"24.86"+0.24" (+0.98%)
Section width215 mm225 mm+10 mm
Sidewall3.81"4.43"+0.62"
Rim17"16"-1"
Circumference77.3"78.1"+0.8"
Revs per mile819811-8
Ride height——+0.12"
Speedometer reads 60 mph60.060.6+0.6 mph

Speedometer and odometer

020406080100120 reads 60 · actual 60.6 mph

With 225/50R16 on a car calibrated for 215/45R17, the speedometer reads 59.4 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 1.0%.

Speedo showsActual speed
30 mph30.3 mph
45 mph45.4 mph
60 mph60.6 mph
70 mph70.7 mph
80 mph80.8 mph

Other sizes close to 215/45R17

Questions

Can I replace 215/45R17 with 225/50R16?

225/50R16 is a safe swap for 215/45R17 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.98%.

What's the difference between 215/45R17 and 225/50R16?

225/50R16 is 0.24" taller and 10 mm wider; the sidewall is +0.62". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.6 mph.

Will 225/50R16 fit on 215/45R17 wheels?

No — 215/45R17 needs a 17" wheel and 225/50R16 a 16" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.