CarSpecsHQ

245/50R16 vs 225/50R17

225/50R17 is a safe swap for 245/50R16 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.83%.

16" → 17"
245/50R16 25.65" · 225/50R17 25.86" · drawn to scale

Side by side

245/50R16225/50R17Difference
Overall diameter25.65"25.86"+0.21" (+0.83%)
Section width245 mm225 mm-20 mm
Sidewall4.82"4.43"-0.39"
Rim16"17"+1"
Circumference80.6"81.2"+0.7"
Revs per mile786780-6
Ride height——+0.11"
Speedometer reads 60 mph60.060.5+0.5 mph

Speedometer and odometer

020406080100120 reads 60 · actual 60.5 mph

With 225/50R17 on a car calibrated for 245/50R16, the speedometer reads 59.5 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 0.8%.

Speedo showsActual speed
30 mph30.2 mph
45 mph45.4 mph
60 mph60.5 mph
70 mph70.6 mph
80 mph80.7 mph

Other sizes close to 245/50R16

Questions

Can I replace 245/50R16 with 225/50R17?

225/50R17 is a safe swap for 245/50R16 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.83%.

What's the difference between 245/50R16 and 225/50R17?

225/50R17 is 0.21" taller and 20 mm narrower; the sidewall is -0.39". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.5 mph.

Will 225/50R17 fit on 245/50R16 wheels?

No — 245/50R16 needs a 16" wheel and 225/50R17 a 17" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.