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Hi Group!
I just purchased a 2018 Fit LX with 2300 miles on it. Manual trans. I bought it to tow behind my downsized motorhome (gasp). My question is, has anyone changed from the 15 inch tires and wheels to the 16 inch standard on the other models?
I assume it would be better on gas mileage on the freeway with a little sacrifice on acceleration. Any suggestions?
Thanks from Arizona!
You're really asking about tire circumference, which isn't necessarily tied to wheel diameter. I think your stock tire size is 185/60R15. Assuming I'm correct, you might find some GE8 alloy rims (which I quite like) and mount the OEM tire size for those wheels (185/55R16) and gain a small amount of circumference.
However, instead of buying both bigger wheels and new tires, you could probably save a bit of money by getting new tires for your current wheels.
In terms of fuel efficiency, there's a fine line between engine load, rpm, and wind resistance. The weight of your wheels and tires can also affect fuel efficiency. You may gain some efficiency with a bigger tire, but you might not. There are plenty of people here who run different tire sizes, so maybe someone will comment with real-world fuel efficiency comparisons (hopefully before and after the swap on the same car).
Speaking more generally, the biggest things you can do to maximize highway/freeway fuel efficiency are:
1) preventative maintenance (e.g., air filters, oil changes - basically make sure your car runs well);
2) proper tire inflation;
3) do not exceed the speed limit.
What I was thinking of doing was putting a set of OEM factory take offs on instead of the stock LX 15 inch. The size calculator you attached is perfect, I'll look up the OEM sizes and compare! Thanks!
