215 vs 225 Tires, Which of the Two Categories is Best?

Whether you go for 215 or 225 tires, rest assured that each of these categories will serve its intended purpose. But what’s the meaning of these numbers? What’s their significance in determining tire performance? Find your answers in the following explanation and get a clear picture of what you need to make your ride a comfortable one.

We will also discuss the following:

• 215 vs 225 tires metric sizes.
• Width of 215 vs 225 tires.
• Rim Diameter for 215 vs 225 tires.
• Sidewall aspect ratio.

Understanding 215 vs 225 Metric Sizes

The search for a new set of tires for your car can be a daunting task and an overwhelming experience, especially when you don’t have any idea of what you are looking for.

You may know the model and brand for a particular set of tires but fail to understand the different sizes that fit your vehicle. If this sounds anything like you, then you need first-hand information regarding the different tire sizes on the market today.

We start by helping you understand the essence of 215 vs 225 metric sizes to help you make sound decisions when purchasing new tires. Keep in mind that every tire comes in a set of three measurements to define its size.

For instance, a tire expressed as 215/45R17 is defined as follows:

• The first number (215) indicates the width of the tire in millimeters.
• The second number (45R) stands for the sidewall height. It’s a percentage of the tire’s width and is commonly referred to as the aspect ratio. In this regard, the aspect ratio of 215/45R17 is 45 percent of the 225 millimeters width.
• The third number indicates the wheel rim diameter; this is the internal diameter of any given tire and is measured in inches. In this example, the diameter of the wheel rim is 17 inches.

From the explanation above, you may have realized that the tire width is expressed in metric (millimeters) while the wheel rim size is given in imperial measurements ( inches.)

215 vs 225 Tires: The Width

By comparison, the 215 tires have a smaller width than the 225 tires. This difference plays an important role when deciding which tires go on the front and back. Vehicles such as rear-wheel-drive sports cars come fully loaded with tires that have a narrower width fitted at the front than their back.

The difference in their sizes also means that their overall diameters will differ. The rear tires will have larger wheel diameters than the front ones.

Having wide back tires enhances traction; they also provide more power. As a result, they can cause a phenomenon known as wheel spin.

These tires can be cumbersome; they tend to follow ridges and grooves while on the road, creating a condition known as ‘tramlining”, meaning they will require additional steering effort to keep them turning due to their increased rolling/turning resistance. In the process, they reduce suspension performance.

On the other hand, wider tires (225) at the front will need bigger wheel wells to accommodate their turning ability. But anything beyond a certain width will reduce grip on the road when turning.

While it’s a good idea to place narrower tires at the front of your car and wider ones at the rear, it’s pointless to install wider tires on one side of your vehicle. Doing so will create changes in weight balance.

It will also cause one side of your vehicle to experience a different grip from the other when braking and will interfere with your car’s cornering.

215 vs 225 Tires: Rim Diameter

Don’t be surprised to find some vehicles with wheels of varying diameters. A perfect example can be found in most agricultural vehicles, such as tractors. Their rear tires have a larger diameter compared to the smaller diameter in their front wheels.

Another example is smaller rigid trucks. Unlike agricultural tractors, smaller rigid trucks have rear wheels with smaller diameters. A similar scenario is common in lowboy trailers; their wheels are relatively small to make lowering the deck to the ground easy and quick.

Based on this explanation, you are likely to find 215 tires changing roles with 225 tires on different vehicle types because the 215 tires have smaller diameters than the 225 models.

215 vs 225 Tires: The Sidewall Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio of a tire is often referred to as the series or profile of a tire. It’s usually determined by dividing the section height of the tire by the section width.

The 215 will likely have a higher aspect ratio than the 225 due to differences in their widths. This slight change in the ratio will affect the tire’s performance on the road.

In most cases, tires with lower aspect ratios respond to lateral forces more effectively than those tires with higher aspect ratios, so 225 tires will effectively respond to lateral force better than the 215 tires. This is because the aspect ratio of any tire’s sidewall affects steering stability.

The lower the tire’s sidewall or the shorter the tire’s aspect ratio, the faster it will take to transmit the input (steering) from the wheel to the tread; this will lead to quick steering response.

Also, the aspect ratio has a positive effect on the tire’s tread contact patch; this means that low-profile tires are likely to produce or deliver a wider tread contact patch. As a result, the wider tread contact patch develops a stiffer footprint, decreasing distortion while providing improved cornering traction.

The tire’s sidewall aspect ratio also plays a critical role in impacting your ride; this is evident from low-profile tires such as the 225 instead of the 215 tires. The lower profile in tires creates a stiffer ride than what you will experience in tires with a standard sidewall aspect ratio of more than 75.

In this regard, you will enjoy a quicker steering response. You will also witness improved cornering traction and a stiffer ride in 225 tires than in 215 tires based on their respective aspect ratios.

215 vs 225: The Grip

So, the 215 tires have a narrower width than the 225 tires; this brings us to the question, do wider tires provide more grip? The most obvious answer is yes. The wider the tires, the more contact they create with the road surface, right?

When the tire becomes wider, its footprint changes drastically. The footprint will get wider but also shorter, which alters its load capacity to enhance more grip on the surface.

The 215 tires will provide less grip than the 225 tires due to their different widths. With an increased grip on the road surface, the 225 tires will achieve greater levels of shorter braking distances while increasing traction, especially on wet surfaces.

215 vs 225: Reviews of the Top-Rated Models

Goodyear-Assurance All-Season-Radial Tire 215/55R17 94H

Featuring multiple biting edges, Goodyear-Assurance All-Season Radial Tire 215/55R17 94 offers you great traction in all conditions. This means that the tire can still perform excellently on wet, dry, icy, or snowy surfaces without any problems.

The tire comes fully-equipped with wide tread grooves to increase grip and traction. The tread grooves also help remove slush and water from the tire when riding on wet ground. This feature makes 215/55R17 94 tires more efficient and economical when it comes to fuel consumption.

Its optimized tread pattern not only adds beauty to this tire model but also reduces noise on the road to give you a more peaceful ride. Plus, the tire’s larger, solid shoulder blocks provide you with confidence when driving on wet road surfaces.