195/55R16 tire size — the narrowest 16-inch fitment here
A 16-inch tire on a supermini footprint — and the middle of the 195 mm range, not the bottom.
Metric notation · Passenger touring
- Overall diameter
- 24.44 in
- 621 mm
- Section width
- 7.68 in
- 195 mm
- Sidewall height
- 4.22 in
- 107 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 55%
- sidewall as a share of width
- Wheel diameter
- 16 in
- the hole in the middle
- Circumference
- 76.8 in
- 1951 mm
- Revolutions per mile
- 825.0
- geometric, not measured
- Revolutions per km
- 512.7
- geometric, not measured
- Typical load index
- 82–99
- 1047–1709 lb per tire
A passenger tire's load index tracks its air volume, and volume tracks section width and sidewall height. Sizes in this class sit in the band that carries a typical two-tonne car with its rated payload across four tires.
The load-index range shown is the band this CLASS of size is typically produced in — not a list of what is in stock for this exact size today. Load index and speed symbol are printed on the sidewall of the specific tire you are holding, and the required minimum is on the placard of the specific vehicle you are fitting. Read both.
Nearest real sizes in imperial notation, same wheel
- 31x10.50R1631.00 in tall+6.56 in
- 33x12.50R1633.00 in tall+8.56 in
- 35x12.50R1635.00 in tall+10.56 in
Compare any two sizes, including ones this site has no page for, in the comparison tool.
Nothing narrower than this is offered on a 16-inch wheel in this catalogue. 195/55R16 measures 24.44 in overall on 7.68 in of section width, with a 4.22 in sidewall, 76.8 in of circumference and 825.0 revolutions per mile.
It is the sporting or higher-trim fitment on the supermini class — Mini, Fiesta in its warmer trims, Yaris, Polo — where the wheel grew an inch but the car's track and arch clearance did not allow the tire to grow with it.
The three 195 mm sizes, and why the 16 sits in the middle
| Size | Wheel | Aspect | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 195/60R15 | 15 in | 60 | 24.21 in |
| 195/55R16 | 16 in | 55 | 24.44 in |
| 195/65R15 | 15 in | 65 | 24.98 in |
The 16-inch entry is taller than one 15-inch entry and shorter than the other. Wheel diameter is only one of the two terms in the sum, and on a narrow tire it is very often the smaller one: a 65-series sidewall on a 195 mm casing contributes 4.99 in twice over, which outweighs the single inch of extra wheel the 16 brings.
Read against 195/60R15 the difference is 0.23 in; against 195/65R15 it is 0.54 in.
The 10 mm step on this wheel
205/55R16 is 0.43 in taller at 24.88 in — 1.77% — and 215/55R16 is 0.87 in taller at 25.31 in. At a 55-series aspect ratio each additional 10 mm of section adds 11 mm of diameter, which is where the 0.43 in comes from.
That is a smaller step than the same 10 mm produces at 65-series, and it is why low-profile ranges can offer several widths within a very narrow diameter band.
Section width is not tread width
The 7.68 in figure is the widest point of the inflated casing, sidewall bulge included, measured on a nominal rim. The tread that actually touches the road is narrower, and how much narrower depends on the tire. Two tires marked 195/55R16 can put visibly different amounts of rubber on the ground while both measuring 7.68 in at the section. The section width vs tread width reference covers the difference.
Related
- 31x10.50R1631.00 in tall
- 33x12.50R1633.00 in tall
- 35x12.50R1635.00 in tall
Class: Passenger touring. Every figure above is computed from the size code, not stored — see how these numbers are calculated.