195/60R15 — the shortest 15-inch fitment in the catalogue
Same width as 195/65R15, three-quarters of an inch shorter, and a generation older in fitment terms.
Metric notation · Passenger touring
- Overall diameter
- 24.21 in
- 615 mm
- Section width
- 7.68 in
- 195 mm
- Sidewall height
- 4.61 in
- 117 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 60%
- sidewall as a share of width
- Wheel diameter
- 15 in
- the hole in the middle
- Circumference
- 76.1 in
- 1932 mm
- Revolutions per mile
- 833.0
- geometric, not measured
- Revolutions per km
- 517.6
- 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
- 30x9.50R1530.00 in tall+5.79 in
- 31x10.50R1531.00 in tall+6.79 in
- 32x11.50R1532.00 in tall+7.79 in
Compare any two sizes, including ones this site has no page for, in the comparison tool.
No other 15-inch size here is shorter.
This was a mainstream compact fitment before the class moved to 65-series and then off 15-inch wheels entirely — Civic, Corolla, Golf Mk3, Escort and their contemporaries — and it survives as a replacement size on those cars and on a scattering of small vans.
Five points of aspect ratio, at this width
195/65R15 has the same section width and the same wheel. It stands 24.98 in, which is 0.77 in and 3.17% taller. The only difference between the two codes is the middle number.
That is the point worth taking away from this size: five points of aspect ratio moved the diameter more than a 10 mm width change would have. Going from 195 to 205 mm at 60-series adds far less. The aspect ratio is a multiplier applied to the width, not a dimension in its own right, and the aspect ratio reference works through why that makes it the more powerful edit.
Where it lands against other wheels
| Alternative | Wheel | Diameter | Difference | At an indicated 70 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195/55R16 | 16 in | 24.44 in | +0.23 in | 70.7 mph |
| 185/65R15 | 15 in | 24.47 in | +0.26 in | 70.7 mph |
| 215/45R17 | 17 in | 24.62 in | +0.41 in | 71.2 mph |
Everything close to this size is taller than it, because it sits at the bottom of the 15-inch range. The nearest alternative on the same wheel, 185/65R15, is 1.06% away and gets there by trading 10 mm of width for five points of aspect ratio.
Revolutions, and why the figure is high
At 833.0 revolutions per mile, this size turns more often per mile than anything in the catalogue except the 14-inch entry. Everything downstream of a wheel-speed signal is scaled by that number, and a change of tire size changes it — which is the whole subject of the speedometer error calculator.
Grades that are not dimensions
Alongside the size, tires in this class carry UTQG treadwear, traction and temperature grades. None of them is part of the size and none is comparable between manufacturers, because the treadwear number is assigned against each maker's own reference tire rather than a common one. What the three grades actually mean is set out in the UTQG ratings reference.
Related
- 30x9.50R1530.00 in tall
- 31x10.50R1531.00 in tall
- 32x11.50R1532.00 in tall
Class: Passenger touring. Every figure above is computed from the size code, not stored — see how these numbers are calculated.