205/60R16 tire size — a dead heat with 245/45R17
A mid-size saloon size that shares its rolling diameter with a tire 1.57 in wider on a bigger wheel.
Metric notation · Passenger touring
- Overall diameter
- 25.69 in
- 652 mm
- Section width
- 8.07 in
- 205 mm
- Sidewall height
- 4.84 in
- 123 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 60%
- sidewall as a share of width
- Wheel diameter
- 16 in
- the hole in the middle
- Circumference
- 80.7 in
- 2050 mm
- Revolutions per mile
- 785.2
- geometric, not measured
- Revolutions per km
- 487.9
- 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+5.31 in
- 33x12.50R1633.00 in tall+7.31 in
- 35x12.50R1635.00 in tall+9.31 in
Compare any two sizes, including ones this site has no page for, in the comparison tool.
25.69 in tall. 8.07 in of section width. 4.84 in of sidewall, 80.7 in of circumference, 785.2 revolutions per mile.
This was the standard fitment on the mid-size saloon class through the 1990s and 2000s — Accord, Camry, Passat, Mondeo, Avensis and their contemporaries — and it remains a high-volume replacement size for exactly that reason.
The match nobody expects
245/45R17 measures 25.68 in. This size measures 25.69 in. The difference is 0.02% — small enough that it rounds to nothing at every decimal place a tire is specified to.
The two tires have nothing else in common. One is 8.07 in wide with 4.84 in of sidewall on a 16; the other is 9.65 in wide with 4.34 in of sidewall on a 17. Section widths differ by 1.57 in. Yet they roll the same distance per revolution, which means a speedometer, an odometer and an ABS controller cannot distinguish them.
The band around 25.7 inches
| Size | Wheel | Diameter | Difference | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245/45R17 | 17 in | 25.68 in | 0.00 in | 9.65 in |
| 245/40R18 | 18 in | 25.72 in | +0.03 in | 9.65 in |
| 245/35R19 | 19 in | 25.75 in | +0.07 in | 9.65 in |
| 225/50R17 | 17 in | 25.86 in | +0.17 in | 8.86 in |
Three of those four are the same 245 mm casing on three different wheels, which is a deliberate plus-size stack. This size arrives at the same diameter from a completely different direction: narrow section, tall sidewall, small wheel.
The largest single edit available on a 16
215/55R16 is 0.37 in shorter at 25.31 in and 215/60R16 is 0.47 in taller at 26.16 in. Holding the width and dropping to 205/55R16 costs 0.81 in and 3.14%, which is the largest single-edit change available on this rim without changing the width.
Reading the load index
This code is stocked in both standard and reinforced constructions, and heavier estates and MPVs were commonly delivered on the latter. The rating printed on the sidewall is what counts against the vehicle's placard; the XL and reinforced markings reference explains what the marking changes.
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.