you should see it in person. its like "this car is really nic...oh. look at those tires...man...i just...man...205's? on 17s? does he really have that little class? man...jeez...*cluck* man..."

 

it really does though, I try to hide it in pictures but if you check my flickr you can see for yourself
At the time, my car didn't make enough power to need anything more than 205s to keep traction :P

plus I got bridgestones that were normally $146 in that size for $63 a piece shipped! yay random tirerack sale! yes I would have gotten 215s again if they were on sale too

looked so much better with 215:


vs 205:

 

my 215/45/17s are out for delivery <3

 

you win the contest of having the most inaccurate speedometer on mazda3club.com! congratulations! (yes, I'm well aware the MSP came with that tire size, but they also don't have or use a speedo gear.. )

 

1.8 percent to slow. meh the 205/45s read 2.3 percent to fast

 

More like.. 4% too slow with 215/45-17 (stock is 195/50-16 remember), 2.5% too slow with 205/45-17, 0.4% too slow with 215/40-17, and 0.9% too fast with 205/40-17 rubber bands like I have lol

but this is all quite off topic

so when it says 65 you're going 68.. not that it is 100% accurate stock

 

Thread jackers...lol

...........this is all about me here..hahaaaahahh

 

i corrected for the 2% that the speedo is off from factory. with gps, its about 2% faster than it says

 

So continuing the threadjack here (sorry Shasta) .. I guess I don't see what the big deal is with the tires. Not wide enough for ya or what?

 

they look like they are stretched onto the wheels.. I like tires that look meaty, I'm not into the euro stretched tire look.

they really only look stretched because they have a big rim protector on them.. but they have this horrible inward-slant angle going on and I'm not a fan. I like tires that stick out past the wheel at least a teeny bit.

edit: i will take a pic for you later today (remind me if I don't I'm way forgetful) that shows off exactly what I don't like about 205/40-17 tires on a 17x7 wheel

 

I run the same setup and I think it looks fine .. so that's why I was asking. But do take a pic so I can get a better idea of what "eye of the Kansei" sees that mine doesn't

 

I know exactly what you're saying. My setup suffers from this in a most insufferable way. Although the A/S performance of my Falken 512s is excellent, I can't wait to get a new set of tires (912's in 205/45, not 50). But then my rational side reminds me to be tolerant and patient. Damn my blind-*** rational side!

 

Whats with the sig kansei? Your dream car.

 

way to take the thread off topic yet again lol

I just like the look of the car.. it's way, way too large for me though, so not really a dream car :P

 

ill sell you my stockers with 205/45/16 toyo proxes fz4 w rated all seasons with about 90% tread left