Opinions on 225/45/15 rivals vs 205/50/15?
 

I'm getting ready to buy a new set of tires for my car and I'm wondering about jumping up to the 225's. I run 15x8 +25, and I'm a little worried about them rubbing. I use my car for weekends and autocross thru the summer. The 225's are the same weight and slightly shorter, which sounds good, but I'm pretty positive the 205's will fit with no issue. Any input?

I really enjoyed my 205's on 15x8 for the street but felt that 225 on 8 was less than optimal. I was running RS3's rather than Rivals so take this with a grain of salt, no clue about sidewall flex is on the Rivals compared to the RS3s.

I had no problems with clearance on my '00 with 15x8 & 225 on a +36 offset. Check out the Custom rims, wheel tire packages for your ride - RIMSnTIRES.com tire calculator. Its a pretty handy tool for these types of comparisons.

I ordered 205's today. I know they'll fit, they are a better size for an 8" wheel, and they're a little cheaper. It's nice to see them back in stock for anyone looking, they were out of stock for quite a while.

The article in the December 2013 GRM found that 205 and 225 Rivals gave nearly the same track times on a 15x8 with the 205s having a big edge in feel.

225 on 15x9 blew them both away by half a second/lap or better at Harris Hill.

Good to know the 205 Rivals are back!