# 17" Eco vs. 16" 5-Spoke vs. 16" Steel Rims on Cruze Limited LS



## crunch21 (Jul 16, 2018)

You know ive always wanted to look into a set of low weight rims. For instance i know the Subaru STI rims have a low rim weight compared to stock. Reducing rotational mass would have a host of improvements on paper at least, not sure if you would notice it at the seat of your pants.

I doubt 1 inch more on the rim would matter much, a fatter tire would definitely ding MPG but you would have better grip (usually) when cornering. Ive read the tire contact patch (where the tire meets the pavement) is important to look into, some thinner tires could offer a longer contact patch vs a fatter tire which would have a shorter but wider patch. The more you look into this kind of thing the more complicated it gets "on paper" butt dyno you probably wont notice a difference.

Are you just looking for a super cheap winter rim to deal with salt? If not just get whatever rim you like and use the stock for winter.

Personally id search for the lightest rim that fit the car, i wouldnt even care about how it looks. ive been itching to see if there is any noticeable improvement in MPG and handling/acceleration. Its on my list of things to do but near the bottom though. Dont really have enough miles on the hatch to start messing with it imo.


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

I noticed a drop in mpg going to 18" LTZ wheels from my 17s  Same width and overall diameter. Might be the tire since its not LRR like the 17 was.


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## yt400pmd (Apr 29, 2017)

i have a 12 eco mt. i have the stock 17"eco rims with bridgestone ecopia for the summer and a set of 16" 5 spoke with Michelin X-ice for the winter. my mileage went down slightly in the winter not enough to concern myself with. it could be the tires, weather, warming the car etc. my driving habits make more of an impact than the tire and rim selection


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## fisherju3800 (Apr 13, 2018)

crunch21 said:


> Are you just looking for a super cheap winter rim to deal with salt? If not just get whatever rim you like and use the stock for winter.
> 
> Personally id search for the lightest rim that fit the car, i wouldnt even care about how it looks. ive been itching to see if there is any noticeable improvement in MPG and handling/acceleration. Its on my list of things to do but near the bottom though. Dont really have enough miles on the hatch to start messing with it imo.


I plan on using the stock steel rims for winter to deal with salt, unless I opt to just get another pair of steel OE wheels or steel aftermarket. I'm just trying to find a good balance between a little better handling and not losing mpg. I might be better off getting some different tires and getting another set of steel 16", since those are the lightest in that size. From what I've read, it seems that tires will have more impact on handling than bumping up to 17" rims.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The Eco wheels/Goodyear OEM tires are overall quite light compared to the 16" alloy + FR710. They also have lower traction, a stiffer tire compound, and thinner sidewalls. That makes for a really efficient setup, but the Goodyears are traction-challenged in rain, etc. Not that the FR710 are a good tire by a long shot (they are more comfortable for ride quality, and that's about their only redeeming feature).

Compared to a 1LT, an Eco is essentially the same car with a few aerodynamic tweaks, gearing, and ~70 lbs of weight loss. The Eco does feel a *little* bit more eager to change direction (until the tires howl in protest), and it does seem a little bit peppier from a stop until you get into the longer gears.

That said, I changed my FR710 for the Continental PureContact in a V speed rating, and it transformed the car (MPG went down 1 or so) in terms of handling and confidence in bad weather. Some people have said that putting heavier tires on the Eco wheels made their car feel quite different from stock. 

I can tell an enormous difference on the Gen 2 between the 16" wheels and the 18" wheels. The car feels way more sluggish with the 18"s - they are heavy.


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## 6speedTi (May 18, 2018)

eddiefromcali said:


> I noticed a drop in mpg going to 18" LTZ wheels from my 17s  Same width and overall diameter. Might be the tire since its not LRR like the 17 was.


 It's the weight of the bigger rims and tires that cause a drop in fuel economy. I had a 1997 BMW with oem 15 inch rims. I later replaced them with oem 16 inch rims. The heavier rims and tires resulted in a 3 MPG drop in highway mileage.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

6speedTi said:


> It's the weight of the bigger rims and tires that cause a drop in fuel economy. I had a 1997 BMW with oem 15 inch rims. I later replaced them with oem 16 inch rims. The heavier rims and tires resulted in a 3 MPG drop in highway mileage.


The tire compound, at least on the Cruze, has an impact as well. The Goodyear LRR tires (16" Gen 2/17" Gen 1 Eco) are a tire made for efficiency. The 18" MXM4 is Michelin's LRR compound, but the compound nor tread design is anywhere near as effective.

I've noticed a similar MPG tradeoff just switching tires on other vehicles as well for a grippier tire.


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