Mark 7 GTI tyre size

[Peter Mitchell]

I have a 2016 GTI with 19" optional wheels and 225/35R19 tyres. These give a rather harsh ride. Is it possible to fit higher profile tyres, say 225/40 or even 45 with these wheels  to soften the ride. Is there enough clearance in the suspension area for the  higher profile on these wheels or would I be forced to go to a smaller wheel/. Interestingly VW UK seemed unable/unwilling to answer this question!  Peter M

[Watts]

I suppose it depends on your frame of reference but I find my 19s to be pretty good, not perfect, but great most of the time. Have you checked the tyre pressures are correct? If you want to go for a lower profile though then you need to look at 18s. Might be worth trying a car on 18s first though before you commit!

[jv]

225/35 to 225/40's you aren't going to feel that difference. The speedo will be out by a mile or two but that's about it. Go to 45's and your speedo/mileage will be reading under by a fair bit.

Like Watts says, see if you can try a car on 18's - dealer test drive maybe?

[SRGTD]

Bear in mind that changing to tyre with a different aspect ratio will result in a speedo error;

Compared to your current 225/35 tyres;

With 225/40 tyres, your speedo will under-read by approx 3.4%. So at 60 mph true speed, your speedo will be showing just under 58 mph, and when your speedo is showing 60 mph, your actual speed will be just over 62 mph.

Similarly, with 225/45 tyres, the speedo error will be under-reading by approx 6.6%. So at a true 60 mph, speedo will be showing will be 56 mph and when your speedo is showing 60 mph, your actual speed will be just over 64.

[Gnasher]

Don't know if there's space to fit larger tyres, but before you start panicking about speedo error, it's probably worth getting a GPS speedo set up so you can see how far the current speedo over-reads. Could be anywhere between 0 and 5%.

Also, there's a good chance it will rub the inside edge of the tyre on the arch liner at the front on full lock. Not sure about anywhere else though.

[Guzzle]

You need smaller wheels or a different spring/damper set-up if the ride is causing you big trouble.

Changing tyre profile to 45 on same wheels doesn't seem a great idea to me. You find going from 225/35/19 to 235/35/19 helps a little as the tyre wall will be slightly deeper. Some members on Skoda forums reported a slightly more compliant ride on 19's by doing this, but may not make enough of a difference to you.

[Jim_mk7.5]

I have a 2016 GTI with 19" optional wheels and 225/35R19 tyres. These give a rather harsh ride. Is it possible to fit higher profile tyres, say 225/40 or even 45 with these wheels  to soften the ride. Is there enough clearance in the suspension area for the  higher profile on these wheels or would I be forced to go to a smaller wheel/. Interestingly VW UK seemed unable/unwilling to answer this question!  Peter M

Assuming you didn't try cars with both sizes before buying? Try and find someone who wants to upgrade to 19's and do a swap for their 18's. VW UK aren't going suggest running a different size tyre to standard. Imagine if you crash.