Passenger

215/60R16 Tire Size

215/60R16 is a common passenger/touring size defined by 215 mm section width, 60% aspect ratio, and a 16-inch wheel. At roughly 26.2" overall (~5.1" sidewall), it prioritizes everyday ride comfort, wet manners, and replacement availability over truck clearance. Products indexed for this size include highway-terrain, performance, and winter options depending on actual coverage. Use the comparisons on this page when judging diameter change vs nearby sizes — do not treat marketing fitment lists as a guarantee.

  • Strong fit for daily driving, commuting, and common sedan or hatchback replacements.
  • Indexed products include 5 brands and 26 full-spec rows.
  • Tradeoffs may include limited clearance and load capacity versus truck or plus-size upgrades.

At a Glance

Nominal dimensions calculated from the 215/60R16 size code (215/60R16). Load range and speed rating come from indexed manufacturer products when available. Our OEM database records this size across 2 vehicle models and 23 factory configurations from model years 2000–2008.

Rim Diameter Calculated

16"

Section Width Calculated

215 mm

Aspect Ratio Calculated

60%

Load Range Manufacturer

SL, XL

Speed Rating Manufacturer

H, T, V

Construction Standard

Radial

Applicable Tire Categories

Based on this size’s editorial category and exact-size product metadata. A size may support several uses without every product in the size belonging to every category.

Best For

  • Daily driving, commuting, and common sedan or hatchback replacements
  • Predictable wet-weather manners and quiet highway miles
  • Straightforward 215/60R16 replacements matched to the door placard

Consider Another Size If

  • You need more ground clearance or a taller truck/SUV stance
  • You want a wider performance contact patch for sporty driving
  • You are building for trails, towing, or heavy payload

Real-World Impact

  • Comfort-biased ride and broad replacement availability
  • Usually better fuel economy than oversized truck tires
  • Limited clearance and load capacity vs light-truck sizes

Verified Vehicle Examples

Documented OE or commonly associated platforms for 215/60R16.

  • Pontiac G6

    Pontiac

    G6

    G6 / base where equipped

    2006

  • Subaru Forester

    Subaru

    Forester

    2.5 X

    2006–2008

  • Subaru Forester

    Subaru

    Forester

    S

    2000–2002

  • Subaru Forester

    Subaru

    Forester

    S Premium

    2000–2002

  • Subaru Forester

    Subaru

    Forester

    X

    2003–2005

  • Subaru Forester

    Subaru

    Forester

    XS

    2003–2005

Documented fitment mappings for research — confirm the door placard, wheel diameter, and load/speed markings before treating any vehicle as a guaranteed fit.

Real Tires Available in This Size

Indexed manufacturer models confirmed in exact size 215/60R16

View all indexed tires →

Manufacturer-provided product/spec data from Michelin, Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Toyo, and Falken where available.

Best Options by Use Case

Highway / Touring

Better for road noise, towing stability, and long highway mileage.

Top pick

Michelin Crossclimate2

Other options

  • Michelin Defender2
  • Goodyear Assurance Comfortdrive®

Performance

For sharper steering response, higher-speed ratings, and sportier road feel.

Top pick

Goodyear Ultra Grip® Performance+

Other options

  • Falken Ziex ZE960 A/S
  • Goodyear Ultra Grip® Performance 3

Winter

Use dedicated winter tires when snow and ice grip matter more than tread toughness.

Top pick

Goodyear Ultra Grip® Performance+

Other options

  • Goodyear Wintercommand®
  • Goodyear Wintercommand® Ultra

Product Spec Comparison

Compare tread depth, weight, max load, pressure, and revs per mile for full-spec 215/60R16 products.

FAQ

Is 215/60R16 good for daily driving?

215/60R16 is generally a solid daily driving size — roughly 26.16" overall with about 5.08" of sidewall on a 16-inch wheel. It favors quiet commuting and replacement availability over truck clearance or max performance grip. Always confirm the door placard size before replacing tires.

What vehicles use 215/60R16 tires?

215/60R16 shows up as OE or common replacement fitment on many sedans, hatchbacks, and compact crossovers that use 16" wheels. Trim packages and regional markets differ, so verify the placard and tire load/speed markings rather than assuming every model year matches.

What load ranges are available?

Indexed products for 215/60R16 include load ranges such as XL and SL, depending on brand and model. Load capacity still comes from the load index and inflation table on the specific tire — not the size code alone. Match the load range to your GVWR and intended payload or towing use.

Which brands make 215/60R16 tires?

Indexed master-database coverage for 215/60R16 includes BFGoodrich, Toyo, Falken, Goodyear, and Michelin. Availability still varies by load range, tread type, and season — check the product cards and full-spec table on this page for models currently listed.

How does 215/60R16 compare to 215/55R17?

215/60R16 measures about 26.16" overall versus 26.31" for 215/55R17 (-0.2" / -0.6%). The shorter size usually trims rotational mass and can raise the speedometer reading relative to actual speed, with less ground clearance. Always check fender clearance and load rating before switching.

What is the load capacity of 215/60R16?

Load capacity depends on the exact tire, load index, and inflation pressure — not the size code alone. Check the manufacturer load table and your vehicle placard when setting pressure or carrying heavy loads. If multiple load ranges exist for this size, choose the one that meets or exceeds the placard requirement.

Formula & Methodology

Every dimension on this site is computed in code from the tire size label — we do not scrape or hand-copy manufacturer spec sheets for overall diameter or circumference.

  1. Parse the size label. Metric sizes (e.g. 275/70R18, LT265/75R16) and flotation sizes (e.g. 33x12.50R15) are parsed into section width, aspect ratio, construction type, and bead-seat wheel diameter.
  2. Derive nominal dimensions. Sidewall height = section width × aspect ratio ÷ 100. Overall diameter = wheel diameter + 2 × sidewall height. Rolling circumference = π × overall diameter. Revs per mile = 63,360 ÷ circumference (inches per mile). Revs per km uses the same circumference converted to millimetres.
  3. Compare two sizes. Diameter, width, sidewall, and circumference deltas are signed differences between parsed specs. Speedometer error assumes the cluster is calibrated to the reference tire: true speed = indicated speed × (new diameter ÷ reference diameter). Static ground clearance change uses half the overall-diameter delta at each axle.

Rim diameter shown on this page is always 16" — the bead-seat diameter encoded in 215/60R16.

Safety & Fitment Limitations

  • Calculated dimensions are nominal planning baselines from the size code — mounted tires can differ with tread depth, inflation, rim width, and production tolerance.
  • Always confirm 215/60R16 against the door placard or owner’s manual, including load index, load range, and speed rating for your vehicle.
  • Changing diameter affects speedometer accuracy, gearing feel, ABS/traction calibration, and clearance at fenders, control arms, and the spare well.
  • Vehicle examples and product cards are not a guarantee of fitment. Verify wheel diameter (16"), offset, and suspension setup before buying.

Sources & Review

Dimensions are calculated from the tire size label; product rows and fitment mappings come from documented manufacturer and OE sources where available.

  • Curated tire-size dataset. Production tire labels, vehicle categories, and optional load/speed ratings maintained in our internal catalog. Only field-valid sizes that round-trip through the parser are published.
  • ISO / ETRTO service-description tables. Load index → maximum load (kg) and speed rating symbol → maximum sustained speed (km/h) mappings embedded in our rating resolver, aligned with widely published ETRTO reference values.
  • Nominal tire geometry formulas. Overall diameter, sidewall, circumference, and revolutions per mile are calculated from the size code using standard metric and flotation geometric relationships — the same relationships used across the tire industry for nominal sizing.
  • Documented OE fitment mappings. Vehicle make, model, trim, and year-range associations linked to specific tire sizes in our fitment data. These are representative applications for research — always confirm against your door placard.

Next step: compare 215/60R16 before changing tire sizes

Compare 215/60R16 against nearby sizes like 215/55R17, 225/55R17, 235/45R18 to check diameter change, speedometer impact, clearance, and fitment tradeoffs.