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Can I fit taller tyres to my Kia?

I own a Kia soul with 18" wheels and the tyres I have at the moment our very flat from road to rim if that makes sense? Can you suggest a cheap tyre type for my car that's bigger in height from road to rim?

Asked on 13 February 2024 by phil

Answered by David Ross
The section of the tyre between the wheel and the road is called the sidewall. If your Kia is fitted with 18-inch wheels it is likely to have 235/45R18 tyres - the 45 refers to the tyre's aspect ratio which is the height of the sidewall expressed as a percentage of the tyre width. 45 profile is relatively narrow.

If you keep your original alloy wheels you will need to fit an 18-inch tyre, but you could change the aspect ratio to 50 or even 55, which would give you a larger sidewall and better ride comfort. Looking on blackcircles.com, you could look at the Toyo Proxes Comfort or Dunlop SP Sport 270 which are good brands at a reasonable price, but there are cheaper options also available.
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