Finding the Right Tires for Your Chevy Cruze

When figuring out what size tires you need for your Chevy Cruze, you need to know the year and trim level for your vehicle. This is particularly important because certain trims have different wheel sizes offered, which then impacts the size of the tire you need. It is helpful to figure this out before heading out to buy discount tires in Cincinnati, and it will make shopping a lot easier. Let’s take a look at the most recent generation of the Chevy Cruze, which went from model years 2016 to 2019, and the tire sizes for them.

What Size Tires Does Your Chevy Cruze Take?

If you have a 2019 or 2018 Chevy Cruze Diesel model, then you need size 205/55R16 tires (if these numbers mean nothing to you, don’t worry – we’ll explain them later on). For a 2019 L model, you need 195/65R15 tires, while the LS can use either 195/65R15 or 205/55R16 tires depending on if you have 15-inch or 16-inch wheels. The LT can use either 205/55R16 or 225/45R17 tires, depending on if you have 16-inch or 17-inch wheels. Finally, both the Premier and any model with the RS Package for the 2019 Chevy Cruze can use either 225/45R17 or 225/40R18 tires based on if you have 17-inch or 18-inch wheels.

The previous numbers are also the same for 2017 models of the Chevy Cruze, though there wasn’t a Diesel trim, so you can ignore that. Otherwise, however, the tire and wheel options were the same. Those numbers are also the same for 2016 models, with a few notable differences.

For one thing, 2016 Chevy Cruze models with the RS Package did not have an option for 17-inch wheels, so they will use 225/40R18 tires. There were a number of Limited models available for 2016 with different tire requirements to consider. The Limited Eco uses 215/55R17 tires, while the Limited L and LS use 215/60R16 tires. The Limited LT can use either 215/60R16 or 225/50R17 tires, depending on if you have 16-inch or 17-inch tires, while the Limited LTZ takes 225/45R18 tires.

Understanding Wheel Sizes

That was a lot of numbers and letters, wasn’t it? If you already know what those things mean, then you’re ready to head out and find the best discount tires in Cincinnati and get the right ones for your vehicle. You might think you don’t need to know what they mean, but you’ll be better able to buy the right tires for your vehicle if you understand these tire size codes. And, ultimately, they’re pretty simple once you see how they work and you’ll always know you have the right tires on your vehicle.

What you will probably see on a tire’s sidewall is something like: “P205/55R16.” That first letter simply indicates what kind of vehicle the tires are for – “P” means passenger, so that’s what you’ll see on any tires for a typical consumer vehicle, rather than something like a massive commercial truck. So, once you get past that letter, then you see the information that actually pertains to the size of your tire.

Let’s continue with the previous example: “205/55R16.” The first numbers indicate the width of the tread on the tires from one sidewall to the other, measured in millimeters, so “205” means 205mm wide. The numbers after the slash indicate the aspect ratio of the tire – that tells you the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width. In this case, “55” means the height of the tire is 55% of its width, which would mean the tire sidewall is 112.75mm high.

The “R” in all of these tire size codes simply means they are a radial design, which is what you’ll find most often when looking at consumer tires. Finally, the last numbers after that tell you the wheel diameter the tire is designed to fit, in inches (yes, the first measurement is in millimeters, and the last is in inches). So, in this case, the “16” means it is designed to fit 16-inch wheels. That’s why trims on the Chevy Cruze that came with 16-inch wheels standard but had 17-inch wheels as an option have tires that end in either “16” or “17.”

Choosing the Right Tires

You might have noticed that so far, we’ve only looked at tire sizes – that’s because you need to make sure you start with the right size or nothing else matters. But, with that in mind, you might wonder which types of tire you should choose when shopping for discount tires in Cincinnati. Choosing the right tire can have a big impact on how your vehicle handles and performs in many different types of conditions.

In general, for a sedan like the Chevy Cruze, you will typically choose all-season tires as a great, general tire that performs well in all kinds of weather. These tires have reasonably deep grooves and tread that are designed to handle well in wet conditions and dry alike. You might consider something like a touring tire if you want even more responsive handling, but for a car like the Cruze, that’s not really necessary.

All-season tires are great for general use and work well throughout the year, but here in Cincinnati, you should consider dedicated winter tires. These tires are designed for optimal traction in cold conditions, with deep grooves that make them ideal for dealing with snow and slush on the road. There are also studded versions of winter tires that have metal studs on their surface, giving you better traction on ice. We generally recommend changing to winter tires during the cold months, but not using them year-round.

Switching between all-season and winter tires gives you the best performance and handling in different conditions, and we would be happy to help you find just the right ones for your vehicle.

Time for a Tire Replacement?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends you replace your tires every six years at the very latest. That is assuming that your tires are otherwise in excellent condition and do not need to be replaced sooner due to excess wear or damage to them. No matter how well you treat your tires, they will need to be replaced. Rubber wears down and degrades naturally over time, so even if they look like they are in good shape, if they are six or more years old, then it’s time to get them replaced.

If your tires are in rough shape with visible damage to them, then don’t wait – get them replaced as soon as possible. You should also check the depth of your tread regularly to ensure you have excellent traffic in wet conditions. This is quite simple: place a penny head-down into the tread of your tires. If you can see any of the top of Lincoln’s head, then it is time to replace your tires, or you might find yourself in a bad situation on wet roads.

Here at McCluskey Chevy, we are proud to be a great place to find quality tires in Cincinnati, and we are ready to help you today. Visit us with all of your tire and other vehicle maintenance questions, and we’ll get you back on the road safe and sound.