215/65 R16 Tyres Explained

215/65 R16 is a common tyre size for SUVs, crossovers, family cars and some light commercial vans. The numbers explain the tyre dimensions. 215 is the tread width in millimetres. 65 is the aspect ratio, so the sidewall height is 65% of 215mm (about 140mm). R16 means the tyre fits a 16 inch wheel. You'll see this size fitted to vehicles that need a bit more sidewall for ride comfort and load carrying than low profile tyres. There are all season, SUV and van options available in this size. You can buy 215/65 R16 from premium manufacturers like Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Bridgestone and Goodyear. mid range choices include Hankook, Kumho, Yokohama and Falken, while Wanli, Tomket, Mazzini and Royal Black cover budget needs. Popular models on the page include the Michelin CrossClimate 2 and the Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV. Confirm this is right for your car by checking the tyre sidewall, the driver's door sticker, the vehicle handbook, or entering your registration for an exact match.

The first 3 sets of numbers that you will see when reading a tyre size tell you the width, profile and diameter of your tyre. In this case, for the tyre size 215/65 R16 this is broken down as follows: 215 - the width of the tyre in millimetres. In this case 215mm wide. 65 - the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width. In this case 65% R16 - the diameter of the tyre's inner rim in inches. Essentially what size of wheel this is intended to be fitted onto. For this size, that is a 16 inch wheel

If you are looking for the recommended tyre pressure for 215/65 R16 tyres, you will find that this will depend on the manufacturer and model. Each vehicle manufacturer has their own tyre pressure recommendation for their model, that will deliver an optimal performance for your vehicle. Check the following if you are unsure what the correct tyre pressure is for your 215/65 R16 tyres Tyre label - this is often the best place to find your tyre pressure information. It is located on the door jamb on the driver’s side of the vehicle. It is a small rectangular label that provides the driver with the recommended tyre pressure and tyre sizes. Vehicle handbook - Quite often the vehicle handbook with contain a section that relates to the technical details for the tyre. This should include the required tyre size, load rating, speed rating and recommended tyre pressure.

The sidewall height of a 215/65 R16 tyre is calculated by using the profile information of the tyre size. In this instance 65. This tells us that it is 65% of the tyre's cross-section width. When looking at a tyre, the sidewall height is the distance between the tread line of the tyre and the rim line. Given that this tyre size has a cross-section width which equals 215mm, we can work out that the sidewall height is 65% of 215 – this comes to 139.75mm.