Tire Sizes for the Acura EL

This article lists the tire sizes available for the Acura 1.6EL and 1.7EL. The chart is sorted by rim size, from 15" to 18" of bling.

1. Recommendations

Before you get to the chart, let me make some recommendations on changing your tires ...

Replacing Stock Tires

For replacing your stock tires on the stock 15" rims, I recommend 205/50/15 (for 1.6EL) or 205/55/15 (for 1.7EL) due to the improved handling and greater availability of inexpensive, high quality tires in that size.

Width

The stock tire width of most Honda/Acura vehicles is too narrow for most people`s taste (visually and performance-wise), so a width of 205-215mm is common in aftermarket applications. Wider tires do have a minor negative effect on fuel economy, but the added grip to the road is worth it.

Diameter

Typically, a difference of 1-2% in the diameter is insignificant. Each percent diameter difference will put your spedometer off by 1 km/h. By 5% you`re out a whole inch on the diameter. A loss of around 1.5" in the diameter of the tire starts having a noticable effect on your alignment (camber specifically).

Rims

13" - 18" rims can easily be accomodated in the Acura EL. Personally, a 16" rim strikes the ideal balance between visual appeal and ride comfort. 17" is the tuner favourite. Regardless of what rim diameter you chose, 6-6.5" is the ideal width for 195-215mm wide tires. To maintain stock levels of performance, your wheels shouldn't weigh more than 17-18lbs each.

Shopping for Tires

Canadians, check out 1010tires.com if you're comfortable buying tires online, and OK Tire if you prefer a retailer. Both companies carry an excellent stock of some of the best tires on the market (prices in Canadian dollars). Check out the Customer Reviews on 1010tires.com before choosing which tires you spend your hard earned money on.

2. The Chart

This chart details a whole slew of compatible tire sizes, and difference in diameter from the stock size. I've indicated what I considered the 'best' choice for each model of EL. The table is organized first by rim size, then by tire width.

 

Tire Size					% Diameter Difference		Recommended?
	Width (mm)	Ratio (*100)	Rim Dia. (in)	Total Dia. (in)	1.6EL	1.7EL	1.6EL	1.7EL
01+ 1.7EL	185	60	15	23.74	1.26	0.00		Best
97-00 1.6EL	195	55	15	23.44	0.00	-1.24	Best
14" Rims	185	65	14	23.47	0.10	-1.14	Best
	185	70	14	24.20	3.21	1.92
	195	60	14	23.21	-0.99	-2.22
	195	65	14	23.98	2.28	1.01		Best
15" Rims	185	55	15	23.01	-1.85	-3.07
	185	65	15	24.47	4.37	3.07
	195	50	15	22.68	-3.27	-4.48
	195	60	15	24.21	3.27	1.99
	205	50	15	23.07	-1.60	-2.82	Best
	205	55	15	23.88	1.85	0.58		Best
	205	60	15	24.69	5.29	3.98
16" Rims	195	45	16	22.91	-2.28	-3.50
	195	50	16	23.68	0.99	-0.27
	205	40	16	22.46	-4.21	-5.41
	205	45	16	23.26	-0.77	-2.01	Best
	205	50	16	24.07	2.67	1.39
	215	40	16	22.77	-2.87	-4.08
	215	45	16	23.62	0.74	-0.51		Best
	215	50	16	24.46	4.35	3.05
17" Rims	205	40	17	23.46	0.05	-1.19	Best
	205	45	17	24.26	3.49	2.21
	215	40	17	23.77	1.39	0.13		Best
	215	45	17	24.62	5.00	3.70
	225	40	17	24.09	2.74	1.46
18" Rims	205	40	18	24.46	4.32	3.02
	215	35	18	23.93	2.05	0.78	Best	Best
	215	40	18	24.77	5.66	4.34
	225	35	18	24.20	3.22	1.94
	185	60	14	22.74	-3.01	-4.21

The Formulas

Here's how MS Excel came up with these numbers.

Typical size specification:

XXX/YY/RZZ (ex. 195/55/R15)

... where

• XXX mm is tread width
• YY / 100 is ratio of sidewall height to tread width
• ZZ inch is rim diameter

... yielding

• Total Diameter, in inches = (XXX*YY/2540)*2 + ZZ
• Diameter Difference, in percent = (TD-SD)/SD*100

... where

• TD = Tire Diameter
• SD = Stock Tire Diameter

Enjoy your new rubber!