The 97R wagon I bought in May came with a bastard set of tires--two half-worn Toyo 215-40-17's in the front, and a set of very worn 215-45-17 Dunlop sport 9000's in the rear.

The specification is for the R is 205-45-17, naturally, but when I went looking for a set of all-season radials that were really good on wet pavement and quiet, I came up with a zero. If this car could utlilize a 55 series I would be in fat city with a set of Michelin Hydroeges or Goodyear's Triple Tread Assurance. But while other non-R wagons can handle the 55 series on a sixteen-inch rim, the sport suspension won't allow anything higher than a 50 series. I looked at the pictures on Bay 13 of what happens when you try to install 55 series on this car.

I did find a set of 215-50-17 Toyo Proxes TPT with a 65K mile warranty that are supposed to be really good on wet pavement (I live in the Willamette Valley where it rains all the time) and quiet. Spendy, at $750 a set from Les Schwab. I don't think there was a 205 in this model with any warranty. Why only in the 215 I don't know.

Does anybody have anything good or bad to say about using these tires? I'm sixty-six and not into racing or highspeed sport driving, and like my safety and quiet. But I don't know if this tire will fill the bill. Do I have to bite the bullet and buy a set of 16-inch rims to widen my field of choice? Any advice on other brands or sizes I should look at much appreciated. Dick