OEM Safe
Within ±3%
Inside factory tolerance — ABS, ESP and cruise control stay calibrated.
Fitment comparison
155/55 R16versus175/70 R13
Δ Ø -1.7 mmSpeedo -0.29%OEM-safe
175/70 R13 is shorter than 155/55 R16 — quicker gearing feel, tighter arch gap, livelier throttle response.
175/70 R13 drops the rim from 16 to 13 inches versus 155/55 R16, trading wheel size for taller sidewall. This swap lands within OEM rolling-diameter tolerance.
The dashboard reading stays essentially unchanged from the OEM calibration. The taller sidewall adds cushioning over potholes and rougher roads, with a softer overall ride. Extra width broadens the footprint for more grip, but check inner liner and strut clearance before fitting. Minus-sizing keeps replacement costs down and opens up a wider range of winter and all-terrain tires. Overall the swap sits inside the safe ±3% diameter window, so ABS, traction control and gearing behave normally.
TakeTypical choice for a dedicated winter or off-road setup where extra sidewall pays off.
Quick fitment verdict
155/55 R16 → 175/70 R13 at a glance
Fender Clearance
Check at lock
Wider or taller setup — verify clearance at full steering lock and over bumps.
Speedometer Impact
-0.29%
At a true 100 km/h the dash reads 99.7 km/h — negligible.
Daily Driving
Livable
Daily use is fine; expect a slightly different ride and cruise rev count.
Side-by-side telemetry
Dimensional read-out
Current
155/55 R16
- Diameter
- 576.9 mm
- Sidewall
- 85.3 mm
- Wheel
- 16″
- Width
- 155 mm
Δ delta
Ø -1.7 mm
SW +37.3 mm
RH -0.8 mm
NewNew
175/70 R13
- Diameter
- 575.2 mm
- Sidewall
- 122.5 mm
- Wheel
- 13″
- Width
- 175 mm
Real-world effects
How this swap actually feels
- Steering response4/100 · Softer turn-in
- Ride comfort100/100 · More cushion
- Fuel economy45/100 · Slightly higher drag
- Highway cruising59/100 · Higher cruise revs
- Pothole resistance100/100 · More wheel protection
Shareable card
Generate fitment card
Export a garage-grade telemetry card of this comparison — perfect for forums, Reddit and Discord.
Ride height
Lower stance
Chassis drops — tighter arch gap, more aggressive stance.
New tire drops ride height by ~0.8 mm — tighter arch gap, lower stance.
Suspension travel · arch clearance
Wheel gap
Wheel gap stays virtually unchanged
How the arch-to-tire gap reads from across the parking lot — the visual stance change everyone notices first.
155/55 R16
175/70 R13
Wheel-gap Δ-0.8 mm
Static · unloaded chassis
Fender relationship
Tucked · Flush · Poke
The visual relationship between the tire's outer edge and the fender lip — the lens enthusiasts use to judge a fitment.
Tucked
Inside fender
Flush
Lip-aligned
Poke
Outside fender
Width & offset dependent
Speedometer reality
Dash reads 99.7 km/h
Shorter rubber: dashboard reads conservatively low — you're slower than it claims.
ABS · ESP · cruise control
Setup telemetry
How this setup changes the car
Driver-perspective read-out of the 155/55 R16 → 175/70 R13 swap — steering, comfort, stance and dash behavior in plain enthusiast language.
Steering feel
+37.3 mm sidewallSofter, more relaxed turn-in
Taller sidewall flexes a touch more before loading the contact patch — calmer, comfort-tuned.
Ride firmness
55% → 70%Softer over potholes and joints
Bumps and expansion joints are absorbed better — a comfort win for daily driving.
Fender relationship
+20 mm widthWheel sits closer to the fender
Wider tire pushes the contact patch outboard — flusher stance, but verify fender lip clearance at full lock.
Speedometer behavior
-0.29%OEM-safe speedometer reading
Inside the factory ±3% tolerance — ABS, ESP and cruise control behave as designed.
Daily drivability
Ø -1.7 mmLivable upgrade with minor trade-offs
Daily use is fine; expect a slightly different cruise rev count and a touch more road feel.
Direct answer
Is 175/70 R13 OEM-safe?
Yes. Overall diameter changes by -0.29% versus 155/55 R16. OEM-safe. Speedometer, ABS, ESP and gearing remain inside the factory tolerance.
Direct answer
Will 175/70 R13 rub?
Borderline. Width changes by +20 mm and diameter by -1.7 mm. Borderline — check fender lip and inner strut clearance under load.
Direct answer
Does the speedometer change?
Yes — by -0.29%. Swapping 155/55 R16 for 175/70 R13 changes overall diameter, so at an indicated 100 km/h your true speed becomes 99.7 km/h. That's within the ±3% OEM tolerance — no recalibration needed.
Direct answer
Does lower sidewall affect comfort?
Yes — softer ride. Sidewall changes by +37.3 mm (55% → 70%). Ride softens and absorbs bumps better, with slightly less precise turn-in.
Current Tire
155/55R16
New Tire
175/70R13
Fitment · Scaled comparison
● Excellent fit
155/55 R16
Diameter
-1.7 mm
-0.29%
Sidewall
+37.3 mm
Speedometer
99.7 km/h
at true 100
Clearance
Excellent fit
175/70 R13
Ground line · Scaled comparison
Excellent Fit
Within ±3% — safe for daily driving
Diameter change
-1.7 mm
-0.29%
Speedometer at 100
99.7 km/h
-0.29% error
Ground clearance
-0.8 mm
ride height delta
Sidewall change
+37.3 mm
revs/km: 553.4
Permalink for this comparison:
/compare/155-55-r16-vs-175-70-r13Detailed comparison
| Metric | 155/55 R16 | 175/70 R13 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall diameter | 576.9 mm | 575.2 mm | -1.7 mm (-0.29%) |
| Sidewall height | 85.3 mm | 122.5 mm | +37.3 mm |
| Circumference | 1.812 m | 1.807 m | -5.3 mm |
| Revs / km | 551.8 | 553.4 | +1.6 |
| Ground clearance | reference | -0.8 mm | -0.8 mm |
| Speedometer @ 100 km/h | 100.0 km/h | 99.7 km/h | -0.29 km/h |
Verdict: excellent
Within ±3% — speedometer, ABS and traction control should behave normally.
Dimensional comparison
Side-by-sideScaled engineering side-profile of both tires. Width, sidewall and overall diameter are dimensioned so you can see the change at a glance — without parsing the numbers.
Current
155/55 R16- Profile
- 55%
- Circumference
- 1.812 m
New
175/70 R13- Profile
- 70%
- Circumference
- 1.807 m
Side-by-side fitment
GeometryCurrent
155/55 R16- Section width
- 155 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 55%
- Sidewall
- 85.3 mm
- Wheel diameter
- 16″(406 mm)
- Overall diameter
- 576.9 mm(22.71″)
- Circumference
- 1.812 m
- Revs / km
- 551.8
New
175/70 R13- Section width
- 175 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 70%
- Sidewall
- 122.5 mm
- Wheel diameter
- 13″(330 mm)
- Overall diameter
- 575.2 mm(22.65″)
- Circumference
- 1.807 m
- Revs / km
- 553.4
Real-world consequences
Pros / consWider tire (+20 mm)
Section width- More dry grip and cornering bite
- Sharper steering response on initial turn-in
- Bigger contact patch under braking
- More road noise on coarse asphalt
- Worse aquaplaning resistance in standing water
- Higher rolling resistance, small MPG hit
- Possible fender or strut contact at full lock
Taller sidewall (+15% aspect)
Sidewall- Plusher ride, better pothole and curb protection
- More forgiving on bad roads and trails
- Lower wheel-damage risk on impacts
- More sidewall flex, softer steering feel
- Slightly delayed turn-in response
-3″ rim downsize
Wheel diameter- Cheaper winter / track tire sizing
- Lighter overall package, less unsprung mass
- More sidewall = more impact absorption
- Less aggressive stance
- Possible brake caliper clearance issue going too small
How it changes driving feel
Seat-of-the-pantsSteering response
Similar feel
Ride comfort
Plusher ride
Road noise
Louder on coarse asphalt
Wet / aquaplaning
Reduced standing-water margin
Fuel economy
Small MPG penalty likely
Curb / pothole protection
More sidewall, more cushion
Fitment risk check
Verify before installFender rubbing
Width jump >20 mm — verify fender lip and inner liner clearance at full lock.
Suspension clearance
Wider tire may contact strut or control arm on full compression.
Cluster preview
Within toleranceSpeedometer impact
At a true 100 km/h, your dashboard will read 99.7 km/h after switching to 175/70 R13 — a -0.29% offset. Use the speedometer error calculator for any indicated speed, and the speedometer error guide for the full background.
Ground clearance change
The new tire's half-diameter changes ride height by -0.8 mm. Small differences are absorbed by suspension travel, but anything beyond ±10 mm can affect headlight aim, fender clearance and bump-stop margin. See the plus-sizing guide before committing.
Back to
155/55 R16
Back to
175/70 R13
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