Fitment comparison

155/80 R13versus175/70 R13

Δ Ø -3.0 mmSpeedo -0.52%OEM-safe

175/70 R13 is shorter than 155/80 R13 — quicker gearing feel, tighter arch gap, livelier throttle response.

Going from 155/80 R13 to 175/70 R13 keeps the rim but tightens the sidewall for a sportier look. This sizing approach preserves rolling diameter within a hair of the original. Expect a more planted steering feel, at the cost of some of the cushioning a taller sidewall provides.

Speedometer drift stays small enough that most drivers won't notice it day to day. Overall the swap sits inside the safe ±3% diameter window, so ABS, traction control and gearing behave normally.

TakeSuits drivers who value sharper steering and appearance over outright ride softness.

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Quick fitment verdict

155/80 R13175/70 R13 at a glance

OEM Safe

Within ±3%

Inside factory tolerance — ABS, ESP and cruise control stay calibrated.

Fender Clearance

Check at lock

Wider or taller setup — verify clearance at full steering lock and over bumps.

Speedometer Impact

-0.52%

At a true 100 km/h the dash reads 99.5 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

155/80 R13

Diameter
578.2 mm
Sidewall
124.0 mm
Wheel
13
Width
155 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 response
    62/100 · Sharper turn-in
  • Ride comfort
    58/100 · Firmer ride
  • Fuel economy
    45/100 · Slightly higher drag
  • Highway cruising
    58/100 · Higher cruise revs
  • Pothole resistance
    53/100 · Less wheel protection

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Ride height

Lower stance

-1.5 mm

Chassis drops — tighter arch gap, more aggressive stance.

CurrentNew289 mm288 mmRIDE HEIGHT Δ-1.5 mm

New tire drops ride height by ~1.5 mm — tighter arch gap, lower stance.

Suspension travel · arch clearance

Wheel gap

Wheel gap stays virtually unchanged

-1.5 mm

How the arch-to-tire gap reads from across the parking lot — the visual stance change everyone notices first.

18px

155/80 R13

17px

175/70 R13

Wheel-gap Δ-1.5 mm

Static · unloaded chassis

Fender relationship

Tucked · Flush · Poke

Stance language

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 99.5 km/h

-0.52%

Shorter rubber: dashboard reads conservatively low — you're slower than it claims.

020406080100120140KM/H-0.52%DRIFTINDICATED100 km/hACTUAL99.5 km/h

ABS · ESP · cruise control

Setup telemetry

How this setup changes the car

Driver-perspective read-out of the 155/80 R13175/70 R13 swap — steering, comfort, stance and dash behavior in plain enthusiast language.

Steering feel

-1.5 mm sidewall

Steering response stays familiar

Sidewall delta is small; the wheel will feel like the OEM setup at the rim.

Ride firmness

80% → 70%

Ride quality essentially unchanged

Comfort delta is below the perceivable threshold for most drivers.

Fender relationship

+20 mm width

Wheel sits closer to the fender

Wider tire pushes the contact patch outboard — flusher stance, but verify fender lip clearance at full lock.

Speedometer behavior

-0.52%

OEM-safe speedometer reading

Inside the factory ±3% tolerance — ABS, ESP and cruise control behave as designed.

Daily drivability

Ø -3.0 mm

Livable 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 -0.52% versus 155/80 R13. 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 -3.0 mm. Borderline — check fender lip and inner strut clearance under load.

Direct answer

Does the speedometer change?

Yes — by -0.52%. Swapping 155/80 R13 for 175/70 R13 changes overall diameter, so at an indicated 100 km/h your true speed becomes 99.5 km/h. That's within the ±3% OEM tolerance — no recalibration needed.

Direct answer

Does lower sidewall affect comfort?

Yes — firmer ride. Sidewall changes by -1.5 mm (80% → 70%). Ride becomes firmer and steering sharper, but potholes and expansion joints hit harder and wheel damage risk rises.

Current Tire

155/80R13

New Tire

175/70R13

Excellent Fit

Within ±3% — safe for daily driving

Diameter change

-3.0 mm

-0.52%

Speedometer at 100

99.5 km/h

-0.52% error

Ground clearance

-1.5 mm

ride height delta

Sidewall change

-1.5 mm

revs/km: 553.4

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Detailed comparison

Metric155/80 R13175/70 R13Difference
Overall diameter578.2 mm575.2 mm-3.0 mm (-0.52%)
Sidewall height124.0 mm122.5 mm-1.5 mm
Circumference1.816 m1.807 m-9.4 mm
Revs / km550.5553.4+2.9
Ground clearancereference-1.5 mm-1.5 mm
Speedometer @ 100 km/h100.0 km/h99.5 km/h-0.52 km/h

Verdict: excellent

Within ±3% — speedometer, ABS and traction control should behave normally.

Dimensional comparison

Side-by-side

Scaled 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

155/80 R13
Width 155 mmSW 124Ø 578mmR13
Profile
80%
Circumference
1.816 m

New

175/70 R13
Width 175 mmSW 123Ø 575mmR13
Profile
70%
Circumference
1.807 m

Side-by-side fitment

Geometry

Current

155/80 R13
Section width
155 mm
Aspect ratio
80%
Sidewall
124.0 mm
Wheel diameter
13″(330 mm)
Overall diameter
578.2 mm(22.76″)
Circumference
1.816 m
Revs / km
550.5

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 / cons

Wider 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

Lower profile (-10% aspect)

Sidewall
  • Sharper turn-in and less sidewall roll
  • More planted on smooth tarmac
  • Bigger brake / caliper visual real estate
  • Harsher ride over expansion joints and potholes
  • Higher wheel-damage risk on impacts
  • Less curb protection for the rim lip
  • More sensitive to correct tire pressure

How it changes driving feel

Seat-of-the-pants

Steering response

Sharper turn-in

Ride comfort

Harsher impacts

Road noise

Louder on coarse asphalt

Wet / aquaplaning

Reduced standing-water margin

Fuel economy

Small MPG penalty likely

Curb / pothole protection

Higher wheel-damage risk

Fitment risk check

Verify before install
Fender 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 tolerance
020406080100120140KM/H-0.52%DRIFTINDICATED100 km/hACTUAL99.5 km/h

Speedometer impact

At a true 100 km/h, your dashboard will read 99.5 km/h after switching to 175/70 R13 — a -0.52% 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 -1.5 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

155/80 R13

Back to

175/70 R13

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