New Telluride and looking for feedback on new tires

[southernfool]

Hi Forum,

I just bought a new Glacial White Pearl 2025 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line AWD (well, two months ago).

All is well so far, but it's snowing and icy in Michigan and I'm ready to get some new snow tires. I plan on keeping/using the stock 20" wheels, but want to get taller tires. Aesthetically I don't like how the tires/wheels look small compared to the body and wheel wells. I understand that there could be some downsides: tire rubbing, a difference in the speedometer, and possible acceleration/braking issues. I don't care. Okay fine, I care a little, but am willing to live with modest trade offs.

My current tires are 245/50-R20, and I'd like to go to a 245/60-R20 (a ~2" total diameter increase). Either that or a 255/55-R20 (a ~1.5" total diameter increase). I don't think the in-between size, a 245/55-R20 (a ~1" total diameter increase) exists for a snow tire. Also, I don't want to do a lift or add spacers (I'm not increasing the width, anyway).

Is anyone else in this forum running one of these wheel/tire size combos, a 245/60-R20 or a 255/55-R20? If so, how is it working and do you have any pics?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[WhatAboutBob]

My buddy put on Peak rated all weather tires on his wife's 2020 Telluride. He said they were rated like winter tires but could drive them all year long. He loved them driving in a recent snowstorm. He did say they were noiser in the summer than the old tires.
I was at my local tire store right before Christmas having my wife's VW Alltrack put the winter tires on and do an alignment and was talking with the guy about getting 18" wheels with winter tires versus getting Peak rated tires, the tire guy said the Peak rated tires were as good as a full time winter tire and you don't have to swap them out when the weather gets warm and not have to do an alignment twice a year. I asked him what the downside was to going with Peak tires and he indicated that they might not last for as many miles as a traditional tire, but not drastically less.
I have yet to drive my 2025 Telluride in a snowstorm but will consider either swapping for Peak tires or a dedicated set of snows...

 

[Cherieb7229]

I run 245/50R20 and they run just fine. Anything bigger might rub.

 

[southernfool]

I got a request for an update to my story, so here you go. I'm paying it forward, and maybe someone will learn from my sad tale.

In late December 2024 I bought four snow tires from Costco, BLIZZAK DM-V2 255/55R20 107T BW WINTER TIRES, and four wheels from Fitment, 20x8.5 Black Wheel Vors TR4 5x4.5 35. I spent hours on various websites to confirm that the geometry and offsets and spacing and clearance was going to work out. I was convinced that I figured out the special, super-secret combination of wheels and tires that the OEM was too lazy and too conservative to validate. However, when I went to pick up the tires from Costco they refused/declined to mount them to the new wheels, saying that they would rub (according to their online tool). I expected this to happen, since I had received the same message online when I checked out. They didn't know about my secret weapon wheels. Undeterred, I took the tires anyway and went to another local tire shop who mounted, balanced, and installed them on the Telluride. Local shops are like, whatever you want man! It was snowing that day and on the drive back to work and home I didn't notice any rubbing.

But unfortunately, they do rub. The wet, snowy conditions were just temporarily masking/hiding the rubbing from me. In drier conditions during sharp turns the outside edge of the tire can be heard and slightly felt rubbing against the plastic liner of the wheel well. It's most noticeable when backing up, I'm guessing because the tires have directional tread and grip better, who knows.

Anyway, the new wheels and tires do look great. Finally, a size and proportion that better matches the vehicle (in my opinion). But sadly, they rub. On a rubbing scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no rubbing, I would put them as a 2-3. It's the front tires only (maybe that's obvious to everyone), and it's the rear side of each wheel well when turning sharply. We made it through the winter without there being an issue with the tires or the plastic wheel well cover, but it's something I'll have to monitor going forward. I've had them off for the spring/summer and am about to remount them for the winter. I'm going to live with them until they're worn down, and then go with slightly smaller tires in 2-3 years. I predict that as the tread wears down then there won't be any rubbing, maybe in one more season. They seem to be too big by 1/8" or so.

This whole process was irritating, sad, and expensive. I'm irritated with Kia's engineers designing such an unforgiving geometry that really limits aftermarket wheel/tire combos. I'm irritated with myself for spending so much time on something, convincing myself there was a solution, and then getting it wrong. Oh well, life goes on. At least people will hear me backing up more easily, maybe I'll save money on accidents!