The best size if you want to go wider is to use 235/40 R18. This size will generate very little speedometer and odometer error compared to the OEM size.
No, that's not what you asked; you asked if you could use 225/45 R18 tires versus 215/45 R18, and the fact is, those two tires have a different diameter.
What I suggested will keep the diameter close enough to the diameter of the OEM tires to keep your speedometer and odometer errors to a minumum.
Help me understand how changing the width of the tire changes the diameter?
Got it. The width does affect the diameter. But I really am more interested in whether or not the tire physically fits in the wheel well without rubbing on anything: 8.5" vs. 8.9" vs. 9.3"tire width.
The small effect (+/- ca. 2 mph @ 100 mph) on the speedometer doesn't concern me.
Because the aspect ratio (45 in your examples) is a percentage measurement of tread width to sidewall height. If you make the tread wider and don't reduce the aspect ratio accordingly, then the diameter of the tire will increase. As I wrote above, if you opt for 235/40 R18 tires, then you will have a wider tire and one in the same basic diameter.
Most likely, but the only way to be sure is to try them; the tires you're looking at are both wider and have a greater diameter than the OEM rubber. I've been on Mazda related boards for over 10 years now and I think you're the first I've seen to want that particular tire size on a Gen3 Mazda3.
Why are you opposed to the 235/40 R18 size? That tire is very common and has the correct diameter for your car and has a treadwidth of only 20mm wider than stock. Those will fit.
I just looked up the Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires and they do in fact come in the 235/40 R18 size.
The above said, what is so magical about that particular tire? Are you going to be driving the car on a race track? If not, then why are you wanting such a sticky/high performance tire?
If you really do need such performance, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S beats the Continental in pretty much every performance category for about a 15% cost premium, and the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) also beats the Continental (by a lesser degree), but is typically available for 10% less. Said another way, of the three performance tires, the Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires are the worst performing and more expensive than the second best of the group.
225 wide rubber would the more than a 7" wide rim can handle ( As to the manufactures and engineers work on ).Yes I relaise that plenty people do , but if you were to go 8" wide then 235 is the max
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