What Is the Difference Between 225 and 265 Tires?

As a car owner, there are a lot of questions, running through your mind on the safe use and replacement of tires.

From fundamental questions like “what is the difference between 225 and 265 tires” to basic questions like “how much bigger is a 265 tire than a 225”, we all have the instinct to take the best road safety practices.

Not knowing the difference between 225 and 265 tires places you on a dangerous edge that might compromise your safety.

Fitting a mismatched tire to your car will not only cause the wider tires to hit the body of your car but will compromise your trip. 225mm and 265mm are usually used to differentiate the width of different tires.

However, are the differences between 225 and 265 tires limited to their width? Are there other important differences between 225 and 265 tires that you should know?

This article explains the differences between 225 and 265 tires.

Table of Contents

Four notable differences between 225 and 265 tires

Length
Width/Diameter
Weight and carloads
Gas mileage

Length

There are visible differences in the length of 225 and 265 tires. Length differences are not factors that you should underestimate.

You have a higher chance that your tires will hit the bodywork of your car. 225 tires run a 6.6-inch sidewall height and while 265 runs on a 7.8-inch sidewall height.

The sidewall height difference between 225 and 265 tires is 1.2 plus inches. This might seem like a small increase, but a 17.8% difference is big enough to change things.

A 225/75-R15 tire does not only have a lesser sidewall height, but it is also smaller than a 265/75-R15.

225/75-R15 has a circumference inch of 88.97mm while 265/75-R15 has 96.29mm.

The circumference difference between 225/75-R15 and 265/75-R15 is 7.42 (188.5), an average of 8.4% difference between both tires.

265 tires are taller than 225 tires. The differences in the length of 225 and 265 tires impact their section width, rim diameter, rim width range, revs per mile, and even speed variance and speedometer reader.

Width/Diameter

One of the questions that should pop into your mind in the 225 vs 265 comparisons is how much bigger is a 265 tire than a 225?

This is because the width of the tire does not only determine its fitting and compatibility with your car’s bodywork but also determines the aspect ratio of the sidewall.

225 tires have an overall diameter of 29.3 inches, while 265 has an overall diameter of 31.6 inches.

This places a 2.4 plus inch difference between 265 and 225 tires and an 8.1% difference between both tires.

The width of a tire plays a fundamental role in its aspect ratio. Considering the difference in the width of 225 and 265, 225 has a higher aspect ratio.

This will reduce the rolling resistance of the tire, causing better gas mileage.

Compared to the diameter of the tire, 225 and 265 tires have tread cross width differences.

This impacts the level of efficiency achieved by both tires. 265 tires have a wider tread cross width of 40mm.

The different widths of 225 and 265 determine where you can fit them in your car; the rear or in front.

While it is noticeable that 225 tires are narrower and smaller than 265 tires, if you wish to mix both tires on the same car, you should put 225 tires in front and 265 tires at the back of your vehicle.

This will provide a better handling ability.

Weight and Carloads

The weight of 225 and 265 tires might not pose as a significant factor to differentiate both tires.

However, considering the loads that they can bear, it becomes necessary to compare them.

Naturally, it shouldn’t take a soothsayer to explain that with the wideness of 265 tires, its balance on the road, they will handle a greater load than 225 tires.

You wouldn’t want to risk your 225 tires by subjecting them to a lot of weight that might make them explode.

Gas Mileage

Because of the lower rolling resistance offered by 225 tires because of its aspect ratio, they have a better gas mileage than 265 tires.

What this means is that with 225 tires, there is a higher chance of fuel conservation than on 265 tires.

The gas mileage is determined by the diameter of the tire, its rolling distance, and revolutions per mile.

Because of the low resistance, narrow rims of 225 rims, they stand on better gas mileage than 265 tires.

Other important things to note about 225 vs 265 tires

Traction

The width and diameter of these tires also affect the level of traction that they offer. The wider a tire gets, the bigger the thread blocks.

Because of this, 265 tires offer better traction and ground control. This impacts the level of handling, firm footprint attained by these tires.

As a driver, you have stronger confidence riding your 265 tires on imperfect grounds.

You can’t compare the performance of 265 tires on these grounds with 225 tires.

It is true that in some cases narrow tires are better options for riding on snow, but 225 tires are too narrow to perform effectively in such conditions.

Stability

Naturally, a longer wheelbase increases the stability of the tire. This also includes the size of the tires. A larger tire is more stable than a smaller tire.

Bigger tires affect stability by impacting traction and reducing the effect of wear and tear. They also have a great stand on absorbing heat, this increases their durability.

With a larger tire like 265 tires, you have the advantage of attaining a better ground grip with your vehicle.

Larger tires also have the benefit of reducing the possibility of hydroplaning. With an increase in the tire tread depth, you have lesser chances of experiencing a loss of traction with a larger tire like 265 tires.

On the overall performance of 225 vs 265 tires, you will obtain a better drive experience with 265 tires than 225 tires.

This is because of the improved sidewall height, traction that will not only support your suspension system to provide accurate reading but will also support the traction attained by your tires.