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tire size for 17's

The 2001-2002 Cougars with the optional OEM 17" wheels came from Ford with 215/50R-17 tires.

But since your car is spec'd for 16's, your speedo might be pretty far off with a 50-series 17" tire on there.
 
You won't really feel a comfort difference bumping up one tire size. The tire will probably look too bulgy..... might even rub.
 
I was just curious cause I've heard it can cause ur speedometer to be off . I swapped rims and got some crappy bf Goodrich tires and very bad ride and traction in water compared to my hankook's.
 
215/45/17 is the correct size for a 17" wheel. If you want a 50 series tire, you will need to go down to a 205 width to keep the same sidewall height and not make your speedometer totally useless. What is the point in that?

If your sidewalls are too stiff (like you have run flats or something) then just get different tires that are a little more luxury than performance oriented.
 
215/45/17 is the correct size for a 17" wheel. If you want a 50 series tire, you will need to go down to a 205 width to keep the same sidewall height and not make your speedometer totally useless. What is the point in that?

If your sidewalls are too stiff (like you have run flats or something) then just get different tires that are a little more luxury than performance oriented.
Use either of the two frequently used tire sizing calculators - Tacoma site or Miata site. SoundQ is correct - dropping 10mm in cross section when increasing profile by a ration of 5.
Yes, ride is more dependent on manufacturer differences in tire construction within a given size; instead of high performance summer or all-season, look at a general use all season tire or even a touring tire. Contact discounttiredirect.com and ask for Zach. This guy will not lead you astray.
 
Yes, based on the tacomaworld.com tire calculator(http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php), here is what I see for comparison of speedo reading vs actual speed (comparing 205/55-16 vs 215/45-17):
20 mph (32.19 km/h) 19.79 mph (31.85 km/h)
25 mph (40.23 km/h) 24.74 mph (39.81 km/h)
30 mph (48.28 km/h) 29.69 mph (47.78 km/h)
35 mph (56.33 km/h) 34.63 mph (55.74 km/h)
40 mph (64.37 km/h) 39.58 mph (63.7 km/h)
45 mph (72.42 km/h) 44.53 mph (71.66 km/h)
50 mph (80.47 km/h) 49.48 mph (79.63 km/h)
55 mph (88.51 km/h) 54.43 mph (87.59 km/h)
60 mph (96.56 km/h) 59.37 mph (95.55 km/h)
65 mph (104.61 km/h) 64.32 mph (103.51 km/h)
 
I run a 225/45R17 for my summer tires and a 205/55R16 for my snows, here's the comparo for those;
225x45xR17-205x55xR16.png
 
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