Dear Alfa Romeo friends,

I am a happy owner of a new (4 months old now) Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
         2.0 JTS ("Distinctive": best equipped version). I have the
"Sport" (Niveaumatic), not TI, suspension option. The car came with
"Sport" version 6.5J x 16 light metal alloy wheels with Firestone 205/55
16 tyres. I live in Norway, and since it gets fairly snowy and icy in
the winter, M+S tyres is a must. The Norwegian importer recommends
205/55 16 M+S tyres (Conti is regarded as the best winter tyre brand in
Norway).

I am faced with the following dilemma: Should I buy a new set of 6.5 J x
16 wheels, or should I put the new winter tyres on the "old" 6.5 J x 16
wheels, and purchase a new set of 7J x 17 wheels with 215/45 17 tyres in
the spring?? How big is the difference between 215/45 17 and 205/55 16
tyres when it comes to a.) road/curve behaviour b.) road behaviour in
rainy weather and c.) comfort (suspension/road noise)??

I like sporty driving, and Norway has a lot of curvy roads to offer.
However, I also am very fond of the firm, but not too hard suspension of
 my Alfa 156, which I think strikes the ideal balance between being
firm/sporty and comfortable. My previous car was an Audi A3 "Ambition",
but I chose the Alfa in favour of the new Audi A3 and the new A4 Avant.
One of the main reasons for this (apart from the beauty of the Alfa, the
 better engine etc.) was that the sport versions of the Audis are too
noisy and have an "Eisenbett" (iron bed) suspension quality.

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

With regards

Cato A. Guldberg