Low buck options for 17 inch wheels
17s have been on the way out for a while now. Hardly anything comes with them anymore. Check around. 18s are way more popular.
This is partially true, there are a lot fewer 17" tires out there now than there was a few years ago.
BUT, there are still about 30x as many options as there are for 15's. Seriously.
If you don't believe me, just go to tirerack.com. If you do a search for 245/60/15's, you get 1 result.
One. The BFG T/A hockey puck. If you do a search for 245/45/17's, you get 89 results. Now, if you limit that to performance passenger tires, you get
31. So, tire selection really isn't an issue. And price? Those BFG T/A's cost $147. Most of the tires that I would run in the 245/45/17 size are around $130. Yeah.
Now, 255/45/17's only give you 13 results for performance passenger tires, but again, you get 1 result for 15's. 275/40/17's have about 25 options, but those aren't an option for some A-bodies without modifications.
Yes, there are more options for 18" rims. And even 18's have seen their selection drop off a little lately, especially when you get up into the wide tires like the 295's I have on my Duster. Selection for 19's is better. But when you compare your options in 17's to your options for 15's its still a no contest.