Wheel/tire size

I have 2011 Malibu LT Platinum, 2.4 cyl, disk brakes all around. Summer tire size is 215/55/17. I want to purchase snow tires and wheels. Two national tire companies said I could drop down to 16" and go with 225/55/16 tires. Two other tire companies said I had to stay with 17" wheels because of some clearance issue. Any one out there who has opinions or experience with this?

I have a 2010 and a 2011 Malibu LS . Both came with 225/45/17 tires and I bought two identical snow tire/ steel wheel packages from TireRack.com last winter. They said I could save money by going with the 16 inch steel wheels and use 215/60/16 tires. I did the math, and it produced the exact same overall wheel diameter so I ordered the package with Firestone Winterforce studdable tires. I was extremely happy with the result. The smaller wheels and the higher profile tires (an extra inch) gives a little extra cushion which prevents wheel damage when hitting potholes - a real problem with the oem 17 steel wheel/ tire set-up. It is only an extra inch, but it makes a real difference. I bought the studdable tires but did not have them studded, figuring I'd wait until the first snow to see how they performed (they can be studded at any tire shop later if you don't wait too long). There was no need, the traction was incredible - much better than I had hoped or expected. I can't think of any downside.

I looked up your vehicle on Tirerack.com and they say the recommended tire size for dropping down to a 16 inch wheel is 215/60/16. If you go with that size, you can't possibly have any clearance issues since it is essentally the same overall size tire/wheel.

AJT - Thanks for the good post.