“Low profile“ describes an especially short sidewall height,or aspect ratio,on a tire.That’s the amount of rubber between the outside edge of the wheel or rim,and the road.Shorter sidewalls provide crisper handling and positive feedback to the steering wheel,but also give a rougher ride because of less cushioning between the rim and the road,which sends each bump and road imperfection directly to the suspension.Many people also like the looks of low-profile tires.
All tires have a size code,such as P245/45ZR17,on the sidewall that displays the tire’s dimensions.The aspect ratio is the number following the slash — 45 in the aforementioned code; the smaller the number,the smaller the sidewall height.
You can find low-profile tires on sports cars as well as vehicles with large diameter wheels,such as the Cadillac Escalade with optional 22-inch wheels.Sports cars will use the smaller sidewall height for handling performance reasons,while the Cadillac’s huge tires and short sidewall allow a combined diameter that can still fit in the wheel wells.