16" to 18"

[mazdamazda]

Guys, I am thinking about upgrading the tires & wheels of the Rav4 from 16" to 18" (damn that car that I just drove... made me realized how bad my tires are on the road). The primary reason for this is because I cannot find an alternative 235/60 R16 sized tire that is better than the Dueler H/Ts that I am currently using (if you can point me to a tire shop selling performance 235/60 R16 it would be better actually - no need to replace the wheels).

As per the GrupoRav4 members, 235/50 R18 tires is a good fit for the Rav4 as attested by the numerous Rav4s there riding on these tires. I've also checked the tire calculator and the speedometer difference is only around +0.56% (diameter difference) which is well within the acceptable 3% limit.

My main question is... will going to 18" wheels affect my acceleration & fuel consumption?

BTW, the Rota wheels that I am looking at is like this: http://www.rotawheels.com/gallery/pictures/rav01.jpg

Thanks!