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Maintain stock diameter.
Lightweight rims will contribute to increased gas mileage, regardless of diameter.
It is true that a smaller diameter can help with mileage, but so can a larger diameter. It all depends on the driving situation. Hills vs. flat terrain. Highway vs. city driving. That's why I suggest to just maintain stock diameter. Years of mechanical engineering have allowed car manufacturers to fit their vehicles with wheel/tire combinations that give you the best-fit fuel economy based on combined city and highway driving.
Now, if you ONLY drive on the highway, sure - oversize.
But chances are that you will be in situations where this slight advantage is totally countered with the effort needed to turn the wheels (for example, moving from a stop). This is an interesting topic, and it doesn't really get asked much. There are so many other factors as well, pertaining to wheel and tire width, tire compound type (surface) and tread design.
Your stock size is 215/55/17 on 17x7.5 wheels.
If you're thinking about stepping up to an 18 for the mere aesthetics but want to maintain diameter, look for a lightweight wheel in the same width and offset (7.5", +45mm) as OEM and try a 215/50/18 tire.
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