i know the original tire size for my 2001 sle is 235/55R17. is there a better size i can put? also what if i put some 18" rims. whats the tire size that will be the same as the stocks? should i get R or ZR?

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2001 Pontiac Bonneville SLE. gutted air box. hockey puck mount.
1996 Ford F-150 XLT regular cab shortbed 4x4 351 Windsor

Better is subjective. There are other sizes you can put on, but whether they're better or not is dependent on your driving.

If you put on 18" wheels you'll want 235/50R18.

R stands for Radial, which all modern tires are. Unless you plan on driving at sustained speeds over 150 MPH, which I doubt your car can attain (Never had mine that fast), you won't need a Z-rated tire. The stock H-rated tires are fine for sustained speeds up to 130 MPH.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

Tirerack.com has a lot of info about the tires they carry. You can compare many different aspects of different tires on their site. This would probably be the best bet for all your questions. This can also eliminate having to search a bunch of different places.

I have 18's and 235 50 18 is for sure the size to have

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2000 ssei gone but not forgotten

Current fleet:
2009 G8 v6, 2009 Avalanche LTZ, 2013 Volt

okay so no zr needed. tirerack is what i was looking at and they have better deals then all the places ive gone to. thanks

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2001 Pontiac Bonneville SLE. gutted air box. hockey puck mount.
1996 Ford F-150 XLT regular cab shortbed 4x4 351 Windsor

Just remember that Tire Rack's prices are just the price for the tire, you still have to take them somewhere and get them mounted and balanced, pay for disposal, etc. Those prices also don't include shipping. Find a set of tires you like, add them to your cart and figure out shipping and come up with an average price per tire. Then call around and see who can get you the best price. Ask what they can get you those tires for out the door, then have them break the price down. If no one can get them for lower than tire rack + shipping + M&B, then get them from tire rack and have a local shop install them.

Also remember that it might be worth an extra $10 to just go to a local tire shop and get the tires there. Most places will fix tires they installed for cheaper or free. It's not always about dollars, it's about sense.

_________________
Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

I have Continental DWS 245/50/17s on my car and I love those tires. So much better than the Michelin Pilots that were on there before. By going a size wider and one size lower on the aspect ratio, the speedometer kept its calibration.

I wasn't saying that you have to buy the tires from Tirerack. Just a good site that has all the tire info you need.
Plus like 00Beast said it's a good place to get a good idea about prices for shopping around.