Topic: Wheels size, is it going crazy?

[airbalancer]

Has wheels sizing going crazy?
The wheels are getting larger and larger, and there is mostly no need for it.
HL Hybrid with 19" what is the point, I do not think these are super feather weight wheels
and to hit a couple of potholes could be pricey
Probably 99.5% of the larger wheels out there are for show only.
I think it probably the tire companies that have made  the manufacturers to go with the large wheels increase the tire cost.
They are worst then the oil companies, wait you need oil to make tires, so it is the evil oil companies fault 

[Wolfe]

I do not think these are super feather weight wheels

...and the wheels are the absolute worst place to add weight to a car.

[quadzilla]

Bigger wheels = bigger brakes *

* Not that this is applied to all situations.

I was driving beside a new Tahoe and thought the wheels were almost to the roof of my car!

[dr_spock]

The other day I saw an early 1960s Ford Thunderbird with  ~19" chrome wheels.   The tires were about an inch or so tall.   It didn't look bad.   Not sure how it handled on the pot hole filled highway.   

[mmret]

Maybe cars are just getting bigger, and to keep things looking new and modern you need to have phat rimz.

[auto_enthusiast]

The main issue is that cars are getting taller - that means hoodlines, greenhouses, trunks, etc.  And to a certain extent, you can trace that to the safety features that are government mandated or customers want.  Higher speed offset collision tests, pedestrian hood protection, and making cars more safe vs. SUV/trucks have made front ends a lot taller. 

That's why you see a lot of cars with such big wheels now - stylistically, they would all look like first generation Toyota Echos if they stuck with wheel sizes of the past. Can't have that, especially for sporty or luxurious models.  Solution? Big wheels and tires to even out the proportions.

Compare any car from the 90's with today I'll bet it would be close to impossible to find a single car that's gotten a lower hood, greenhouse, or trunk.

[dr_spock]

Even toy cars come with huge wheels now. 

[tpl]

I wonder if the large wheels are a way to get the tire contact patches a bit longer for better directional stability. Low profile wide tires do indeed respond faster to steering input but they also will "tramline" much more as well.  I wonder if Mr and Mrs average driver really wants a family sedan that responds like a race car of a decade ago.

I do agree with the aesthetic points raised above tho'

[UmroAyyar]

Dodge Magnum, the wagon came with 18" wheels standard.

The upcoming Toyota Venza (watchagonback) will have 19" wheels for the 4-cyl and 20" wheels for the 6-cyl.

[1TSX]

Dodge Magnum, the wagon came with 18" wheels standard.

The upcoming Toyota Venza (watchagonback) will have 19" wheels for the 4-cyl and 20" wheels for the 6-cyl.

Wow. Replacement tire costs will be crazy! 

[ktm525]

The main issue is that cars are getting taller - that means hoodlines, greenhouses, trunks, etc.  And to a certain extent, you can trace that to the safety features that are government mandated or customers want.  Higher speed offset collision tests, pedestrian hood protection, and making cars more safe vs. SUV/trucks have made front ends a lot taller. 

That's why you see a lot of cars with such big wheels now - stylistically, they would all look like first generation Toyota Echos if they stuck with wheel sizes of the past. Can't have that, especially for sporty or luxurious models.  Solution? Big wheels and tires to even out the proportions.

Compare any car from the 90's with today I'll bet it would be close to impossible to find a single car that's gotten a lower hood, greenhouse, or trunk.

Bang on. I had the V70R lined up beside a Matrix and it looked like the Matrix hood was a good 5" higher than the Volvo's.

[Arthur Dent]

I can't imagine the tire replacement costs on these things. Its crazy with economy cars have 17" tires. I'd like to stick 14" or 15" in a cheapo car.

[ktm525]

Not to mention ride comfort on our increasingly rough roads.

[Titanium48]

The main issue is that cars are getting taller - that means hoodlines, greenhouses, trunks, etc.  And to a certain extent, you can trace that to the safety features that are government mandated or customers want.  Higher speed offset collision tests, pedestrian hood protection, and making cars more safe vs. SUV/trucks have made front ends a lot taller. 

And of course it's the small cars that have to get taller and heavier, not the SUVs being mandated to get lower and lighter.

[Ice]

Worth checking the thickness of the tires as well.  Has that been going up or down as the size increase?  I don't really know but my guess is that the thickness has been, on average, getting smaller as the size goes up.  Gotta get the fuel economy numbers somehow.

[safristi]

  Big Wheel keep on TURNIN'.............

[The Mighty Duck]

I can't imagine the tire replacement costs on these things. Its crazy with economy cars have 17" tires. I'd like to stick 14" or 15" in a cheapo car.

Even 17" tires can be had for reasonable prices.  There are plenty of good options for around $100.  And as 17" rims become more and more widely used, tire prices will only fall.  Still, I agree: economy cars are marketed for economy-conscious buyers, and putting big wheels with expensive tires on them is a bit silly.

By all means, offer a Big Wheel Package, but there's no reason the standard wheel needs to be 18".

[Leviathan]

Not to mention ride comfort on our increasingly rough roads.

A larger diameter wheel will have a better ride providing you're not going very low profile.

[tpl]

Not to mention ride comfort on our increasingly rough roads.

A larger diameter wheel will have a better ride providing you're not going very low profile.

Maybe true maybe not.   A taller tire sidewall will usually have a better softer ride than a low profile tire regardless of wheel size.  A long contact patch ( = large wheel/tire diameter) will indeed smooth out road imperfections better than a short contact patch. 

trouble is that most of these vehicles with very large wheels also have very low profile tires with short stiff sidewalls.

[Angry Chicken]

Not to mention ride comfort on our increasingly rough roads.

A larger diameter wheel will have a better ride providing you're not going very low profile.

Maybe true maybe not.   A taller tire sidewall will usually have a better softer ride than a low profile tire regardless of wheel size.  A long contact patch ( = large wheel/tire diameter) will indeed smooth out road imperfections better than a short contact patch. 

trouble is that most of these vehicles with very large wheels also have very low profile tires with short stiff sidewalls.

Yup.  I just had to change the winter rims/tires off my Mazda3 as one of the rims is bent and there's a nice bulge in the sidewall. (Picture below)  My wife (could've easily been me, too!) put the wheel in a franken-pothole in Ottawa last week.  Thankfully the road hazard warranty on the tire will cover most of its replacement cost but I don't know if the rim is salvageable.  I guess that's the risk you take when you run 205/50/17 winter tires.  Low sidewall = high probability of damage.

/Eric