Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Pros and cons of different large vs small wheels sizes
By Product Expert | Posted in Tips and Tricks on Thursday, April 12th, 2018 at 9:35 pm
While keeping your tires in good condition with regular rotation and rebalancing can be a good way to save money on repairs, the wheels you have on your vehicle may be having more of an impact than you know on how your vehicle is handling, consuming fuel, and impressing other drivers. In this blog we are going to check out the pros and cons of different wheel size and what is the best wheel for your vehicle?. Should you go larger or stick with small?
What is the best wheel for your vehicle?
All other things being equal, the best wheel for your vehicle is the one that it was designed for. When engineers build a car and design the engine output and how everything works together, that also includes the wheel size. Drivers may want to choose a different wheel for many different reasons (whether to improve the looks, or because the current wheels have been damaged) so we’re going to look at options.
Advantages of Big Wheels
For most people, the bigger the wheel, the cooler it looks. There’s something alluring about all that metal. Because people just like the look of larger wheels, this can also give you a better resale value when it becomes time to sell your vehicle again.
Larger wheels can also offer better better traction and more control on curves because there is more surface area grabbing the road and less give. Nice wide tires can be useful when off-roading or if you need to maintain control when racing. However, your ride can become less comfortable with larger tires, especially if you have a sport suspension as well.
Practical Pluses of Smaller Wheels
While big wheels may have a lot of visual appeal, and may even be valuable for performance drivers, smaller wheels (or, the wheel size that the vehicle was designed for) have a plethora of practical pluses. They generally offer better mileage (all other engine features being equal). And, oddly enough, they can offer better acceleration because the car does not have to work as hard to get them to turn. This means that for holding onto the road large wheels may be better, but when it comes to actually getting from 0-60 mph as fast as possible, you’re better off with the factory options!
