Big wheels and low profile tires are not always better

While they may look better, big wheels and low profile tires are not always the best option for drivers.

Complaints about harsh driving and tire noise in cars are on the rise. Run-flat tires on prestige models used to be a major source of grief due to the hard sidewalls needed to keep them rolling without air, but now low profile tires are the culprit.

A Mazda3 SP25 owner emailed about the smooth ride and roar. His car is fitted with 45-series tires on 18-inch rims, as opposed to 60-series tires and lower-spec 16-inch Maxx and Neo rims.

This means that the sidewall is shorter and stiffer, there is less “flex” in small bumps and potholes, and the tire is more likely to transmit road noise to the body. For him, this is a loss.

Now he's considering a potentially costly switch to smaller wheels and taller tires, though he shouldn't have any trouble finding a buyer.

And therein lies the problem. Too many people have been swayed by designers and marketers into buying bigger wheels, claiming they look better and provide better cornering grip. This is not the whole story. A low profile tire can improve handling, but not on the roads that most of us drive. They need a smooth, uniform surface, which is rare on country roads.

If we had made the best design for the smallest wheel, we would have no incentive to move on.

In terms of styling, all this talk is about "filling the protection" with big wheels and low profile tires.

Whether standard or oversized, the circumference is usually the same to maintain vehicle transmission and speedometer accuracy. Thus, the appearance is more dependent on the width of the rim. Designers save their best work for big rims, deliberately making any base alloy look like a poor man's car.

One famous designer says: “Of course, big wheels will look better. We style them so that people spend more on their cars. If we had made the best design for the smallest wheel, we would have no incentive to move on.”

So more often does not mean better. When shopping, ask questions about what more expensive wheels really mean for your driving pleasure.