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Thread: Larger than 15" rim?

  1. #21
    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    I was behind an odd-looking new vehicle the other day. It was an SUV...but it had amazingly tall and skinny low-profile tires. It looked somewhat normal from the side...but when you looked at it from behind it looked really crazy. Turns out it was a BMW i3. This thing has 19 and 20 inch wheels that are only 5-5.5 inches wide!

    You can read about them here.

    Attachment 15133

    Attachment 15135

    Attachment 15134
    I bet those will be a dealer only item


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    Quote Originally Posted by nickels View Post
    18's dont look bad on tiny cars.

    Attachment 15132
    I don't think 18" wheels look good on most small to mid-size SUVs let alone tiny cars. I don't understand the infatuation with large rims & low profile tires? I really don't!

    When I see low profile tires on an SUV, I think worthless! It's not a good look to me. It impresses me even less on a tiny car. Just being honest!

    It's sort of like adding lifts to a pickup truck. Sort of makes the pickup useless for what it was designed for. Take an expensive rig to begin with and make it somewhat worthless to use? Why?

    Doesn't seem all that different than taking a small economy car & adding huge wheels to it.

    If someone likes 18" wheels, they should buy a car to go with them. A basic Chevy Camaro comes with standard 18" wheels.

  3. #23
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    I don't think 18" wheels look good on most small to mid-size SUVs let alone tiny cars. I don't understand the infatuation with large rims & low profile tires? I really don't!
    The origins of low profile tires lie in performance, right? Low profile tires are considered to improve handling & cornering. It has been a trend in tires for decades and is nothing new.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    When I see low profile tires on an SUV, I think worthless! It's not a good look to me. It impresses me even less on a tiny car. Just being honest!
    If low profile tires help 'improve' the ride and handling of a sports car, this perception gets carried over to other models. Because each car company needs to sell their cars as somehow performing. It's marketing.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    It's sort of like adding lifts to a pickup truck. Sort of makes the pickup useless for what it was designed for. Take an expensive rig to begin with and make it somewhat worthless to use? Why?
    I thought is was common knowledge that larger diameter wheels helps clear obstacles? Suspension lifts allow wheels larger than what the stock suspension will allow. If an owner wants to clear more obstacles and make their truck more useful to them, bigger wheels are called for.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    Doesn't seem all that different than taking a small economy car & adding huge wheels to it.
    Except larger wheels will roll over obstacles more easily and a smaller diameter wheel will give a more harsh ride. Heck, even the Mirage doesn't use 12" or 13" rims and the overall wheel diameter is larger than what was sold on this size car in the past.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    If someone likes 18" wheels, they should buy a car to go with them. A basic Chevy Camaro comes with standard 18" wheels.
    I agree with you that all this is largely unnecessary. Low profile tires have more risk of damage from road hazards because there is less compressible material in the pneumatic tire there to absorb impacts. At highway speeds, a taller vehicle is less stable and more prone to rollover. Tall tires may allow clearing more obstacles off road. Not every four- and all-wheel drive vehicle sold today gets to use those features, much less go off road (I know you use yours.)

    However, these things sell cars. Car companies make it their business to know what sells cars. Take for example the Jeep. Beyond being able to do many tasks, part of the popularity of what has survived from a war-time utility vehicle is it's ability for their owners to personalize it - to make it how they want it. Jeep picked up on that and has used it to their advantage.

    Don't get me wrong - I agree with much of what you were saying. It surprises me how much aftermarket wheel sets go for, or how much replacement tires cost for these weird sizes. I'm sure you were just venting some of your frustrations. In the spirit of conversation, I'm only answering some questions that were posed. It's not my thing and I don't care about it that much.

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    In general - Lower profile tires = better handling. Higher profile tires = better ride. I think most car/truck guys are going to know that.

    I am responding to someone stating -

    "185/40/18 would fit no issues. If it exists... a 185/35/19 should as well."

    Go to walmart.com, simpletire.com, or tirerack.com & search for those sizes?

    A 14" or 15" tire is already a good size tire for a small economy car. In the American market, the Mirage should come with 175/65r14 or 185/55r15 factory tires. I don't say this because those are superior sizes for the Mirage. I say it because they are a perfect match (23" outside diameter), and they are a somewhat common tire size found here.

    You go outside those two sizes, and your tire choices dwindle quite rapidly.

    I welcome anyone to list what 185/40r18 (23.8") or 185/35r19 (24.4") tires are available. What's available?

    I am not trying to be a jerk here. I would hate to see someone buy 18" or 19" rims like it was suggested and think they are going to put 165, 175, or 185 wide tires on them that easily.

  5. #25
    I think the same way sometimes, no sense posting incorrect information. But if someone is insistent on ordering 19" wheels for a mirage then let them be, you can't fix that.
    Mirage videos:

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  6. #26
    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
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    So far as I know only 1 member has ran 17” rims. No one that I know of have tried 18” or higher. The 17” Oz WRC’s rims would barely fit in the rear without fender rolling.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Name:  IMG-20190926-WA0000.jpg
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    195/45/R16

    My new ride

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    inuvik (10-10-2019)

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    Looks great!

    Any specs on those wheels (width & offset)?

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harris View Post
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    195/45/R16

    My new ride
    Very nice! Good looking tire wheel combo.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Harris (10-11-2019)

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    When you think the largest modern passenger cars ever made, Caddy Eldorado, Olds 98, etc, I mean these things were gigantic and they all rolled along on 15" wheels and looked fine.


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    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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