Car wheels are simply getting too big

The excitement of having a shiny new press car delivered never wears off. Yet, while almost every one comes with glistening paintwork and a fresh new-car aroma, it’s not uncommon to see badly kerbed wheels, despite the car having racked up only a few hundred miles.

It’s easy to blame this on the negligence of fellow journalists, but it also speaks volumes about the downsides of having a car that sits on larger rims. It wasn’t all that long ago when the average wheel size was 14 to 16 inches. Nowadays, it’s easy to find electric cars and SUVs available with 23-inch rims.

This can make tight manoeuvres rather perilous; the 21-inch rims of one of our test cars made weaving through a drive-thru Starbucks the other day feel a bit like playing a larger (and potentially much more expensive) wire loop game. But a susceptibility to kerbing isn’t the only problem plaguing large wheels – a firmer ride and a reduction in efficiency are more idiosyncratic irks. Not everyone wants their car to look like it could star in a rap video, so why do makers rarely give you the option of choosing something smaller? 

Today, there’s little choice about  what wheels come fitted to a particular car – often, wheel styles and sizes are tied directly to trim levels, meaning the only way to get smaller rims is to opt for a lower-spec model. The result being that buyers are faced with the choice of missing out on posher upholstery, improved safety kit and more advanced infotainment if they’re prioritising a cushier ride and a reduced risk of kerbed alloys.

This wouldn’t be much of a problem if alloys were cheap to fix, but the aerodynamic diamond-cut rims of modern cars require far more attention than a traditional wheel, and could set you back hundreds to put right. Throw in the omnipresent potholes – the bane of low-profile tyres – and drivers seem destined to drive around with wheels and spines that are equally buckled.

With this in mind, don’t feel embarrassed by driving around with a bit of kerb rash; it’s simply part of the reality we live in.

On the other hand, if it does bother you,you might be surprised at how little you sacrifice by choosing an older car with smaller wheels; that extra bit of sidewall goes a long way to improve comfort as well as making your wheels less prone to damage.

While some will always want the broadest and most bodacious in this regard, I, for one, would be willing to forgo a bit of bling to make my wheels less easy to ding.

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