Ride quality 18" vs 19"?

Just wondering if anyone can comment on how the ride on 18" wheels compares to 19"?

I have 19" (with Magneride) and when I'm due for new tyres I'm considering getting a set of 18" wheels ... just wondering how much difference half an inch of sidewall makes? (I'll probably be putting All Terrain tyres on them).

I'd appreciate comments about both on-road and off-road use.

Many thanks!
Jonathan.

None at all I would think as you have Magneride - you will notice a fair bit more road noise if you fit ATRs, in fact I have found on my Defender that the BFG MTRs ride more quietly than the BFG ATRs that I also have for the car!
The advantage of the higher sidewall off road is less likelihood of damage to the tyre than if you ran on road tyres and you gain a little ground clearance if you choose the right profile.

We have 20s with Michelin laptitude tyres on and ride is a bit harder than the loan car we had for a month which had 17s. However the 17s did washed out if you cornered hard which is not a problem with the 20s, 17s were all season Pirelli scorpions.

Just to confuse things the last loan car we had came with 20s on Pirelli scorpions all weather and the ride was softer and washed out a little more. So if its ride quality over handling you want get some Pirelli scorpions.

(05-06-2013 07:05pm)j7david Wrote:  Just wondering if anyone can comment on how the ride on 18" wheels compares to 19"?

I have 19" (with Magneride) and when I'm due for new tyres I'm considering getting a set of 18" wheels ... just wondering how much difference half an inch of sidewall makes? (I'll probably be putting All Terrain tyres on them).

I'd appreciate comments about both on-road and off-road use.

Many thanks!
Jonathan.

My 2014 Dynamic with Magneride came with 20 inch wheels on 245/45 R20 sport tires. I was having difficulty with the the ride quality over potholes, I felt like the harshness was too jarring for the car and me.

I found black OZ Racing 18 inch wheels and mounted them on 235/60 R18 all seasons. Not only does my Evoque look better, it corners better, rides better and is quieter. So glad I made the purchase.

I am surprised to hear you say it corners better. Normally the trade-off between ride comfort and cornering performance is consistent - you get one at the expense of the other. You claim the best of both worlds, wishful thinking?

I would have expected swapping 20's for narrower 18's would indeed have improved ride comfort and reduced noise but at the expense of cornering ability due to the reduced contact patch size and increased flex in the side-wall. All depends on the roads you are driving on though the small wheels are less likely to get scuffed in pot holes or by kerb contact.

As for looks, it's a personal thing, my view is that the wheel arches of an Evoque with 18 inch wheels look a bit empty, but each to his own.

(06-07-2014 06:25am)mark_n Wrote:  I am surprised to hear you say it corners better. Normally the trade-off between ride comfort and cornering performance is consistent - you get one at the expense of the other. You claim the best of both worlds, wishful thinking?

I would have expected swapping 20's for narrower 18's would indeed have improved ride comfort and reduced noise but at the expense of cornering ability due to the reduced contact patch size and increased flex in the side-wall. All depends on the roads you are driving on though the small wheels are less likely to get scuffed in pot holes or by kerb contact.

As for looks, it's a personal thing, my view is that the wheel arches of an Evoque with 18 inch wheels look a bit empty, but each to his own.

Why should the wheel arches look empty ?? the total wheel diameter should be the same, increase of wheel diameter is compensated by lower sidewalls isn't it.

Beside this, drive 100 meters with a flat 45 tyre and the sidewalls are gone,, happened last week to my wife on her Megane CC

On a race track the 19/20 inch wheel and tyre would probably perform better than the 18 inch but in everyday driving where we get nowhere near the car's limits I believe the 18 inch wheels will perform equally well. The car was designed for the 18 inch wheels, larger diameter are purely cosmetic. I've made similar comparisons on a Freelander 2, RR Sport and a VW Golf Gti and have experienced no benefit from the larger diameter wheels with definite degradation in ride quality with the bigger wheels.. Unless the style of the 18 inch rims really bugs you save your money.

I'm loving my 18" /60 profiles. The trade off in handling is far out weighed by never having to worry about scraping a wheel on the kerb. I have moved from a Peugeot 206 gti with 16"/40 to golf gti 18"/45 to evoque 18/60. The ride is SOO much better in the evoque