Why do some new cars have steel wheels ?

benham3160

Sure they're not rental cars?

I know that some of the large rental companies spec' quite nice cars with steel wheels, guess it saves tatty wheels and trims are much cheaper and simpler to replace than wheels?

Had a car from Europcar a few years ago which was a high-spec Mondeo with steel wheels and no trims either!

Strider590

Forget winter tyre's, very few people use them.

Basically people are increasingly buying the budget versions of cars these days, for many it's more important for it to be new, than for it to be a decent spec.

motorguy

Strider590 wrote: »

Forget winter tyre's, very few people use them.

Basically people are increasingly buying the budget versions of cars these days, for many it's more important for it to be new, than for it to be a decent spec.

Nah. You're off the mark there.

Winter wheels predominantly - given the o/p specifically said they were exposed steel wheels, not wheel trimmed variants.

motorguy

benham3160 wrote: »

Sure they're not rental cars?

I know that some of the large rental companies spec' quite nice cars with steel wheels, guess it saves tatty wheels and trims are much cheaper and simpler to replace than wheels?

Had a car from Europcar a few years ago which was a high-spec Mondeo with steel wheels and no trims either!

Rental companies have to resell their cars when they've finished with them.

Any "advantage" in replacing a £20 wheel trim compared to a £40 wheel refurb (which the customer who damaged it would have to pay for anyway) would be grossly offset by the reduced resale value on a car that should have had alloys in the first place.

benham3160

motorguy wrote: »

Rental companies have to resell their cars when they've finished with them.

Any "advantage" in replacing a £20 wheel trim compared to a £40 wheel refurb (which the customer who damaged it would have to pay for anyway) would be grossly offset by the reduced resale value on a car that should have had alloys in the first place.

I am however telling you it's quite common to find rental cars with steel wheels, even quite nicely spec'd ones, or at least that's what I've come across anyway.

Maybe they are returned to the alloys for sale? I don't know and can't speak for all cases but I'm sure it's fairly common.

You wouldn't need to VOR over a wheel trim, I guess that's one thing over a refurb?

Strider590

motorguy wrote: »

Nah. You're off the mark there.

Winter wheels predominantly - given the o/p specifically said they were exposed steel wheels, not wheel trimmed variants.

It's not winter tyres...........

The percentage of people in the UK that actually use them is tiny.

More likely the wheels trims have been nicked, or they're hire cars where the trims have been removed to prevent loss.

Spicy_McHaggis

Strider590 wrote: »

It's not winter tyres...........

The percentage of people in the UK that actually use them is tiny.

More likely the wheels trims have been nicked, or they're hire cars where the trims have been removed to prevent loss.

OP said they were on BMWs and Mercs, which models are supplied on steel rims?

benham3160

Spicy_McHaggis wrote: »

OP said they were on BMWs and Mercs, which models are supplied on steel rims?

You can purchase steel wheels from third party vendors in just about any fitment you choose, don't ask me how they're delivered though!

Spicy_McHaggis

benham3160 wrote: »

You can purchase steel wheels from third party vendors in just about any fitment you choose, don't ask me how they're delivered though!

Guess you missed supplied?

Doesn't fit with what he said, unless you're claiming to save money they're buying cars without wheels then getting steel rims from a third party.

Strider590 wrote: »

Forget winter tyre's, very few people use them.

Basically people are increasingly buying the budget versions of cars these days, for many it's more important for it to be new, than for it to be a decent spec.

Djene

I've never seen a rental with steel wheels before, I'm sure they'd love to charge someone for alloy wheel damage instead of putting steelie's on haha.

After reading some replys, I think it could be winter wheels. Which is still odd to me, as in my way to work earlier I seen a 64 plate BMW 5 series, decent spec by the looks of it, with steelie's. If I bought a brand new car, which had brand new tyres, the first thing in my mind wouldn't be to spend hundreds on new winter tyres.

I've never seen the need for them personally. I mean each to their own, but I would go out my way buy them. My second car was a BMW 330ci with rather worn (still legal) tyres and I never had any issues during winter.