Wheel Size

400ixl

No, you likely do not need to get a lower model. This is wrong advice in most cases.

Pretty much all manufacturers allow you to just choose different wheels. If the model you want has everything else you want it will be cheaper to downgrade the wheels than choose a lower model and have to upgrade to the spec of a higher model.

If the OP didn't want the other features they would be looking at the lower model with the smaller wheels anyway.

motorguy

400ixl said:

No, you likely do not need to get a lower model. This is wrong advice in most cases.

Pretty much all manufacturers allow you to just choose different wheels. If the model you want has everything else you want it will be cheaper to downgrade the wheels than choose a lower model and have to upgrade to the spec of a higher model.

If the OP didn't want the other features they would be looking at the lower model with the smaller wheels anyway.

No.

Incorrect.

You can vary wheel style in the same standard size or often to a larger wheel.

Very few manufacturers will allow you to "downgrade" to a smaller than standard wheel.

VW is no exception to this - their Tiguan R-Line wheel size is 20 inch and any variances are in styling only, not to smaller wheels.

Variance to a smaller wheel would require buying a new set of smaller wheels and tyres and selling the larger set of wheels.  The smaller wheels may not fit over the larger discs and brake calipers also (some sportier variants have biggers discs and calipers).  The dealer may possibly facilitate this but bear in mind a new set of genuine alloys and tyres will be maybe £3K++

Cars are built and type approved in certain spec combinations.  

Iceweasel

The solution is so simple.
If you don't like the wheels (large or small) just don't but that car.
Chose different car from a different manufacturer, with wheels you like.

400ixl

motorguy said:

400ixl said:

No, you likely do not need to get a lower model. This is wrong advice in most cases.

Pretty much all manufacturers allow you to just choose different wheels. If the model you want has everything else you want it will be cheaper to downgrade the wheels than choose a lower model and have to upgrade to the spec of a higher model.

If the OP didn't want the other features they would be looking at the lower model with the smaller wheels anyway.

No.

Incorrect.

You can vary wheel style in the same standard size or often to a larger wheel.

Very few manufacturers will allow you to "downgrade" to a smaller than standard wheel.

VW is no exception to this - their Tiguan R-Line wheel size is 20 inch and any variances are in styling only, not to smaller wheels.

Variance to a smaller wheel would require buying a new set of smaller wheels and tyres and selling the larger set of wheels.  The smaller wheels may not fit over the larger discs and brake calipers also (some sportier variants have biggers discs and calipers).  The dealer may possibly facilitate this but bear in mind a new set of genuine alloys and tyres will be maybe £3K++

Cars are built and type approved in certain spec combinations.  

Funny, my VAG group car came standard with 19" wheels but could be configured with 20" or 18" on ordering

Also a friend bought a Tiguan Elegance last year which has standard 19" wheels with 18"s when ordering. They could also have ordered it with 20's if they wanted as well.

They are type approved in a number of configurations, usually engine and wheel (actually tyre) size combinations.

The Type R-Line may be an exception but that wasn't the case for my S-Line (Audi) or friends Elegance.

There is also the option that the dealer swaps the wheels at delivery time. Will have a cost but is an option.

EnPointe

EssexExile said:

35har1old said:

TheProfessional said:

Thanks for the comments all

I currently have 20" and I don't think I'll do that ever again. They aren't totally terrible but with two small kids now I'd prefer the comfort of a smaller wheel like suggested with potholes, speed bumps etc. 

Also less bothered about the look now there's two kids car seats in the back and filled with muddy bikes and sand

Might just look down the range and just see about a less attractive trim but a wheel of choice e.g 19"

I'm not even sure the 1" difference would make that much of a noticeable improvement but theoretically should 

 H

Surely a smaller wheel dropping into a small pothole drops further.
As to speed bumps the size of wheel has very little to do with it as the description says it all "speed bump"
Larger wheel more ground clearance 

Smaller wheel comes with a fatter tyre, same overall diameter, same ground clearance, more give in a pothole, softer ride.

except they often don't 

the  overall diameter   with smaller rims may be smaller and still have a 45  (for example) section  tyre fitted , sometimes you do  find bog base models  with 16 in wheels running  tyres with a higher profile . 

physically   there are some  models / specificatiosn of  a  vehicle which cannot  have a downgraded  wheel / tyre combination as they have been  approved only  with the larger  wheel / the larger wheel is required to fit over the brakes fitted to  particular  models of the  vehicle   

 ride 'softness' is not  necessarily a function of  tyre profile  especially  if the tyres fitted are  heavy duty  or  run flat  ... 

EnPointe

wongataa said:

35har1old said:

TheProfessional said:

Thanks for the comments all

I currently have 20" and I don't think I'll do that ever again. They aren't totally terrible but with two small kids now I'd prefer the comfort of a smaller wheel like suggested with potholes, speed bumps etc. 

Also less bothered about the look now there's two kids car seats in the back and filled with muddy bikes and sand

Might just look down the range and just see about a less attractive trim but a wheel of choice e.g 19"

I'm not even sure the 1" difference would make that much of a noticeable improvement but theoretically should 

 H

Surely a smaller wheel dropping into a small pothole drops further.
As to speed bumps the size of wheel has very little to do with it as the description says it all "speed bump"
Larger wheel more ground clearance 

All cars in a range will have the same outside diameter of tyre.  The wheel size dictates the size of the tyre sidewall.  Smaller wheels means larger sidewalls (to keep the same OD of tyre) which means more comfort.  Smaller wheels are also lighter in general.

The same outside diameter of tyre is kept constant so the speedo reads correctly and the odometer reads correctly.  Manufacturers don't want to have different programming for speedos depending on wheel size.

 this is incorrect 

Iceweasel

Alternative / approved wheel sizes and tyre options are normally found on a sticker or the driver's side door-post.
It will also show the various tyre pressures needed.

motorguy

400ixl said:

motorguy said:

400ixl said:

No, you likely do not need to get a lower model. This is wrong advice in most cases.

Pretty much all manufacturers allow you to just choose different wheels. If the model you want has everything else you want it will be cheaper to downgrade the wheels than choose a lower model and have to upgrade to the spec of a higher model.

If the OP didn't want the other features they would be looking at the lower model with the smaller wheels anyway.

No.

Incorrect.

You can vary wheel style in the same standard size or often to a larger wheel.

Very few manufacturers will allow you to "downgrade" to a smaller than standard wheel.

VW is no exception to this - their Tiguan R-Line wheel size is 20 inch and any variances are in styling only, not to smaller wheels.

Variance to a smaller wheel would require buying a new set of smaller wheels and tyres and selling the larger set of wheels.  The smaller wheels may not fit over the larger discs and brake calipers also (some sportier variants have biggers discs and calipers).  The dealer may possibly facilitate this but bear in mind a new set of genuine alloys and tyres will be maybe £3K++

Cars are built and type approved in certain spec combinations.  

Funny, my VAG group car came standard with 19" wheels but could be configured with 20" or 18" on ordering

Also a friend bought a Tiguan Elegance last year which has standard 19" wheels with 18"s when ordering. They could also have ordered it with 20's if they wanted as well.

They are type approved in a number of configurations, usually engine and wheel (actually tyre) size combinations.

The Type R-Line may be an exception but that wasn't the case for my S-Line (Audi) or friends Elegance.

There is also the option that the dealer swaps the wheels at delivery time. Will have a cost but is an option.

There is no option in the Configurator to change wheel sizes down on the R-Line.

On checking its not Type Approval that would be the issue, its WLTP testing, where each model and trim level offered has been specifically WLTP tested.  It is why we lost so many individual options around 2018 and manufacturers moved to "packs" - because each combination had to be tested.

So an R-Line running on 19s instead of the standard 20s would potentially not have been WLTP tested.

Hence why i'd be extremely surprised if you could just ring VW and ask them to build you a one off car with smaller wheels than standard - and again, that is borne out in the configurators online.

As per my comment above, yes the dealer may be able to facilitate this by swapping the wheels out off potentially another car but i'd imagine that would be a rarity - particularly if they had to order wheels in to do so.  They may be willing to swap wheels off another car they have in stock, but again that could bring problems for them.

motorguy

Iceweasel said:

The solution is so simple.
If you don't like the wheels (large or small) just don't but that car.
Chose different car from a different manufacturer, with wheels you like.

its simpler than that - go for a model further down the range with the smaller wheels and add the specific spec items you want.

That way you get the car you actually want, in the spec you want.

forgotmyname

FFHillbilly said:

if you were to put a smaller OEM VW badged wheel on the new car no insurance company would question it in a claim, unless it was a fault with one of the wheels that caused the claim of course 

Wrong on that one.  I have had insurance quotes from the budget companies and one was so cheap it was worth a phone call.  They asked stupid questions like did
the car have and factory fitted options...   That maybe OK on a brand new car you just ordered and know the exact spec but on a 10 year old car who knows if
everything fitted was standard to that model?

I asked them if several fitted items were factory fitted and they did not know, asked them if they don't know how was I supposed to know without acces to
the dealers system where the build spec would be available?

My first thoughts was this is a company that will find any excuse not to payout.