Blings ain’t what they used to be

I'm buying a new SEAT Alahambra Stylance, which comes with 17" alloy wheels as standard. However, the spare wheel (the fact that it has one is one of the reasons I'm buying this car not a Galaxy) is only a 16". The salesman said that if I had a puncture on the front wheels I'd need to be careful with a 16" and a 17" on the same axle i.e. don't drive too far or too fast and get the puncture fixed asap. If it was on the rear axle, no problem. This all seems a bit strange to me. He seemed to be saying that having 17" wheels instead of 16" was a big deal and worth the hassle of the spare being a different size. Why? What do I gain from having wheels that are an inch bigger? Hoping you can shed some light on this as I'm puzzled.

Asked on 1 August 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

You gain nothing much from the 17" wheels except a harder ride, greater likelihood of tyre damage and more expensive tyres. It would be better on a full set of 16s. But the 16" spare will have a deeper profile tyre than the 17" road wheels and the rolling circumference should be the same. It's standard for SEAT to fit 17" road wheels and a 16" steel spare with a deeper profile tyre.

Tags: buying wheels and tyres new cars

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

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