Question of the week: Why can't I get a high-spec car with small wheels?
Fri, 24 Oct 2025
Dear Honest John,
"Why can't I configure a new car with the wheel sizes I want? I ask because I'm frustrated that I cannot get high-spec cars with smaller wheels and deeper profile tyres, even when they are available within the same range.
What is preventing manufacturers from doing so? There must be a logistical consideration, but if your car is built to order, why could it not be supplied with the wheel size of your choosing?
Are there crash safety testing considerations e.g. all permutations of drivetrain and wheel size must be tested? Emissions testing also? Given a car is generally more efficient on smaller wheels/deeper profile tyres, there is surely an argument to suggest that it is in everyone's interests from an ecological perspective that this option be offered...
- MH
Dear MH,
Manufacturers have to balance giving the customer the freedom to choose with the cost to them of providing those options, as the more potential permutations there are for a vehicle the more expensive it is for them to produce slightly different variations.
In an ideal world for a manufacturer there would be a single model with every option and no colour choice that they would charge a high price for, as this would mean the same vehicle could be shipped to dealers.
The reality is that the majority of buyers care more about how their car looks than the ride and handling characteristics.
As a general rule, cars 'look' better on larger wheels - if you've ever seen a designer's original sketch of car that has reached production you will see it sat on wheels that fill the arches and are almost certainly too large to reach production.
A wider tyre means a larger contact patch and therefore more grip, but also means greater rolling resistance and therefore increased fuel consumption, assuming the design of the tyre is the same, but any tyre is a compromise between these factors.
While the wheel choice may be limited in terms of specifying a car direct from the manufacturer, other than allowing for clearance on brake discs and callipers there is nothing to stop you from purchasing smaller wheels and tyres once you have the vehicle and selling the originally supplied items on for a small profit.
