Wheels

[oldcro]

What is the opinion on using 18 inch wheels for summer and winter use? I've chosen 18 inch wheels for my next Cayenne and may buy another set for winter tyres.

 

[oliver]

IMO, aesthetically, they will look undersized on a Cayenne, which has the effect of making the car look bulkier..

Personally, I'd have 19" or 20", and the brilliant 'all season' tyres.

 

[growly]

Sorry to contradict, but I have driven the Cayenne with 20" & 21", both of which gave a hard ride. I ordered my Cayenne, new March 2014, with 18" wheels and was amazed at the ride improvement, not just in comfort, but almost no understeer, unless really pushing. The larger wheels understeered at roundabouts. My Cayenne came with the All-Season tyres, but though good do not beat the Michelin Latitude Alpin winter tyres, which I fitted in the Autumn.

Once i have worn out the All-Seasons I will leave the Michelin Alpins on all year. You may think unnecessary in the summer, wait until there are heavy downpours, the wet grip is hugely better. I occasionally use the Cayenne off road on steep slippery tracks, the All Season tyres did well longitudinally, but slid laterally, which the Michelin Alpins did not. We have just returned from Glencoe, Scotland where the track to the King's House Hotel was covered with about 10" snow. The Michelin Alpins conquered the lot!

It is clear the Cayenne has been designed to function best, especially off-road with the 18's. It does look good with bigger wheels, but there is a ride/handling compromise. My Porsche Centre tells me they get broken springs from potholes with the larger wheels.

I trust this helps .........

 

[oldcro]

Oliver, I have 19 inch wheels at present so obviously am not too interested in the looks. By the way the dealer says anything other than the 18 inch wheels improve the looks and resale value.

Growly, I am 100% in agreement with what you say. As the tyres are the same diameter regardless of wheel size I am confused by comments regarding the 18 inch looking undersized.

Thanks to you both for your replies.

 

[geoffbudd]

Should it help - I was advised by a local, highly respected , Tyre Specialist to retain 18" rims - rather than upgrade to larger - for " comfort and performance " values. This clearly outweighs any perceived improvement from a purely aesthetic upgrade to a larger size. In practice, the ride is much harsher with understeer , the larger the rim size. Tyres and their brands then become a personal preference to mirror the vehicle's intended use and owner's driving style.
Porsche Centre did not recommend any larger wheels - despite a possible commercial advantage - which may support that view.

 

[tiskev]

Stick with 18 inch .I use them with both summer and winter tyres.In my opinion apart from comfort
they make the Kn look very neat . We all have our own preferences but we have more than enough
ground clearance with the 18's

 

[oldcro]

Very helpful posts, thanks everybody.

So I have decided to get a spare set of 18 inch wheels for the winter as well as the same for summer use.

 

[Reusch]

I've got 20s on mine and I was looking into getting 19s but never thought about 18s as I thought they would look to small in the arches.

 

[NeilBplymouth]

I had non standard 22in on my 4.8S when I bought it. Swapped to genuine Porsche 20in, as tyre choice and winter accessories more limited for the 22in. Little noticeable difference in ride or handling between the two, I guess the air suspension sorts that out, equally comfortable in comfort mode even on poor road surfaces. The biggest improvement was in reduced road noise going to the 20in, but that may be as much d/t different tyres. The 22in did look better though. Was planning to sell the 22 but considering keeping the 20 for winter and using the 22 in in summer.