Design Disasters: Three Ways Cars Are Getting Worse
Source: Forbes
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Look how small the sidewall of this Audi A5's tire is. - Credit: Audi



A pothole more the size of a cauldron appeared from beneath the bumper of the Ford van I was following several car lengths behind onto the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
The driver ahead slammed on his brakes and swerved to avoid it. He failed—and so did I.
But where the van’s beefy tires shrugged off the impact, the low-profile rubber on the 18-inch wheel of the Audi A5 I was driving just buckled.
When the right front rim violently struck bottom, it felt and sounded like a shotgun blast. A bag on the seat next to me leapt into the air and spewed its contents all over the passenger footwell. Still rolling forward, I found myself in the middle of fast-moving traffic on a busy New York City highway, a $180 front tire tugging at the steering wheel as it quickly deflated.

In Pictures: Car Design Disasters
This ordeal—which I muddled through by limping home on a flat that miraculously stayed intact and on the rim—is the unfortunate result of what some car designers and engineers call progress.
And it’s only one of several trends in automotive design that are making cars less practical, less comfortable and in some cases less safe.

Huge Wheels
Wheels have been getting increasingly larger and wider, and not just on sports cars—regular ones, too.
They look cool and make the car grip the road better, so it can take turns faster and stop shorter. But the tradeoff is a pricier tire with a smaller sidewall that is less resilient to bumps and potholes.
What’s worse is that many new cars, including budget-minded ones like the Hyundai Elantra, are sold without a spare tire and jack now, to save weight and cost. You can usually add them as an option, though.
BMW 3 Series sedan -



Others, like the BMW 3 Series I drove a couple of years ago, have “run flat” tires with beefed up sidewalls. In theory, they allow you to keep driving when the tire is punctured.
I wasn’t a fan of them until hitting a huge pothole in that BMW, this time on the Grand Central Parkway. The reaction was as violent as in the Audi—a coffee tumbler got launched into the air on this occasion—but the tire stayed inflated.
When I got home, I found a two-inch gash right above the edge of the rim, much like on the Audi A5’s tire, only it didn’t go all the way through the rigid sidewall. You could see the tough woven fibers had kept it intact.
But there’s a downside to run-flats too: They create a more jarring ride. And on that 3 Series, which was already tightly sprung to begin with, the teeth-rattling discomfort started to overshadow the car’s otherwise stellar driving dynamics by the end of my week with it.
It wasn’t until driving an Infiniti G25 sedan recently that it struck me how truly stupid this trend toward larger wheels is. The G25 has 17-inch wheels with tires that have only half an inch more sidewall than the Audi A5’s.
Infiniti G25 -


What a difference that half inch makes.
Sure, the steering was sharper on the Audi, but the Infiniti’s slightly taller tires easily absorbed holes and bumps in the pavement that I would’ve had to dodge in the Audi. For the peace of mind taller tires bring, I will gladly give up the minor improvement in steering feel on a daily driver.
Large rims are overrated on cars used for everyday transport. In fact, to me, they’re a liability that costs more money and causes more stress than they’re worth.
Go for the 20-inchers if you’re getting a Corvette or Ferrari. Otherwise, I recommend avoiding all the pricey wheel and tire upgrades available on so many regular cars.


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Yeah i totally agree. The ones on Monte Carlo's aren't to bad but they are still not really that absorbent to the bumps and potholes luckily haven't hit a pot hole yet. I posted the pictures of my fixed Monte at your request and are available to see here.
https://montecarloforum.com/forum/de...ood-new-44519/
Hopefully you have time to check it out

 

The reasons that I am not going larger than an 18" on my Camaro.

The price of tires in the 20+ range are crazy. Plus I still like the beefy look of rubber on a lot of cars.

 

I went from stock 17's to aftermarket 18's, that is good enough for me since she is my DD

 

Thanks Member's for your post on this topic & not showing any hate & just your opinions...

Admin `Mike, I think you are a wise man & the cost is really high on large rims & tires & to get the right set up.

`Lisa, I like your 18's & it adds to the beauty of your Monte

I've seen what pot holes can `do to tires & rims & we have many pot holes & users here in Florida...It's crazy out there on the highways of life + it seems like the larger rim's & tires are a thieves target in many parts of Florida > I don't know about other area's of the country, but the bad guys love to see a lonely ride with a nice set of rims & tires....

I think there are a lot of Monte's on the MCF Dub thread & I did not see any haters, just a few member's that stated it's not their thing... "2 each their own as long as they aren't hurting anyone", maybe just their wallet for the cost to have something they desire on their ride(s)...Peace/Out & thanks member's for all your peaceful posts

 

I went to 18" on my Dale Jr & the ride actually improved, not that the bigger wheels helped it was more the tire than anything. Yokohama 580's are a nice tire, way better than the Goodyear and Pirelli that were the previous rollers.