Ride confort 17" vs 19"

J

JF1444

Member
:
Metro Gray CX-5 GT AWD
After weeks of car-shopping and for nearly every comparable SUV, my short list has basically come down to one: the new CX-5. Doesn't have 'all' what I was looking for (namely more 'zoom-zoom' on highways) but its a small price to pay compared to what else is out there. Best bang for the buck IMO.

My 'new' dilemma is whether to take the GS model w/17" wheels and 'upgrade' to leather interior or go for the GT model w/19" that comes with all I need as is.

The GS comes standard with 17" rims whereas the GT has 19". I'm sure that replacing the 19"s will probably be much more expensive when the time comes and probably offers a much harder, stiffer ride. As this will be a family car and my wife will probably drive it as well, I don't want a car that is excessively loud due to the 19" tires. Handling will probably be much better due to the 19's. Not to mention 'look' sharper on the car. I'm even considering taking the GT and having the dealer install 17"s instead. But they are not willing to give me any kind of credit should I downgrade.

Is the ride that much 'harsher' and louder on the 19's? Has anyone tried both?
Any opinions would be more than welcome!
Thanks!
John
 
Doesn't your dealer have cars with both size wheels for you to test drive? From what I've seen here and from my test drive experience, it doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of difference from a ride harshness standpoint and the 19s do turn in a bit quicker for marginally better handling. That said, 19s are more costly to replace than 17s and the replacement selection is slimmer. The major advantage of 19s seems to be that they seem to be a more natural fit for the car and the wheel itself is somewhat more stylish.
 
paris1 said:
Doesn't your dealer have cars with both size wheels for you to test drive?
Click to expand...

No...that's been my problem. I want to drive them both 'back to back' in order to do a real-world comparison but whenever I get there he's never got a GT to test drive. The GS model accounts for 85+% of their sales so they don't keep much of GTs in inventory for test drives.

Yeah I know, try another dealer... ;)
 
If you buy the GT there are plenty of people who will trade/buy the 19s for their 17s. You also get Sat radio & auto air and more stuff in tech package with GT...
 
19" a little more bumpy --BUT the windy sections make me (2thumbs) running the 19"s
 
I went to the dealer the other day just to do a ride test between the 17"s and the 19"s. Ran the exact same course (same curves, same bumps, etc) with both cars checking handling and ride comfort. I really didn't notice any difference in handling put I didn't push it too hard either. Definetly a difference in ride comfort. The 17"s win big here. But then the 19"s win in the looks department. My current plan (which is always changing) is to buy a GT as soon as the 2.5 engine is available (1st quarter, 2013) and then trade the 19"s for the 17"s. Hopefully the dealer will do the trade. I might have trouble giving up the 19" look if I get them home. If not I will offer them up for trade here.
 
I can assure you that the 19" wheels will not stay round for more than 100k miles, especially if my wife is driving. For this reason alone, my wife will be getting the 17s.
 
Smiley81 said:
GT: heated leather seats. 'Nuff said.
Click to expand...
I have a Touring model (I guess it's GS in Canada) and I have heated leather seats... I had the dealer install leather/heat because i chose not to get a loaded GT, but to get a loaded Touring (GS) instead. The only big difference is the look of the climate controls. There are pictures in my album as well as in another thread here of what my seats look like.
Yes, who would argue that 19" wheels don't look better? Of course they do. But in the big picture, I think it is not that important. Frankly I care more about paying less when time comes to replace the tires. I'd rather get nicer 17" than average 19".. But that's just me :)
So as you might've already guessed, I'd say go with GS model, you'll be also saving a few bucks.
 
JF1444 said:
Is the ride that much 'harsher' and louder on the 19's? Has anyone tried both?
Any opinions would be more than welcome!
Thanks!
John
Click to expand...

I've driven both (Touring w/17's and Grand Touring w/19's in the US). The ride difference and noise difference is insignificant and not noticable at all.

The 19" styling advantage and to a lesser extent minor improvement of handling and steering feel makes it worthwhile for me. Replacement cost difference is minor for me when amortized over the 50K mile life of the 19's. The standard Toyo 19's are good handling, long-wearing, quiet and comfy tires in dry and rainly conditions, I have 10K miles on mine already. (Have not tried them in snow yet).
 
No one else has pointed out the increased rotational mass of the 19" over the 17". If your concerned with the power of the car, going with big heavy 19's is not gonna help. The 17's may not have the look but they'll ride better and wont dog down the motor as much. Rotational mass has a huge effect on performance. This is an engineering fact. Lots of information can be found if your interested in learning more.

Its this exact reason why i would never put aftermarket wheels on a car that are heavier than the stock ones. I have before in the past and it sucked really bad. They look great, but everything else about the ride was worse. Acceleration took a huge hit, the steering felt heavier and i would bet a Benjamin the braking was adversely affected as well as gas mileage.

Just some food for thought.
 
No one has measured the weight difference from the OEM 17's versus 19's, most likely it's small or not enough to significantly impact acceleration.

Major auto magazines have tested both versions (Touring w/17's, GT w/19's) and found no significant difference from a acceleration standpoint.

Aftermarket wheels are another situation (although not the topic of this thread) and weight differences can vary a lot, certainly consideration for weight is especially important with this kind of low power vehicle.
 
Mounted "winter" 17" Mazda OEM wheels (with Pirelli Scorpion Ice&Snow 225/65/R17 tires) few days ago. I can say car offers much better road imperfections handling comparing to 235/55/R19 summer tires. Less bumpy ride, more comfortable, but it does look a bit "ugly" when compared to 19", like it's too small for that car size (SUV) - well, at last to me.

Cheers,
Miki
 
I have the 19" wheels on a full spec CX-5. Ride is great and does better at hig speed and in the corners. However, I assume that you drive like a reasonable person and you can do very well with 17". But...if you can afford, buy the full spec because everything is factory fitted and likely to work better. Plus additional equipment.
I have purchased a second set of rims/tires for the winter. All 225/65/17. As I said, more confortable on bumpy roads but not by much.
I see you live in Canada and I recommend a set of dedicated winter tires (including rims). Because you will rotate them every season (from summer to winter and winter to summer) the overall cost will be the same. Actually you will save because there will be no need for balancing the wheels every time you change the rubber on the same rim, the man hours (you can do it yourself) etc. Plus extra safety driving dedicated winter tires in the snow.
Good luck
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N7turbo
    • Like
On the fence...CX-5 20” wheels vs 19”
2 3
Replies
53
Views
8K
N7turbo
N7turbo
C
CX-5 Ride quality on 17” wheels vs 19”?
Replies
12
Views
1K
N7turbo
N7turbo
S
From 17” Wheels To 19” Wheels
Replies
19
Views
4K
johnrm
J

Latest posts

Back