Hi new member here, looking at purchasing a 09 Outlander and was wondering if someone could assure me that the road quality won't suffer badly on the 18" rims that come with the fully loaded model. Ive only had the chance of test driving a model w/ 16" alloys. The wheels are only for summer use and i have the option of picking either size, I would really appreciate some feedback because I may buy it tommorow

btw our roads are not that smooth, but the wheels are only for summer use? what do u think? Thanks

 

I have the 16's. Around town I have no issues whatsoever. On the highway I find that the steering can be a little vague and floaty at higher speeds 120km/h or so. (about 75mph) I think its more to do with the yokohama tires the truck is equipped with. I cant wait to replace them.

 

The 18's are defenitely going to be a little stiffer, not as squishy as the 16's. So you could say a little harsher ride with the 18's. But the 18's will have better grip and cornering capabilities (car & driver found the same...)

Though, the stock Goodyears that came on my 18's are not the best imo. Decent all-season as far as grip on slippery roads. But wear sat in at 30k mi and road noise increased. So now cant wait to get some new rubber, which you will find several discusions about on here as well.

Go with the 18's, tires can always be changed, and you will thank yourself every time you walk up to your Outlander.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm getting the 18's even though the 16's would be a better ride around here. Its just that our winters are so long that most of the time the outlander will have steel wheels on it, so it will be nice to have bigger wheels for a few months out of the year.

Piast low profile tires can be a pita over rough roads. Euro sedan firm is not something you want around here lol trust me i got a 6th gen civic tuned

 

My 07 LS came with the 16's wheels but I found a good deal for a set of 18's and believe that is the best thing I could have done to this SUV. Just like "outpack" said around town the OEM 16's perform very good but the highways speeds steering is not as good as the 18's. I believe it is because the tires width, the OEM 16's come with thinner tires that the 18's. I even drove around a winter with the 16's with no issues. As far as the 18's ride softness they feel the same as the 16's. With the 18's you still have a 225/55-18 tire which it have plenty of sidewall.

But the best of all is the overall appearance; I parked next to another LS last week with the OEM 16's and mine with the OEM 18's looks WAY better.

just my .02

 

When it comes time to replace the P215/70R16 Yokohama Geolanders on my ES I plan on staying with the 16 inch wheels, but going with either P225 or P235 tires. Mounted on the 6.5 inch wide rims on my ES a P225 tire will give me a 3/10 inch wider tire and a P235 tire will give 6/10 of an inch wider tire. This will give me more rubber on the road for better highway control, while saving me the cost of buying new wheels.

 

Yea the 18" wheels are better imo. The ride may be slightly harsher but its definitly worth it because they are much more planted. And theres no comparison in looks

For the winter, what steel wheel and tire size do you guys recommend?

 

Stay with the OEM wheel and tire size; a 16" steelie and 215/70R16 winter tire.

 

The width of the sidewall really won't influence how the car 'feels' at highway speeds. That's because the car has over assisted powersteering.

Now, if you were building an autocross car I would tell you to go with 16's, but this is a DD, so you will be just fine. Sure the ride will be slightly harsher because of the stiffer sidewall, but that's all. Also the tires will be more expensive.

 

18 size tires have become so popular now that the demand have the prices very close to the other smaller size tires. You just have to shop around for the best deal and find places like SEARS who will match online vendors prices. About 6mo back I installed a set of 18 tires in my car with low profiles for around $515 installed and out of the door when originally I was suppose to pay over $750. You just have to be a smart shopper and not jump into the first offer you see.