mmarshall

I'm not trashing the whole Cadillac division. But, despite your admittedly good experience with an XT4, their average reliability ratings across the board have, for years, been lower than Buick's. To state otherwise would be to deny reality.

tex2670

Yeah - even Corollas do this.

mmarshall

Many buyers simply are uneducated in automotive design, and do not understand the dynamics of wheels/tires and ride-comfort. They think that big wheels and tires are "cool" and either don't care about a rough ride or don't really notice it until they get their vehicle home and live with it for a while.

Now, having said that, I'll admit two things. First, low-profiles, while a disadvantage, don't ALWAYS mean a rough ride....sometimes other factors like suspension design, come into play. Second, when I test-drove the older Hyundai Genesis sedan with 45-series tires (before the new Genesis division itself), and the older BMW 335i, before the conversion to the newer BMW suspensions and electric-steering, I was impressed with the ride comfort of both of them...the harshness of the tires was compensated for by more give in the suspension. The BMW was particularly impressive, considering it was a Sport package with 35-series rubber. But, sadly, in the strong majority of cases, all else equal, less sidewall means less comfort...that's just physics.

SW17LS

Or people just like the look of larger wheels and don't mind the ride. People are not "uneducated in automotive design" because they disagree with you.

LexBob2

This lol. Plus, suspensions have changed and improved over the years as well as the consumers that are buying cars.

SW17LS

I'm a firm believer in the market winning out. People buy what they like and what people like is what sells. If people preferred smaller wheels for a better ride, carmakers would deliver that. Most cars today look terrible on small wheels, and customers want the better looking wheels. Even me, I would never have bought an S560 on 18s, it looks terrible. The 20s look best but I chose a middle ground. Hard to find because most of them are on 20s...why? Because thats what people want.

mmarshall

You were at least given a choice. Many vehicles and trim levels don't give you that choice. A perfect example (again, sad to say, from Buick) was the pert little Opel-based Cascada convertible sold several years ago. I really liked it (so did Jill)...and I would have considered owning one if not for the fact that they all came with 20" 40-series tires and rode like s***, even with recommended PSIs.

mmarshall

Well, you just repeated what I said in my last post...some people like the looks and don't care about a rough ride. That is not a matter of agreeing with me or not...it is their preference. I did not say otherwise. What I DID say (correctly and factually) is that some people are uneducated in vehicle design. To deny that is to deny reality.

mmarshall

Anyhow, this thread is getting off the rails with tire-sizes. Anyone have any other questions/comments about either the first-generation 2020-2023 or the new 2024 Encore GX? Or the Envista?

Since my last comments on the new upcoming 2024 Envista, I've not been impressed with the fact that there is no 360-camera on any trim-level..that will tilt it more in the direction of the Encore GX for me. I've had experience now with the 360-surround camera, and I don't think I would ever want another vehicle without it...it is a fantastic help in parking.

SW17LS

I was given a choice because it was such an expensive car, and only to a certain extent. You couldn't get 18s with the AMG package for instance, 19s were the smallest. Mainstream cars don't have the same number of options, they put options together that appeal to consumers and that includes the bigger more attractive wheels on higher packages.

If most people didn't want the larger wheels, they would not include them in the higher packages.

tex2670

This is actually borderline offensive.

Some people ... just don't care.

Some people .... like myself .... prefer a stiffer ride.

I don't understand why you can't just say that your personal preference is a softer ride, instead of trying to make your personal view what's "normal".

tex2670

This is a bit unfair. Many cars bundle lots of other features in the higher trims, which also come with larger wheels. So if you want that pano roof or the vented seats, etc, etc, then you can't avoid the larger wheels. It's not like every customer is actively saying "I want larger wheels".

But ... most don't really care or even know.

mmarshall

It was not aimed at you. You have a good basic knowledge of the automotive buisness...and add a lot to this forum.

SW17LS

Car companies do market research to decide what features to put in those packages. By and large, people paying for a premium package want better wheels, panoramic roofs, ventilated seats etc. Sure they wind up with options they don't care about, but thats just the way it is when the manufacturers are reducing their packaging and tooling costs.

mmarshall

Agreed...well-stated.