16 or 17 Inch? Which Would You Choose?

**CamaroZ28** · April 1st, 2008 11:33 PM

Gentlemen,

Which would you choose for your ride, a 16 or 17 inch wheel?

Is a 17 inch okay to use for travelling outside Manila? i.e. going to Tagaytay, Batangas or Baguio?

Please kindly enumerate the pros and cons of each, if possible.

Thank you in advance.

**toyboxph** · April 2nd, 2008 12:13 AM

In my experience, i would stick with 15. but if your choices are 16 or 17, go with 16. why? because 17s are too harsh, matagtag talaga. it bounces off small bumps, so impractical, tires get easily get damaged when you accidentally hit bad bumps. na flat ako just running over a rut sa concrete road. ang mahal pa ng tires. di bale sana kung smooth ang local roads. man you'll be sorry for getting 17s. sakit sa ulo and katawan and bulsa. ang plus side: pogi tignan, that's all. but that's just me, alam ko maraming kokontra.

**CamaroZ28** · April 2nd, 2008 01:30 AM

My daughter actually wants to change the stock wheels of her Honda Accord 1994. She wants a Rota Cobra 3 17 inch. I had been trying to explain to her that it is better to get a 16 inch than a 17 inch as it has lots of disadvantages and 1 advantage which is the "pogi points".

This afternoon, we went to Evangelista St., at Wheelhaus Marketing. We met this gentleman named Jojo. As the Rota Cobra 3 is not available, we opted for the Rota Quake 16 inch, than the 17 inch Conquest.

We haggled and haggled, till we ended up with the price of P42,000 for 5 Rota Quake 16 inch and 5 Bridgestone Adrenalin tires. By the way, this price was already discounted as our current Michellin tires will be traded.

Paying time came. As I was not carrying any big cash, I tried to pay by credit card.

Malas! Their POS machine is not accepting VISA cards as it has some problem when it comes to EMV enabled cards. Even my Mastercard did not worked too. They indeed confirmed that their POS machine have some issues with chip cards.

Anyway, to make the story short, I told Jojo that we will try to come back again tomorrow, hopefully.

That is why I would like to ask for everyone's advice here as I know you guys are more experienced.

Is it right to choose the 16 than the 17 inch?

**DonT** · April 2nd, 2008 01:53 AM

Kung pang porma lang naman..either 16 or 17 will be ok..Both should be given a lot of TLC for them to last..given the road conditions sa pinas.

For me..if this is my only car..I would not do this...because it will make my mobility limited...I should always be careful where I drive...which I don't care most of the time. For me..Safety and Performance comes first before aesthetics.

My question lang po is..why buy 5 pcs? Just get 4pcs and use the old spare.

**meledson** · April 2nd, 2008 02:04 AM

Para practical, ok na ang 15" or 16" na rims. kung bling lang talaga, kung kaysa ang 21" why not. :D

**mbeige** · April 2nd, 2008 02:52 AM

Depende sa kapal ng goma. Running 17's on 40-series would be the max I would go, that's what my father has in his Jazz sobrang ramdam mo yung tagtag and yung ingay, and it's not as comfortable. The stock 15's are comfy by comparison but have more yield. However, the stock 15's aren't as sensitive as the 17's when it comes to tracking. A small bump on the road with the 17's might make the steering wheel jitter, while the 15's can absorb them with more confidence.

If you're going to travel, I'd just go with 16's. Safer between the two, the 17's are too large. I took the Jazz once on a trip to Tagaytay, not far compared to my other drives but the 17's made it seem far because I had to make sure the road I pass through was even and free of gravel, etc. Plus, those white lines along NLEX that act to wake the driver up should they fall asleep, are a huge annoyance with 17's! But then again that's also part of the suspension set up which is stock.

Ideally I would go with stock wheels. Three reasons:

1. You can have peace of mind should you encounter any large bumps accidentally.
2. You can have a better chance finding the correct sized tire for your wheels should the need arise, when the spare has been used already, etc.
3. For long distance driving, comfort provides better safety on the road more than anything else. You don't have to worry about your tires, your back (dahil matagtag), your passenger, spilling your drinks, etc and just focus on the task at hand - driving.

**VtEC** · April 2nd, 2008 04:20 AM

comfort wise i prefer the stock 15", then for the looks i prefer the 16", since this is what i have on my civic.

..16" nga matagtag na what more sa 17".

**Galactus** · April 2nd, 2008 06:32 AM

Bro, I would also like to dissuade you from getting 17" rims. Obligado kang mag-lowering springs at palit ng gas shocks. IMO, 17-inchers on stock springs/shocks look weird, masyadong mataas ang gap between the tire and fender. Bitin tingnan.

But if you're insistent on getting one, then go 17. 16-inchers won't do much in terms of looks, although mas mura ang goma kesa 17". Caveat: be prepared to sacrifice ride comfort and change your driving style. Daming lubak dito sa MM, mahirap pag na-bengkong ang rim, mahal magpaayos.

Btw, I also own a 5th Gen Accord.

**emms1121** · April 2nd, 2008 07:47 AM

I would prefer 16 inches bro. Lalo na kung long distance driving. Masama experience ko sa 17 inches ng galant ko before. Napakamahal ng gulong. I would even prefer the stock tires for ride comfort. Advantage mo lang sa malalaking rim is that you can tackle curves faster. Peace!

**Type 100** · April 2nd, 2008 09:10 AM

I'm also in the hunt for wheels and tires nowadays. Given my Jazz's firm riding suspension I decided to look for 16s na lang.

15-inch rolling stock looks too small in the Jazz's wheel wells without lowering springs (which I don't plan on buying). 16s are perfect. 17s look a LOT better, but pose too much of a burden on driving, mobility and buying tires.

The 1994 CD-series Accords have low bodies, so even 16" rolling stock will look good, in my opinion. If you're dead set on 17s, I suggest you don't consider a tire aspect ratio less than 45.

My two cents