Stock Summer Tires vs All Season 18"

Driveitlikeuboughtit

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I know this was a big question for me when I was looking at 18" wheels - how would a wider all season stack up against stock summer tires?

Well, after having gone from Stock to All Season back to Stock, I have some observations.

My 18" setup is Enkei NT03RR's 18x9.5 +45mm with 265/35R18 Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 tires.

1) The all seasons slip more. Period. Easier to break loose, which can be fun because it's easier to get some mild drift action going on low speed corners. Not great in terms of wear - it's very easy to send these tires up in smoke in 1st and 2nd gear. Not great in terms of sheer cornering potential. No safety issues.

2) The 20" wheels ride smoother. I don't know if it's the increased weight (a little less than 20 lbs for the Enkei's vs ~29 lbs for stock) or the tires themselves, but you can definitely tell while cruising on the highway. Less "chatter" through the steering wheel.

3) You do feel the hard bumps more with the 20" wheels - large potholes, expansion joints, things like that do feel worse in the stock wheels vs the 18".

4) The 20" wheels have better turn-in and it's extremely rare to feel the tug of torque steer. I can't say that with my 18" wheels - you'll feel the torque steer through the steering wheel, although the car will still respond well to inputs.

5) It's jarring to see my fat gunmetal wheels turned into black/red skinnier 20" wheels. It really drives home how much the look changes.

6) The stock tires are super sticky - even with the Rally Armor, I'm hearing more things hit the side of my car from the front tires throwing stuff up.

7) You are losing something by going all-season all the time. It's actually a damn waste - you can't put the power down as effectively and you lose quite a bit of cornering potential.

8) Rain performance is about the same - both have performance degradation in the wet that you can feel through the throttle. The 18" wider wheels are a little scarier when going through standing water - definitely wants to pull to the side.

When these tires wear out, I think I'm going to put all-seasons/winters on my 20" wheels - I value the smooth ride and look. The 18" wheels will be for the summer - I'm sure putting some kick-ass summer rubber on there will be rewarded.
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