Cars v Potholes

[bodmino]

I was just thinking today that car manufacturers should be building cars which are tolerant of the road conditions on which they are driven.

As most roads are now in a disgraceful condition with little prospect of improvement, the manufacturers should be reflecting this in their suspension/wheel/tyre configuration. The days of low profile tyres on huge wheels are over.

What’s the point in having low profile tyres on hugely expensive alloys when there’s a very high chance they will be ruined very quickly?

I’m not advocating Chelsea tractors for everyone, but small cheap cars should have high profile tyres.

[HustleRussell]

Consumers choose form over function.

[bitchstewie]

Just had a new car which has 185/65 R15 tyres.

Makes a massive difference with the state of the roads at the moment.

[Hoofy]

Every trip feels like a Top Gear challenge these days.

[Dingu]

bodmino said:

.

What’s the point in having low profile tyres on hugely expensive alloys when there’s a very high chance they will be ruined very quickly?

It’s what people want/buy.

[BoRED S2upid]

Roads round here are pretty good. You report a pothole and it gets fixed.

[bodmino]

BoRED S2upid said:

Roads round here are pretty good. You report a pothole and it gets fixed.

You obviously don’t live in Edinburgh!

[Dingu]

bodmino said:

BoRED S2upid said:

Roads round here are pretty good. You report a pothole and it gets fixed.

You obviously don’t live in Edinburgh!

So by most roads you mean most in Edinburgh?

[lemonslap]

bodmino said:

BoRED S2upid said:

Roads round here are pretty good. You report a pothole and it gets fixed.

You obviously don’t live in Edinburgh!

Here in Kent they seem to of stopped bothering to repair, I keep reporting but the requests then disappear from the online tool after two weeks! It’s causing accidents around here now, a persistent hole local to us is around a blind bend so large a traffic cone sits in it. Unfortunately there is only just room for 2 cars to pass and you can imagine the rest… Every drive feels like the car is taking an a massive amount of abuse due to the state of things.

[V8covin]

Dingu said:

It’s what people want/buy.

Is it ?
What choice do you get when buying.....or leasing which is more common.....a new car ?
I think it's more a case of what manufacturers think sells

[BlackRumple]

V8covin said:

Is it ?
What choice do you get when buying.....or leasing which is more common.....a new car ?
I think it's more a case of what manufacturers think sells

This ^^

Its the same with cars now having haptic feedback and screens galore over buttons. I hate them but what choice do i have? Most new cars are not offered with the option anymore. It’s take it or forget buying a new car.

[anonymous-user]

I had an XC40 loaner recently and it was an absolute dream over the rural roads around where I live.

[HHZ]

Steel wheels with Paddy Hopkirk trims need to make a comeback.

[Zarco]

Are the roads rubbish in the rest of the world where cars are developed?

I suppose they could do a special UK spec with twice as much suspension travel/tyre profile/rugged suspension.

[ChocolateFrog]

I've not once looked at my 60 and 65 profile tyres and wished they were smaller or lamented the relatively huge arch gap.

[Bobupndown]

I have these fitted, no problems whatsoever.

[ChocolateFrog]

Zarco said:

Are the roads rubbish in the rest of the world where cars are developed?

I suppose they could do a special UK spec with twice as much suspension travel/tyre profile/rugged suspension.

Not in Germany where most of them are made.

Not sure what JLR's excuse is.

[parabolica]

bodmino said:

I was just thinking today that car manufacturers should be building cars which are tolerant of the road conditions on which they are driven.

As most roads are now in a disgraceful condition with little prospect of improvement, the manufacturers should be reflecting this in their suspension/wheel/tyre configuration. The days of low profile tyres on huge wheels are over.

What’s the point in having low profile tyres on hugely expensive alloys when there’s a very high chance they will be ruined very quickly?

I’m not advocating Chelsea tractors for everyone, but small cheap cars should have high profile tyres.

Car manufacturers are not responsible for the state of British roads; councils are. If consumers want to be safer/sensible about mitigating the risk of punctures and bent wheels, they should spec the smallest wheels possible or buy aftermarket wheels with high sidewalls. Otherwise, you pay your money and take the risks with bigger wheels.

I'm in eastern europe and it's pretty common to see cars or all kinds (new and old) with steel wheels and large tyres. I remember being in St Lucia where almost everyone had aftermarket chrome wheels on their cars, but almost always with huge tyres with tons of side wall.

[djc206]

ChocolateFrog said:

Not in Germany where most of them are made.

Not sure what JLR's excuse is.

They use huge diameters so they don’t need an excuse.

[Turn7]

Took the 17s off my daily, fitted 15 Steelies and Goodyear Vectors...

Definitely the right thing to for my commute over crappy B roads.