I apologize for the newbie question, but this has been on my mind as I am choosing new wheels:
So as I understand, the Fiesta ST comes stock with 17x7 wheels and 205/40/17 tires. When upgrading the wheels, most people recommend going with a wider wheel/tire for more contact/traction, and possibly a smaller wheel (15x8) for the lighter weight.
My question is: do these changes REALLY make a difference? Assuming I don't plan to take my car to the track regularly, will I really see the benefits of either of these options (wider wheel/tire and/or smaller wheel diameter)? I like to push my car around town a bit, and I plan to someday take it to the track, bot only occasionally. It just seems that wider wheels/tires are more expensive and I'm not sure its worth the price. Also, a smaller wheel may weigh less (and is cheaper), but I'm not sure its worth sacrificing the look of a 17 inch wheel (my personal favorite look).
Also, some people even keep the same wheel width (say 17x7 for stock) but increase the tire width (say 215). In this case, are you still increasing traction even though the wheel width is the same?
For someone like me (which I assume is the majority) will I benefit from either of these in a substantial way that makes the car feel differently? You always read about conceptual benefits, but practically speaking, you can only really know if they're worth it once you've actually driven the new wheels. I appreciate the input!
So as I understand, the Fiesta ST comes stock with 17x7 wheels and 205/40/17 tires. When upgrading the wheels, most people recommend going with a wider wheel/tire for more contact/traction, and possibly a smaller wheel (15x8) for the lighter weight.
My question is: do these changes REALLY make a difference? Assuming I don't plan to take my car to the track regularly, will I really see the benefits of either of these options (wider wheel/tire and/or smaller wheel diameter)? I like to push my car around town a bit, and I plan to someday take it to the track, bot only occasionally. It just seems that wider wheels/tires are more expensive and I'm not sure its worth the price. Also, a smaller wheel may weigh less (and is cheaper), but I'm not sure its worth sacrificing the look of a 17 inch wheel (my personal favorite look).
Also, some people even keep the same wheel width (say 17x7 for stock) but increase the tire width (say 215). In this case, are you still increasing traction even though the wheel width is the same?
For someone like me (which I assume is the majority) will I benefit from either of these in a substantial way that makes the car feel differently? You always read about conceptual benefits, but practically speaking, you can only really know if they're worth it once you've actually driven the new wheels. I appreciate the input!
