Alloy Wheel - Aftermarket Wheels

Aftermarket Wheels

A sizeable selection of alloy wheels (sometimes called "mags"—see below) are available to automobile owners who want lighter, more visually appealing, rarer, and/or larger wheels on their cars. Although replacing standard steel wheel and tire combinations with lighter alloy wheels and potentially lower profile tyres can result in increased performance and handling, this doesn't necessarily hold when increasingly large wheels are employed. Research by Car and Driver conducted using a selection of differently sized alloy wheels from 16" to 19" all outfitted with the same make and model of tires showed that both 0-60 times and fuel economy were suffering with larger wheels. They also noted that ride comfort and noise were negatively affected by the larger wheels. The allure of larger wheels is that they signify luxury, sportiness, or wealth. These wheels have become a part of pop culture (as with "dubs").