Alloy wheels vs. steel wheels (1 Viewer)

[Ted Lee]

agreed with everything said.

since we're talking about a suv, i seriously doubt you'll notice any performance increase.

but, alloys are nice - they just look better. and i definitely agree you want the abs (and other safety features) -- those alone are worth the upgrade. what i fear is that some people out there actually think this is logical.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Really? I wouldn't buy a new(er) care without 'em. (You just have to remember NOT to pump the brake in a skid.) I know ABS makes ME feel a lot safer in rain and/or snow.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Now I understand, thanks ! What a boon to mankind !

(brought you from "I read it on the internet, so it must be true")


Back on topic - I have alloy wheels on one car, can't recommend if you do a lot of city driving. Too many potholes, curbs, etc. Give me the el-cheapo spinner caps ! Esp the ones with flourescent purple in them....

 

[Malcolm R]

That's why I'm a bit hesitant to get them. All my years of driving since the days of Drivers' Ed, I've been drilled with "pump the brakes, don't stomp the brakes." And my first reaction during any bad weather driving when brakeing has always been to pump the brakes.

Do they still act like regular brakes if you do pump them?

 

[Ted Lee]

i've never engaged my abs (thank goodness) yet, but i'm told basically it feels like the pedal is vibrating really fast.

i like the idea of just slamming on the brake pedal and not letting up. tbh, that seems more natural then trying to remember to pump the brakes.

 

[Malcolm R]

You should try them sometime in an empty parking lot just so you know what to expect.

They also make a very loud grinding sound which can be startling (if they're still made the same as those I tested a few years ago). My first instinct was to release the pedal 'cuz that definitely didn't sound good (but I was told it was normal).

 

[Jay H]

One thing you should know if you plan on getting snow tires, you could simply get the cheaper steel rims and then mount the snow tires to them. That will allow you to buy whatever rims you like, mount your non-snow tires on it and then you'll have the rims you like and the ease of having snow tires that you can just replace without having to mount and balance them every winter...

Jay

 

[Philip_G]

I think MSRP on an XT is about 25k, they're not a hot seller so probably pretty open to negotiation.
Also, 0-60 in what? 5.4 give or take?
I'd give it a serious look if I was in the market

 

[david stark]

This is one of the first (well early anyway) things when I get a new car or take a car on a test drive is head to a quiet back road or a parking lot to test out the brakes if it has ABS or not. If I'm in a position where I need to stop quickly I want to know how the car handles under heavy braking.

 

[Malcolm R]

Do ABS equipped vehicles require any more, or more expensive, brake maintenance than a standard system?

I've never had to do anything to my brakes on my current '97 Civic.

 

[Todd Hochard]

ABS shouldn't require any additional maintenance, other than the usual brake flush every couple of years or so.

 

[VinhT]

I love the clicking sound ABS makes; it's one of the most reassuring sounds a car can make. I am a relatively young driver (22), so having ABS has always been normal for me.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

ABS does not require any extra maintenance, but if the ABS unit fails it's very expensive to replace.

The Toyota dealership I work for used to also sell Isuzu. At the time Isuzu marketed the first generation Honda Oddysey minivan under the Isuzu Oasis name. It had a proprietary Honda ABS system instead of the usual Bosch or whatever, and these were famous for having the ABS light come on at around 40-60k miles, requiring a new $1200 ABS unit.

I don't know if this is still a problem or if it applies at all the the CRV.

In California where I live I would not pay a dime extra for ABS. Had it for 3 years on a 98 Camry LE (standard equipment) and it only kicked in twice, both times at very low speeds when braking hard in the rain and probably didn't subtract an inch from braking distance.

In Vermont I would not be without it.

 

[Jay H]

I've read on some BMW forums that bleeding one's brakes on ABS equipped models (basically all of them AFAIK), needs to be done a certain way if you want to get out all the old fluid, although I've heard a lot of folks ignore it without a problem.

Jay

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I normally prefer alloy wheels, and most of our vehicles had them. They look nicer and are easier to clean, IMO.

However, the alloy wheels on my '93 Camry V6 XLE gave me a lot of trouble with rim leaks. I owned the car for 10 years, and probably had 8-10 rim leaks during that period. The metal would corrode and lose its seal. I sold the car to a neighbor a couple of years ago, and noticed that he replaced the wheels.

As for ABS, we've had one vehicle with them -- a '96 Mercury Villager where they came standard. Our newer 2000 Villager did not have ABS, and honestly we do not miss them at all.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Wow, 7 years, you need to get your brake fluid flushed - like NOW!

 

[DaveF]

I've got a new Honda Accord with ABS and front-wheel traction control. Here in snowy NY, both are very useful. I immediately noticed the difference from my previous car, which had neither. ABS sounded and felt weird the first few times it kicked in, but I'm getting used to it.

As for the alloy wheels, it seems that's just an asethetic decision. Is it worth a thousand dollars for the appearance. For me, the answer was no.

Someone suggested that alloy wheels increase the resale value. Of course they do, because the car cost more to begin with. More importantly, do they increase the resale value proportional to the original cost of the feature? Probably not. If you're looking towards resale value, you're probably better off without the extra frills like bigger wheels, upgraded stereo, etc.

 

[Sami Kallio]

On a car like Accord, true. For a performance car they are a must and well worth the money. Tougher, lighter and wider (to fit in wider tire).

The wheels that are bought for the bling factor are usually not very good performance wheels, most likely they are heavy. For a light forged alloy wheel the price goes up considerably. My 18" wheels, weighting in at 17lb a piece, MSRP is close to $3k. Paired with 265/35 tires there is a considerable improvement over the 17" forged alloy wheels that weighted over 30lbs and because of the wrong offset could only fit 245/45 tire.

It all depends on what the application is but I just wanted to say that alloy wheels are not necessarily an appereance thing.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, all my scheduled maintenance has been performed by the dealer according to the little book they gave me when I bought the car. "Minor Service" every 5,000 miles, "Major Service" every 15,000 miles. I assume they've attended to the brake fluid, if necessary.

I just meant I've never had to replace pads or rotors or anything like that.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Yeah, ABS sounds funny when it engages. Clicky-clicky or grindy-grindy. Startled me on my first go-round. But steady brake-pressure rather than pumping doesn't take much to get used to.

I learned to drive in Alberta winters, so pumping was second nature to me too. Didn't take long to get used to not pumping though. (And no, ABS brakes won't act like "normal" brakes when pumped. Pumping will actually defeat the ABS system.) It really doesn't take long to get used to though. Honest.

ABS has saved my bacon more than once.