Should I downgrade 18" to 16"?

[lukenfoci]

I only ordered Ibiza FR Sport with 215/40R18 wheels and have some concerns. 86mm of side wall seems not much, as in my old Superb I had 225/40R18 and I ended up 3 times with damaging the tire (and it had 90mm side wall). My currents Superb sits on 235/45R18 (side wall 105.75mm) and it seems like a very sweet spot. If it was just my driving Ibiza, I could probably manage but the car is predominantly for my wife and daughter, and they cannot care less about potholes/kerbs, so I am really worried that I will go bankrupt on buying new tires.
So the question comes - do the owners of 18" wheels often suffer from damaged tires/wheels or am I worrying too much?

Also, could you please tell me how is the ride quality - is it too stiff or is it just perfect. My Superb has adaptive suspension and I often ride in Sport and I enjoy it. Is our tiny Ibiza be a similar ride?

Thank you for your input.

 

[SRGTD]

I don’t own - or haven’t owned - a current shape Ibiza but I did own one of the Ibiza’s ‘siblings’ - a current shape VW Polo GTI+ with 18” alloys and 215/40 R18 tyres. In 4 years of ownership I had one damaged alloy but that was not due to the profile of the tyre or driver carelessness; it was caused as a result of me being forced into a kerb and onto a pavement by a dustcart / bin lorry that came around a blind bend towards me in the middle of the road and I had to take evasive action! In normal driving, neither the alloys nor the tyres sustained any damage, but I am very careful when parking and keep a look out for potholes. When buying tyres, I also try to ensure they have good rim protection; tyres with a more pronounced rim to provide the alloys with additional protection against kerb damage will be marked ‘FP’ on the sidewall (FP = flange protection).

As for ride quality; I don’t know how the Polo GTI’s suspension compares to an Ibiza FR’s. With both being sports models, they are probably similar in terms of ride quality. My Polo had adaptive dampers and I always had them in ‘Normal’ mode and found the ride was fine. However, ride quality / compliancy is quite subjective and what’s OK for one person may not be for another person.

Hopefully, someone who owns - or someone who has owned - a current shape Ibiza FR on 18” alloys will add their views / experiences to this discussion topic.

 

[serdar_18fr]

The only "adaptive" or should we say "variable", part of the DCC are the shock absorbers and they had to find a compromise on steel springs to feel both comfortable and agile when needed, while the springs and shocks in a non-adaptive "sports" chassis tend to be just a bit stiffer, so I would say you won't feel the exact comfort you get on the Superb's DCC. Ibiza FR may feel crashy in some situations but it's mostly down to personal tastes, I for one wouldn't mind a stiffer chassis.

As for downgrading to 16s, I would say don't do this to your Ibiza FR looking wonderful on those 18s I'd rather try to make wife and daughter a little more informed about the consequences of ignoring potholes

 

[lukenfoci]

The only "adaptive" or should we say "variable", part of the DCC are the shock absorbers and they had to find a compromise on steel springs to feel both comfortable and agile when needed, while the springs and shocks in a non-adaptive "sports" chassis tend to be just a bit stiffer, so I would say you won't feel the exact comfort you get on the Superb's DCC. Ibiza FR may feel crashy in some situations but it's mostly down to personal tastes, I for one wouldn't mind a stiffer chassis.

As for downgrading to 16s, I would say don't do this to your Ibiza FR looking wonderful on those 18s I'd rather try to make wife and daughter a little more informed about the consequences of ignoring potholes

I know that 18" look nice but it is going to be very hard to make my wife and daughter to drive in a reasonable way

 

[mty12345]

I know that 18" look nice but it is going to be very hard to make my wife and daughter to drive in a reasonable way

Not got an Ibiza, but been driving my leon on 225/40/18 for the last 8 years. Roads here are terrible, have hit plenty of potholes, no issues.