Mercedes CLA Forum banner

One thing that bugs me about the CLA

16263 Views 24 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  shazada
It looks like it has tiny wheels. Like the body is too big for the wheels. It gives it a sense that it is an econobox, big and bulbous.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Personal luxury car Mid-size car

Vehicle Car Automotive design Mid-size car Alloy wheel


Compare to the CLS, which looks much more proportionate.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Luxury vehicle Personal luxury car



I think the HS250 is a good example of a car too big for it's wheels:
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Lexus Mid-size car


Amy I crazy, or are you guys seeing this too?
See less See more
4
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
I think the style of the wheel (namely finish) will be more indicative of the perception being large/small, from afar.

But yea, that CLA's general form/shape does make even 18" sized wheels seem average-to-small'ish!
what size are those black wheels? look like 18s but i thought i read they are 19s.

anyway, i completely agree OP.
Well, we can always just do this:
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Yellow
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Well, we can always just do this:
PM w/ offsets... :D
Completely agree, 19" is minimum. I think they look perfect on the AMG
I was reading an article in Car and Driver on the CLA250 and they made a similar comment about the car's proportions making the 18" rims appear small. I also think it has to do with the rims themselves. Some 18s look larger than others but the 19s that are on the white car they've shown at various car shows are much better proportioned (which is why they're using them!) :D

-Eric
So, then you are left with a question. How soon after you purchase do you get custom wheels. And do you pay for the 18's in the meantime, or roll on the standard 17's and look too big for your shoes.
If/when going w/ after-market wheels or optional OEM-accessory wheels, remember that the TPMS module in your original stock wheels will need to be swapped into the new(er) wheels, which requires dismounting/remounting/balancing of the tires. Aside from the added cost, it's a time commitment in order to avoid the dashboard instrument light & subsequent reprogramming by the dealer.
Yeah, I recall now that is why I don't have custom wheels on my Sonata.

Using the configurator on a white CLA, I think the "LMR 4fach 5-Doppelspeichen-Design" looks good - its the fat-spoke gray wheel.
My guess is that the CLA45 is going to come with 18s as standard. I will make my decision based on the ones that are standard and optional in the actual ordering guide. I'm hoping that the 19s will be included but I'm also waiting to see what the car looks like in person with whatever 18s are fitted. Pictures are often poor representations. Also, if the 19s are a $3K stand alone option I'll probably stick with the standard 18s and look to the aftermarket. We'll see.

-Eric
I think the car would look better with a deep lip on the wheel, but I don't know how much that'll affect the ride.
A deep lip shouldn't matter when it comes to ride quality. Whether or not there's room for dish will depend on the offset and room under the fenders. That information isn't available from what I've seen. What will really effect the ride quality is the smaller aspect ratio of the tire on the larger 19" rim (as compared to the 18). My biggest concerns with larger rims are ride quality and pothole damage. I don't need 19s for the sake of having 19s and would be perfectly happy with 18s on the car as long as they look nice on the car.

-Eric
My guess is that the CLA45 is going to come with 18s as standard. I will make my decision based on the ones that are standard and optional in the actual ordering guide. I'm hoping that the 19s will be included but I'm also waiting to see what the car looks like in person with whatever 18s are fitted. Pictures are often poor representations. Also, if the 19s are a $3K stand alone option I'll probably stick with the standard 18s and look to the aftermarket. We'll see.

-Eric
if the 19s are a 3k option i'll be very upset.
If they are $3k, you might as well get BBS or one of the luxury brands with more/better design options.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive design Rim
See less See more
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top