Advantages and disadvantages of alloy wheels

With a growing number of people still wanting to customise their cars, one of the ways to stand out is getting alloy wheels. If you are purchasing a new car you can usually request alloy wheels at an extra cost but most people choose to wait and purchase them after as they can be bought cheaper elsewhere. Alloy wheels are sometimes made of magnesium or metal alloy making it lighter and aid better performance compared to the classic steel wheels.

If you decide to remove your alloy wheels for whatever reason, you may be able to sell them as scrap metal depending on the condition. You can also have the tyres reconditioned for as little as £25 and sold on for some quick cash. If you have well sought after or classic alloy wheels, you may find that they fetch a premium and there are many collectors who will pay the right price for them.

Advantages

• Alloy wheels are much lighter than normal steel wheels making them easier to steer and handle
• Adds class to your vehicle
• Some upmarket cars offer alloys as standard but sometimes you can haggle and get them added on for free
• Aluminium alloys are less likely to corrode than steel ones
• Alloy wheels conduct heat better than steel so brakes are less likely to fail in wintry conditions
• Improved steering and better braking
• The resale value of the car is increased
• As alloy wheels are wider than standard wheels, they have more traction between the wheel and the road

Disadvantages

• Due to the higher risk of the car being stolen, insurance may go up by as much as 80%
• If alloy wheels are damaged, the performance of the vehicle will suffer and fuel consumption will increase
• Soft alloy wheels are prone to dents, scuffs and scratches

One of the most common reason why younger people are getting alloy wheels is because after passing the driving test the cost of a car is high and that's not even mentioning insurance. As a result, younger drivers have to buy smaller engines to bring car insurance premiums down. Since 1.0L engines are not very fast but are the cheapest to insure, many young drivers are fitting alloy wheels in an attempt to make their vehicles faster.

It works - there are many people who have fitted alloy wheels to their 'normal' cars for this very reason. It's cheaper than having to buy a faster car and it's easier to handle the vehicle as well.