Considering a new XC40
 

Has anyone got any opinions or information on the wisdom of getting a car with 20" alloys as opposed to the standard 18"?
Thinking about getting an XC40 and there are plenty of fully loaded First Edition ones about but they all have 20" alloys and I'm not certain I want that.
What does everyone think?

Personally, without knowing what the car rides like, I would say it's better on 18's. Every car I've ever driven on 20's has been harsher, more fidgety, less forgiving. But, as always it's a personal opinion and I'm sure others will disagree. Depends what you're looking for really.

Thank you...I must admit that's what I was thinking and you just confirmed it.
Anyone know if the wheel size can be changed post build? Don't laugh; I really have no idea...

I think the Carwow review for the XC40 on youtube runs on the 20", worth watching as it has a smooth ride on these size of wheels according to the reviewer.

This is the review in question:
https://youtu.be/t3odNc1oAUQ

wheel size no longer has much impact on ride due to the new suspension types on volvos which use such big wheels . The older models were not designed for hard ultra low profile tyres which the larger wheels have , But the new generations were .

I am with Clan on this, I currently drive an XC60 R Design Pro which has 21 inch wheels and low profile tyres. It drives very well and is nothing like some of the comments I have read on this forum about the larger wheels. My advice is make your own mind up by driving one.

Anyone know what the price of replacement tyres is like for the larger wheels? I remember on my old XC90 the prices were fierce on my 19inch tyres!

I have the 20” wheels on the XC60 and was concerned that the ride would be hard, but I was really surprised at the smooth ride around the country lanes of Suffolk.

You definitely need to road test an XC40 on the 20” wheels and try one with 18” or 19” wheels to compare.

With regard to tyre prices, you should look on Oponea, Black Circles, MyTyres or the many other web based tyre suppliers to get an idea of current prices. If you want to put winter tyres on 20” wheels, there will not be as much choice as the smaller wheels.

Hope that helps.

Is the road holding in the wet as good on 20 inch tyres?

Haven’t had any issues with road holding, but then I am not a “push on driver” any more, just drive according to road conditions these days!!