Ride comfort

When you buy a car with alloy wheels, there are other things to check. Alloy rims are generally easier to inspect than a steel wheel covered with a hubcap. When you are checking the wheels you probably just want to know if they are all scratch free. Note, that you are looking at a used car, so there is a good chance that at least one of the wheels has been scratched on a curb. Its function to give the car prestige is partly lost, but this does not mean that it lost its function as an alloy wheel. The reason to pick alloy wheels can differ, but they all have one thing in common: Alloy wheels increase the ride comfort. Because the wheels are part of the unsprung mass, which is the weight that is not being absorbed by the shock absorbers. The lighter the wheels are, the more comfort you get while driving. However, when you go overboard and start mounting oversized wheels with low-profile tires, naturally, you will lose comfort.

If a wheel is in a very poor condition, it will reveal itself during the test drive. You will be getting vibrations in the steering wheel and the feeling you are driving constantly over a bump in the road. To be sure, find a smooth stretch of tarmac and vary your speed a little. Try to find out if the vibrations increase when you accelerate. Though, do not judge too quickly, there might very well be a totally different cause. For example, a flat patch on the tread of the tire, you get those when a car has not been moved for weeks or months, like in a showroom. So, if you notice such vibrations, let the dealer take care of it, as part of the pre-delivery inspection.