The Ugly Stock Wheels Thread

[05XR8]

Because they remind me of these aftermarket wheels you'd find at a cheap wheel/tire shop....

Also we see all the "bro-dozers" riding around on wheels like this.

At least in the North America, we're sick of seeing these tasteless wheels on something like a Dodge Charger or "bro-dozer" pickup. Something like this....

And this.

The fact that manufacturers are trying to appeal to these people is why we hate them. Exotic cars having these black/chrome wheels makes them look cheap.

That's what I said about the new facelifted Maserati wheels.

 

[Tornado]

Hmm, that's interesting. I guess that was the case on economy cars?

Most cars with directional wheels didn't bother to have different ones per side. The Z31 300ZX did not, for example, but the Z32 did. 993 Carrera Turbo Twist wheels don't, and most of the 996 versions don't either, but I've seen more than one 996 that had ones that do.

So when c4 owners rotate their tires, I guess there is a specific order to do them in?

Back to front. Not at all if you have a ZR-1 or later base model, which have individual wheels per corner. I've never seen a Corvette newer than a C3 that doesn't have directional tires on it anyway.

 

[Turtle]

The past three generations of Corvettes all have five spoke options that just look really cheap and ugly:

I've always hated the Granturismo's wheels:

 

[VXR]

I always thought they were one of the few things interesting about the Gran Turismo, actually.

 

[Tornado]

The thin-spoke C5 wheels look much better on a car that doesn't have such a fat, fat fat ass like the C5 does. The earlier wagon wheels are the same. The magnesium wheels were definitely the ones to get though.

 

[Greycap]

Speaking of alloys imitating hubcaps... Volvo has to be one of the worst offenders.

 

[Turbo]

Speaking of alloys imitating hubcaps... Volvo has to be one of the worst offenders.

I actually think all of them are quite good looking.

 

[Doog]

I always thought the basic 15" steel wheels on Toyota Highlanders were pretty dreadful. At first, any base Highlander received the steel wheels, but after an update in '04, the steelies were reserved for the 4cyl version that pretty much nobody other than my parents actually bought (twice).

That said, the wheels that most Highlanders came equipped with weren't too fortunate either:

The wheels that the Highlander Limited received weren't half bad, but I can imagine that that's not a very popular opinion...

If you wanted any chance of getting a Highlander with attractive stock wheels, your best bet was the Hybrid, although these are exactly the type of wheels @Tornado was calling out on the last page:

@Turbo mentioned the Honda CR-V earlier, but I'd like to add to that and give props to Honda for consistently supplying us with ugly wheels for its base models for years:

 

[RocZX]

Pontaic had some ugly wheels-

Bonneville SSEI

Grand AM

 

[-Fred-]

The magnesium wheels were definitely the ones to get though.

Those?

Apparently Speedline couldn't produce them fast enough to GM's liking so there's something like 12 sets around (not really)

But IMO, Z06 wheels or the original 5 spokes on the C5.

 

[Greycap]

I actually think all of them are quite good looking.

I actually agree, they fit the style of the cars perfectly and my own 940 has those portrayed by the green one - it had different ones when I bought it but I specifically wanted those wheels. Still I can't deny that they look like hubcaps to most people.

 

[Turbo]

Speaking of alloys imitating hubcaps... Volvo has to be one of the worst offenders.

I would think the the Mercedes-Benz W210 is a worse offender:

 

[Aphelion]

Are you people crazy? You think all these rims look like crap. I'm just sitting here saying that they are perfectly fine, I don't find any of these wheels ugly...

Yeah, I personally think that the current trend of diamond cut alloys looks a lot better than most other generations of alloys. I'm surprised to find people who don't like them, although I get why they don't.


Its also kind of funny; I am so used to seeing fake plastic chrome now, instead of actually chrome metal, that all chrome looks like plastic to me . Chrome wheels almost always look awful.

 

[Wiegert]

No mention of wire rims on anything after 1960? For shame.

Can't exactly pick a specific decade but there's a lot of distasteful crap from the '90s onwards. One example of OEM chintz I've never been able to stomach can be found on later 3000GTs:

They look like the sort of chrome-covered plastic tat you'd see on a toy car in a Poundstretcher clearance bin.

 

[RocZX]

Can't exactly pick a specific decade but there's a lot of distasteful crap from the '90s onwards. One example of OEM chintz I've never been able to stomach can be found on later 3000GTs:

They look like the sort of chrome-covered plastic tat you'd see on a toy car in a Poundstretcher clearance bin.

The "premium" chrome wheels from the '90s always looked cheap, it looked as the chrome was about to peel off.


---------------

I justed remembed the ugly wheels from the 2nd gen. Lexus SC.
I thought the bolts were faked, they were trying to make it look like a two piece wheel.

When looking for a pic of the wheels, I found out that they had a cover plates over the wheels.

 

[TheCracker]

I would think the the Mercedes-Benz W210 is a worse offender:

Except that they're just hubcaps imitating hubcaps.


No car looks better with chromed alloys. They always look cheap.

 

[TheCracker]

*ignore*

 

[Sage Ages]

Polished wheels > chrome.

 

[MedigoFlame]

The wheels on the base Giulia look like hubcaps.

Base Kia Niro wheels.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid wheels

Honda Accord Hybrid wheels

 

[Michelin Man]

The wheels on the base Giulia look like hubcaps.

I don't know, they look pretty good and convincing as alloy wheels to me, quite classy if anything, but maybe that's just me .

 

[MedigoFlame]

I don't know, they look pretty good and convincing as alloy wheels to me, quite classy if anything, but maybe that's just me .

I've seen them in person. They're much flatter and the color is basically a matte grey. They look cheap.

 

[CodeRedR51]

/thread.

 

[SPhilli911]

The optional wheels on the 2016 Focus ST were hideous. They don't fit the car style-wise and they look really cheap, like those bargain wheels you get on Tire Rack. I don't think they offer them anymore. Edit: They do still offer them!

 

[a112]

I study, collect and refurbish wheels for 10+ years or so for now. Here are my observations from a European point of view

Ugly: Lack of imagination (in example generic 5 spoke wheel delivered on a 4 stud PCD, low functionality ( brake cooling, weight, aero), low quality cheap castings/manufacturing process)

Cool: unusual/creative stuff (in example Citroen SM resin wheels, Corvette Salad Shooters, Ford ATS double 3 spokes, Mitsubishi Starion/Celica Supra style wheels) or high quality stuff ( forged aluminium/cast magnesium, multipiece, functional aero/weight, timeless feel, good fitment for the car from factory - in example Mazdaspeed MS02, AMG Aero, OEM delivered BBS RZ/RG/RM/RS, Porsche - Cookie Cutter, D90, C2, BMW Parallel...)

It's irrational to judge steelies, they are a cheap tire carrier and nothing more. There are some cool steel wheels like
- 70's - Ford Capri wheels, Kadett C/Manta, Ascona wheels, CMR or Fergat wheels deliever on Italian cars etc,
- 80's - VW G60 15" wheels, Mattig SSF (aftermarket), Mangels Triangolo (aftermarket)
- 90's - Lemmerz Opel wheels, Fiat Barchetta steelies, Subaru steelies, Michelin Peugeot 106 Rallye wheels

On the other hand 70's to 90's had some great OEM delivered cast or forged aluminium or magnesium wheels like:
-70's - Fuchs ( Porsche, Mercedes-Benz Barock, Kadett C GTE), Cromodora and Campagnolo on most Italian cars, Minilite and derivatives (on UK cars and others)
- 80's and 90's -ATS, Ronal, Speedline, OZ and BBS were delivered on various cars from factory here. In Japan Enkei did some really cool stuff too. AMG had "Penta" wheels made by ATS, Ronal and Atiwe at the same time before the AMG/MB merger.

Although some of the stuff here is considered to be dealer option, most of the cars were delivered new like that at the time. It was probably a lot more popular to outsource the wheels from a reputable company than it is now.

In the late 90s or 00's+ only the very top end got stuff like BBS or OZ splits (ie. top end Porsches - BBS Rennsport or Speedline Mariani splits), or some limited runs of regular cars (Audi C6 Speedline splits, Mini R98 BBS webspoke splits, Golf III 20 Jahre Edition BBS RS722 Splits, BBS Bugatti BMW splits, Speedline on Clio Williams and various Alfa Romeo cars etc.)BMW M division did some cool stuff like M System I and II turbine/throwing star wheels with detachable covers (early version were Forged).

Most less expensive cars got wheels that would appeal to a certain type of buyer that is not interested in wheels so much. He is happy as long they are nice, simple and shiny. Problem is, this is now applicable to most cars and buyers on the market. I haven't seen anything remotely creative or cool that is high quality and well made on a regular car for the last 15 years of production. For sure that's the worst period for me.

 

[Robin]

Vauxhall have had some questionable ones lately

 

[Wiegert]

View attachment 658711

Apparently designed for the type of Insignia owners who aren't afraid to shout about which detergent brand they love.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

The New Edge Mustang didn't exactly have the most attractive wheels out there. Especially the 3-spoke design on the right Mustang in this picture.

Stock wheels on a 2000s Cadillac Escalade. Blah. Just look at them, the poor in terms of proportion to the SUV and they're in that tacky chrome. The only thing worse is the wheels that usually end up on these when some bling fan gets their hands on one.

 

[VXR]

The Atomic Vauxhall ones are epic.

 

[Turbo]

1988-1994 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 rims (Z24 was the "sporty" package)



Absolutely hideous. Was the designer drunk when he created those wheels?

 

[el fayce]

these wheels on the 458, nothing wrong with them, they just don't compliment the rest of the car