wheels (and ruggedness)

[osmoq]

If I want my Yaris to be a little more rugged, do I need the larger wheels? I'm not exactly sure what that means. I'm pretty new at cars...what so larger wheels do for you?

Thanks!

[ezhacker1]

larger how? Tire or Wheel? Width or Height?

This is extreme Rugged. CTScott's Car, he is a legend around here.
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31744&d=1266416379

[CTScott]

If you want ruggedness, stay away from large diameter wheels. Generally speaking, the taller the side wall, the more you protect the rims, as the larger volume of air between the rim and the road acts like a cushion. So, for hitting potholes, etc., running 15" rims means less of a chance of bending a rim then running 17" rims.

On the flip side, there is a cornering performance loss with more rubber between the rim and the road, since the higher the sidewall, the more it flexes when cornering.

[osmoq]

Cool, thanks guys. I was actually just trying to figure out the 14'' wheels on the yaris base vs the 15'' that comes with the packages. I really didn't know what kind of a difference that would make.