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The lure of expensive wheels is one reason that auto theft is on the rise in the U.S. after declining for most of the past decade, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, based in Chicago. "For a professional crook, wheel locks are a very minor inconvenience," says Sergeant Joe Thrasher, who supervises California's Orange County auto-theft task force. So while a nice set of rims lends a certain amount of street credibility, it's best to avoid parking on the street.
Flashy wheels come with other downsides too. For an extra $8,000 or $10,000, a dealer will happily upgrade the standard 17-in. wheels on an SUV to 22- or even 24-in. rims, which often requires shaving off part of the wheel well. Plus-size rims have to be paired with thinner tires, which means the ride gets bumpier, the braking distance increases and the turning radius is diminished. "Instead of making a three-point turn, you might have to do a 16-point turn," says John Jarasa, editor of Dub, one of a handful of magazines that have sprung up in the past three years to showcase celebrities with big wheels.
Detroit automakers are jumping on the bandwagon, fitting concept cars like this year's Dodge Avenger with gargantuan 20-in. wheels. But carmakers know that if the wheels are too big, they can screw up the power steering or transmission. Hence the industry's slow shift to 17-in. rims. Over the past two years, shipments to automakers of 17-in. tires have risen 9%, while shipments of 15-inchers have fallen nearly 12%. Even BMW's pint-size Mini Cooper comes with optional 17-in. wheels.
"Wheels are tricky," says David Elshoff, spokesman at Mopar, DaimlerChrysler's mammoth parts division. "Bigger ones look better, but don't necessarily enhance the performance of the car. There's a small degree of liability there." Mopar sells a dizzying array of auto accessories--from chrome grilles to rear spoilers--but steers clear of supersize rims. Its parent company will go only 3 in. bigger than what comes standard, which is why the dealers that are starting to display tricked-out "Moparized" cars will probably outfit them with non-Mopar wheels.
Toyota is taking a different approach to the customization craze. Its new line of Gen Y-oriented Scions will hit dealer lots in June with a standard package that lets buyers choose from three wheel-cover designs--or pay $665 to upgrade to ritzier alloy rims. "A lot of people go right out and buy custom wheels," says spokeswoman Ming-Jou Chen. "We want to give them a choice from the factory." A choice, mind you, that is no bigger than 15 in.