From 18" to 19" wheels for a GLC 350d

[V6GBJ]

I am in the process of buying a GLC 350d. It is currently on 18" wheels which look rather plain. I have found a set of 19" AMG 5 spoke wheels for sale which may tempt me. The GLC version is Sport with the Premium Plus pack. The suspension is described as Comfort rather that the Sport in the case of the AMG pack cars. I expect to lose some ride comfort with the 19" wheels but don't know how much. Does anyone have any experience of such a swap?

 

[C240Sport97]

I reckon the ride will not be ruined - if anything it may be improved as "floatiness" is eliminated without materially degrading compliance.

only going up an inch and GLCs can be ordered with 20" wheels (so chassis designed for big wheels) .. plus comfort chassis also helps.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The GLC is particularly prone to tyre skip, and increasing the whee diameter will increase both the severity and likelihood of tyre skip (often referred to as “crabbing” by GLC drivers). It caused quite a stir in the early years!

The reason it is probably on 18 inch wheels is because of the uproar and remediation cost - dealers probably specified smaller wheels unless the car was being specified by the customer and they insisted on upgrading the wheels.

 

[V6GBJ]

The GLC is particularly prone to tyre skip, and increasing the whee diameter will increase both the severity and likelihood of tyre skip (often referred to as “crabbing” by GLC drivers). It caused quite a stir in the early years!

The reason it is probably on 18 inch wheels is because of the uproar and remediation cost - dealers probably specified smaller wheels unless the car was being specified by the customer and they insisted on upgrading the wheels.

Many thanks to you and C240 for your comments. I got the impression from this site that the crabbing issue had been resolved on new and older cars some time ago. The car was new in 2018 so I'll try to track down any history of a fix.
Stepping out of the GLE today and into the GLC was interesting - none of the wallowing of the GLE when in Comfort mode nor the sheer smoothness of the airmatic on imperfect tarmac. The GLC feels quite firm so I'll give it a few hundred miles before deciding on a set of 19" wheels.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Many thanks to you and C240 for your comments. I got the impression from this site that the crabbing issue had been resolved on new and older cars some time ago. The car was new in 2018 so I'll try to track down any history of a fix.
Stepping out of the GLE today and into the GLC was interesting - none of the wallowing of the GLE when in Comfort mode nor the sheer smoothness of the airmatic on imperfect tarmac. The GLC feels quite firm so I'll give it a few hundred miles before deciding on a set of 19" wheels.

Congratulations on your new car!

As far as I’m aware when a customer complained Mercedes-Benz UK authorised dealers to replace the tyres which improved the situation.

The more sporting the compound and structure of the tyre, and the lower and stiffer the sidewall of that tyre, then the more likely it is to skip.

Skip is typically worse during cold weather as tyres flex less, so it’s not a bad time of year - you should identify it quickly if your car is prone to skip.