Tata Hexa AT: Should I downsize from 19" alloys to 16" steel wheels

I do understand the limitations with 19-inch wheels and will always have to be super careful with them.

BHPian tarik.arora recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I have finally taken the plunge and replaced my 2018 Nexon XZ+ with a 2018 Hexa XTA. Did my due diligence before the purchase and everything looked fine. Once I completed the first 200 km, I noticed low tire pressure in one of the wheels. Took it to the nearby pump, where it was diagnosed to be a crack in the alloy. For the moment, replaced the damaged wheel with the spare wheel, which also happens to be a 19-inch alloy. I am not sure if the crack was there when I bought the car or was it because of my mishandling during the first 200 km (highly unlikely). Anyways, I am not losing my sleep over this but have 2 options:

Get a new 19-inch alloy to replace the existing one- TASS insurance person says that only alloys are not covered in insurance (sound BS to me). I am yet to check with the insurance provider- GoDigit in this case. Worst case I will have to shell out nearly 16k for this (checked on Boodmo).

For the same money (or even less)- get a 16-inch steel wheel, along with a new tire, and put it up as a spare wheel. 16-inch steel wheels are listed for around 4k on Boodmo and the tire should be around 8-8.5k.

I do understand the limitations with 19-inch wheels and will always have to be super careful with them. The car is currently running fairly new (under 10k km) Pirelli's and I don't want to dump them. Maybe I will drive for another 30-35k km and change to 16-inch wheels. I am still not sure about this. Given this thought, I am more inclined towards going with the second option, as it will align better with my long-term objective. Any thoughts and recommendations will be highly appreciated.

People who have moved from 19 to 16-inch wheels- can you please mention all the pros and cons. I am assuming the ride quality will further improve. 19-inch wheels look beautiful though.

Here's what BHPian vijaysrk had to say on the matter:

I would recommend you go with the second option - change the broken rim to a 16 inch steel one, and when the time comes to change the remaining tires, change everything to 16 inch alloys and tires.

Advantages are tension-free driving over ANY kind of road, better ride, and cheaper tire replacement with a MUCH greater variety of types (HT, AT etc.) and brands to choose from.

My XMA Downtown edition came with 16 inch alloys and looks pretty ok, though not as nice as the 19 inchers. Small price to pay for a host of benefits though!

Here's what BHPian condor had to say on the matter:

Congratulations, Tarik - that's one of India's most VFM vehicles.

For now, if the spare wheel is also an alloy, continue with them.

Long term, my pref is always 16" over 19". Much more abuse friendly, better ride comfort, and cheaper to replace tyres. I have 16" on my Storme, and have done 1.13L so far, total. Absolutely fine size.

If the Pirelli's are good, sell them - you can recover at least some of the cost of the replacement. And if 4 alloys are good, you can sell them too. But if selling the alloys, sell them as a set.

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