For those who have had the experience, Is there any difference in the ride comfort with 19" wheels/tyres when compared to 17"/18" combinations
Does the car handle the road imperfections as well

Hello ,

When I tested the FL2 one year ago, it was fitted with 17" inch tyres , the ride was smooth and very comfortable. Roads in (casablanca- Morocco) are a real disaster.

Now with my 19", yes I noticed a big difference, it's still comfortable but sometimes suspension become "stiff"

My question is how good is the longevity of the shock absorbers on a freelander 2 ...

My experience on other makes is that the bigger the wheel (therefore the lower profile the tyre) the more uncomfortable the ride can become. My partners BMW has 19" wheels with very low profile tyres and the ride is very harsh. It will be interesting to hear other forum members comments on this one...... 2010 HSE TD4 auto, Biscay Blue, Almond Leather, facelift front and rear, detachable towbar, front & rear mudflaps, bib spoilers, clear high level brake light, smooth rear wiper, colour coded door handles.

Previous Land Rovers:
2007 Freelander 2 HSE i6 in Stornoway Grey
1991 Discovery 200tdi 3 door in blue

Yes, it makes sense the smaller the sidewall the less 'give' the tyre has, I have just driven a FL2 with 18" tyres and the ride is as comfortable as my GS 17" ones but cornering was greatly improved with less rolling.
I'm on the look out for a set of 18" HSE wheels and tyres for when mine wear out but would go to 19" if the ride stayed comfortable.

It depends on the size of the wheel. The 19" tyre size is 235/55/19 ... if it's possible to fit a 235/60/19 it will stay smooth.

That's true but then irrespective of whether it would fit in the wheelarch without fouling anything, you will alter the speedo and sensors because of the greater rolling diameter. Also it may be frowned upon by the car insurers in this country.
I'll stick to the 3 sizes laid down by LR (or 4 with the 16")

EYorkshire wrote:

That's true but then irrespective of whether it would fit in the wheelarch without fouling anything, you will alter the speedo and sensors because of the greater rolling diameter. Also it may be frowned upon by the car insurers in this country.
I'll stick to the 3 sizes laid down by LR (or 4 with the 16")

I have an '07 GS with 17" rims and the ride is very comfortable even after over 80k miles.

My father has a '10 Sport and that has 19" rims, it does corner better but the ride is noticeably firmer and you definitely notice potholes more

Yeah, it does point to my vanity and what I think would look nice rather than what is practical, I must admit to not having one bit of kerb damage despite mounting a few in my time with the 17" ones on now.
I think I'll forget the 19" wheels

Ditto, my 17" rims are pristine despite my mileage, potholes and kerbs, the 19"s do look better in a way but i would be far more wary of damaging them

Dave why don't you compromise and go for the 18" rims, both the new and old style HSE Rims look good, and the ride is ok as well

I will Tony , I've driven a Freelander today on 18" rims and the ride was as good as my 17" ers, but much better cornering. I just thought to widen my search if I included 19" rims but reading the replies I won't bother with them.
I still have at least another years worth of tread on these so no rush but what prompted me to ask about the 19" wheels was the thread in the 'For Sale' section, looked to be a bargain.

Having had 17" 18" and 19" there is not a lot to choose from regarding the harshness of the ride with the 18" and 19" what I do prefer is the less roll you seem to get with them compared to the 17" the first corner after fitting the 17" feels like your driving a jelly, then you get used to it. But the bigger the tyre the less choice you seem to have and the more expensive they get, this weekend I will put the 19" back on, gives a firmer ride but prefer it.

Word of warning, stay away from Iffy's though

If only I knew what was 'iffy' and what isn't

EYorkshire wrote:

If only I knew what was 'iffy' and what isn't

CG can help you with that