kauboy

Would appreciate your thoughts.

MB300AMG

Depends where you are. If you live anywhere near bad roads or snow I'd go with 20's because it's easier to find snow tires and they'll make driving over bumps less unpleasant.

rihallix

I have 21" rims on my GLC43 and they're the best feature of the car exterior.

i live in pothole filled Northern California and I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Came with continentals. The car still feels remarkably smooth in comfort mode. But the 21 inch wheels really punctuate the cars aggression - so well suited to a GLC63. May I be the first of many to admit being jealous. Heard a C63S on 19th avenue this week - what a wonderful noise those 63 engines make. Can't wait to drive one at Laguna Seca - all set for my free track day there sept 30th

rihallix

GLC43 with 21" titaniums
Up close

kauboy

Thanks Rihallix. Just heard my build date is now into 2018. So I have a few more weeks to decide. I was all set to keep the 20's that I ordered but now I'm unsure again. 21's give a subtle aggressive look. What a beautiful car. I'm also in Northern Cal. - Walnut Creek. Thanks for your response. I'll keep an eye out.

MB300AMG

No doubt the 21" wheels look better - that is undisputed, and if there isn't a difference in ride quality or tire availability then I'd pick the 21's for sure.

But... I've seen cars with even 18" and 19" wheels have completely chipped rims and it looks horrible after a while (both of mine are/were 18"), so personally I'd hesitate to buy the bigger rims where I live. Just my personal opinion though...

kauboy

Thanks MB300AMG. Rims chipped from pot holes? I'll probably only drive the car 5-8K a year but I will drive it daily.My current car has runflat 19's and although I've hit a few potholes I've yet to sustain any damage.

MB300AMG

Yeah it's pretty bad up here because the roads are like a war zone because of constant freeze-thaw and congestion. I would defer to Rihallix's judgment though because he's in the same area as you and has 21" wheels. If he says it's okay then I think you're good to go for it.

To elaborate on what I mean by chips, go to 1:25 on this video - that's light chipping, and we have worse in MA (I speak from experience):


Even though I don't want to spam, here are some videos of how the different wheels look in motion since that factors in on which to pick:

20's:




21's:




Alternate Designs:


I actually really like the last one (blacked out).

If MB offered 5-spoke 20" wheels then this would be a no-brainer for me since those are my preferred choice. I'm hoping the dealer will allow me to do a deal to switch out for the GLC63 5-spoke wheels.

Mr. J

Dude. You keep saying that Norcal is full of potholes. You must have never driven in the NW, NE, Michigan, NYC, or basically anywhere else in the country that has snow and crap highways.

Norcal and Socal have some of the best highways in the country. I've driven everywhere from Cave Junction, through Sonoma, Klamath River, Redding, Shasta, and all points in between. Seriously, come drive up here in Portland and then head over to Boston. You really don't seem to know how good you have it.

OP, unless you upgrade to forged, all of the std option MB wheels are made of very soft alloy. They will warp and bend if you hit a deep pothole. If you live in an area with rough roads get the 20s. If you're in Cali get the 21's and enjoy.

kauboy

+1 on the Portland comment. I drive to Portland two or three times a year. Looking forward to taking this new one up through the middle of the state. I think I'll go with the 20's and see if I can make it all year with the performance tires that come with. Might be nice to have a set of 20 rims for winter and 21's for summer, if the budget allows. I have two sets for my Audi and my dealer stores and switches them for me. Will Mercedes do that?

VET11B

I've seen all size rims bend, but then I live in the DC area and while we have some crap roads, driving up to Minneapolis this weekend reminded me how good we have it in NOVA. While going 20 in stead of 21" will give you a marginal better ride quality and do the same in rim defense, the same pothole that will jar you with the 21s will do so with the 20s. Same goes with rim damage. I'd get the rim you like and not worry about how it will affect the ride or whether it will last longer as I don't think there is that much of an advantage between the two sizes.

stealth.pilot

I'm going to get the 21s. I like the fact that they are forged. We have a lot of pot holes here too, but the tire thickness even on the 21s is comparable to driving an E-Class with 19s.

kauboy

I don't see the forged choices in the Order Guide. I know I saw them at an earlier time. What am I missing? Was it on the dealers config. screen?

MB300AMG

I've got an E-Class with 18s and to me the tire thickness isn't enough for the roads in the northeast

kauboy

I found my error...using the wrong Order guide. I see the 21" forged rims. Wondering if they will come with All season or Summer performance tires.

MB300AMG

Where do you figure out if they're forged or not?

kauboy

I'm looking at the 63S Coupe Order Guide. It only shows forged for 21" and only for 63S. Tempting but I think I'll stay with the 20's

stealth.pilot

It says in the wheel description. Only the GLC63S Coupe has forged wheels.

VET11B

This is a great point. I have yet to see an SUV or truck wheel bent even when looking at 22" sizes. However, passenger cars with their much lower aspect ratio seem to have much higher frequency for trashing wheels even at 17 inches (e.g. BMW).

DameMD

I also have the 21 inch night package rims. I think the 21's looks so much better than the other combos. My 21's are actually more comfortable in dynamic mode than my c350 with 18 continentals were which that car had sport suspension standard.

Mr. J

Does your C350 have airmatic? If not, then they don't really compare.

My C450 is very harsh compared to my GLC43. C450 is running on 19s GLC43 is running on 20s.

DameMD

No the c350 did not have airmatic as it was not an available option. I was just giving the OP my opinion on going to 21 inch wheels. I was also concerned about having the larger rims as I live in DC. Just like all major cities, the streets are not the best with sewer covers, potholes and construction everywhere with steel plates all over the roads. My concerns were I wanted the 21 inch rims because they made the GLC43 look more aggressive versus the 20 inch spoke rims with more rubber/comfort.

After driving a few GLC43 before choosing mine, I thought the ride rather it was 20s or 21s rims & tiires were way better than my c350 with all season tires on 18 inch rims. Which is why I chose the 21s as my c350 was my only reference I could comapare to.

So back to the OP question, depending on what vehicle you are coming from, I don't think the 21 inch wheels make the ride suffer. I think the 21 wheels look better and if I am driving in an area with bad roads, I put the suspension on comfort setting and it still drives better than my previous cars.

DameMD

Just noticed the OP is talking about GLC63 coupe. The wheel and tire combo will be totally different than the GLC43. I haven't seen the GLC63 options so maybe the 20s look just as good as the 21s. If the tire sizes are the same as on the GLC43 then I think the 21s will probably fill up the wheel well better. The other thing to consider is the weight. The V8 engine is heavier and there will be more load/weight on the front end vs. the v6 in the GLC43. That may or may not make a difference with ride comfort up front.

rihallix

Good move. I drove my GLC43 on my 21" wheels from SF to Palm Springs this weekend. Last thing I was even thinking about was the ride - smooth as silk, even in Sport Plus. Some people (who don't have the car) make the ride out to be like a boneshaker -totally not so.

NorCal roads are not great. The 21" wheels really make the look of the GLC43 as a sports SUV.

You are going to be super pleased with your GLC43 (apologies GLC63S) when it arrives - and those wheels are going to be the thing you are MOST pleased about.

VET11B

Same could be said of NOVA roads in some places (think Wine/Horse Country), but for the most part our roads are nice. And from what I remember of my last visit to the SanFran area your roads are not that much different. That being said 21 vs 20 is not going to make a noticeable difference regardless of road surface. Also, a pothole that would bend/damage a 21 will do the same to the 20.

I don't think he would be pleased with a 43 as he has a 63S Coupe on order.