Posted by steel on May 05, 1999 at 21:53:36:
In Reply to: How's Pirelli P6000 Sport Veloce? posted by Hmadris on May 03, 1999 at 00:47:44:
From your description, I think the 16's would best fit for you. Another thing to remember is that when it comes time to replacing those tires, the 16's will be considerably cheaper probably. In the end, it comes to this...the two size you are thinking of are same brand, and make. So throw tread design and all that out. The 16's will ride a little softer because they are a higher profile (55) then the 17s. So while this will soften the ride a little, you will also have more sidewall flex, and that's where your loss of performance comes in. The 17s, (I don't have their size here) are most likely NOT wider, but most likely close to the same width (due to tire well restrictions) but rather gain extra performance by having a lower profile (less sidewall flex) and by making the car a little lower to the ground (lower center of gravity=better performance).
Living in LA, most likely you will see more commute and intersection traffic than lonely two lane highways. And convertibles are not a top choice when one is looking for all out performance anyways. With the 16's, I think you will save money(now and later), get more of what you want (better ride) and also still have fine performance (otherwise Volvo would not offer them in that size) If the ride is still too stiff, I don't know, but see if Volvo has different suspension options (if you wanted the best of both worlds, maybe they would have an electronically adjustable set-up...though so much for saving that tire upgrade money!)
good luck, enjoy the new car, and don't park it too close to all those dang car doors down there!