Most people don't really think about the wheels installed from the factory on their cars. In fact, most vehicle owners ignore them completely, focusing more on the wear and tear that their tires are experiencing.

The truth is that vehicle wheels are extremely important, and more often than not, the wheels that come fitted as standard on your vehicle are extremely heavy. The heavier a wheel is, the more it hinders your vehicle's performance. Check out the five benefits of installing lightweight wheels on your car!

1. Reduced Weight

Weight is the mortal enemy of performance. Unfortunately, this concept seems to have been forgotten by vehicle manufacturers, especially considering that performance SUVs are taking over the world at the moment. In this world of heavy performance EVs and SUVs making more and more power every day, weight reduction has seemingly taken a back seat.

But, the truth is that if you want a vehicle that performs amazingly well up to and at the limit, reducing mass is the way to go. Reducing rotational mass is especially beneficial if you're thinking about reducing weight. This includes your wheels, tires, and brakes. The great thing about getting lightweight wheels is that you're also reducing weight from an object that the engine needs to rotate.

Getting rid of weight from an object that the engine actively spins will tremendously help your vehicle's performance in many ways. Normal weight savings are important, but the benefits of reducing rotating mass from a vehicle will be felt dramatically. Most of your car's parts aren't rotated by the engine, but parts that rotate like the wheels, driveshaft, and brakes affect performance drastically because your engine is actively having to work extra hard to rotate these parts.

If you reduce weight from these critical rotating parts, you're saving your engine a lot of effort, and the engine will thank you for it. The benefit of this weight reduction directly translates to your vehicle's performance is positively affected. This can even translate to better acceleration. You can go even further in reducing unsprung weight if you also install a lightweight brake kit on your car.

The brakes will likely perform better than stock brakes and feature weight savings over the factory units. Lightweight brakes also reduce rotational weight from a vehicle and, combined with lightweight wheels, help deliver great performance benefits. The only drawback to installing lightweight wheels and brakes is that they're expensive relative to the performance gains. They might also be weaker than the heavier stock brakes, which isn't great if you live in a place filled with potholes.

2. Better Fuel Economy

If you have a vehicle with very heavy wheels and you do tons of city driving which requires constant stopping and going, lightweight wheels might provide better fuel economy. This is because the engine won't need to work as hard to move wheels with reduced mass, especially from a complete stop.

A vehicle's tires are also important factors in fuel economy, so choosing low-rolling resistance tires can help you save money on fuel costs. If you're going to get lightweight wheels, pairing them with a set of low-rolling resistance tires can be a beneficial combination. This combination can also prove beneficial if you're trying to improve your EV range.

Weight reduction, in general, is a great way to make your car more fuel efficient. The less weight your vehicle's engine has to pull around, the easier its job will be, potentially saving you money on fuel.

3. Better Handling Feel

Reducing weight also means better handling because the vehicle has to shift less weight from side to side when changing directions. In terms of reducing rotating mass, this also helps improve the perceived responsiveness of the car, especially if you're constantly accelerating and slowing down on a track.

If the weight reduction between the stock wheels and the lighter units is dramatic enough, you might shave some tenths from your lap times. The vehicle's steering can also feel more alive, especially if your power steering system isn't in the best shape due to the reduced weight of the wheels.

Getting a car up to speed after decelerating will be easier for the engine if it has less weight to move around. Braking performance might also improve because a lighter vehicle should be easier to stop, especially if the weight reduction comes from a spinning part that the brakes are meant to slow down.

4. Appearance Benefits

One of the most underrated advantages of getting lightweight wheels is the fact that you can choose whichever style of wheel for your car that you desire. When you purchase a new (or used) car, the options for wheels are usually extremely limited. Many times manufacturers might offer a more expensive wheel option for your car, but it's usually just one choice and might not be the best-looking wheel out there.

The problem with manufacturer choices for wheels is that they're usually heavy as well, so you're not actually getting any performance improvements when choosing the more expensive wheel. Of course, this isn't always the case because manufacturers can offer lightweight performance wheels as an option.

But, again, this is only one choice. If you go the aftermarket route, you can choose from so many wheels that you'll probably soon be overwhelmed with the number of choices. Choosing a wheel that you think looks the best on your vehicle is a great feeling. The awesome part is that you're not only enhancing your vehicle's aesthetic appeal but also reducing weight and potentially increasing your vehicle's performance on many fronts.

5. Change Wheel and Tire Size

When you purchase an aftermarket lightweight wheel, you can also change the size of the stock wheels and tires. If you want to downsize your wheel and get tires with a bigger sidewall for added comfort, you can totally do that. This is another way to customize your car to your exact taste, something the manufacturer can't quite match.

Lighter Wheels Can Help Any Car

The great thing about lightweight wheels is that they can help transform any vehicle. It doesn't matter if you own an EV or an ICE vehicle; they both use wheels. Fitting lightweight wheels to your car might not yield dramatic numbers like bolting a turbo kit to it, but you'll probably feel a difference in driving feel and overall response.