17 Inch Rims

I'm thinking of changing the rims on my 2.0l 20v coupe. At the moment, I have 15" rims, but I'd like to fit 17", as I think they improve the look of the car. I tried 17" rims a few years ago when I changed to my present 15" rims, but the car felt like a farm cart fitted with wooden wheels, hence the smaller rims!
As I've definitely seen fiat coupes with 17 and even 18 inch rims, and they must obviously be drivable, could it be possible that a suspension mod has to be carried out to account for the lower profile tyres?!

Thanks!
KG

with going from 15" to 17" alloys the tyre profile will be reduced so will give a firmer ride so there isn't a lot you can do but get used to it .

I also changed to 17" rims. I am pleased with. Not too crashy ride. Tyres are 205/45/17. Speedo is now spot on. They look great

Thanks for your replies. I may give it another go. 17" look really good on the car. I seem to remember being worried that I was going to cause some sort of damage to the car, what with the hard ride, and obviously the car's suspension is designed with the original 15" rim and tyre combination in mind.
Perhaps I was being over cautious, but can increasing the 'strain' on the suspension components by fitting oversized rims actually occur?
It DID really feel like I had wooden wheels!
Maybe 16" rims would be a compromise...

The 20v N.A. was originally fitted with 205/50-15s tyres, right? Mine was anyway. The official 16" tyre option is 205/50-16. The sidewall height does not change, just the whole wheel/tyre combination gets bigger. 205/45-17 will give you a little less sidewall but could still be OK with a good quality tyre.

I have a set of 20V Turbo 16" wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres on mine and I think the ride is at least as good as on the 15" wheels. It feels slower but that may be because it is a more refined than the old wheel/tyre combo. Speedo matches the GPS now so is "dangerously" spot on!

16" looks fine on a N.A. as it does not make it look over the top for the pace of the car. I'm not adverse to going for big wheels but it should be in keeping with the car.

Also bigger wheels are usually heavier which is not a good thing. However, the 20V Turbo wheels are light. If you like them and can find a decent set, they are worth considering.