I have also started looking into 16inch wheels and summer tyres, just to see roughly the price. I think it will be pretty equal to go for set of wheels and tyres or change 4-off shocks.

If shocks are just not performing as preferred then smaller wheels (more rubber) will help with comfort.

If shocks are worn then they should be replaced before a wheel change.  Bad shocks are bad shocks regardless of how deep the side walls are on the tyres.

17 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

If shocks are just not performing as preferred then smaller wheels (more rubber) will help with comfort.

If shocks are worn then they should be replaced before a wheel change.  Bad shocks are bad shocks regardless of how deep the side walls are on the tyres.

you are right. I hope my shocks are fine, the car had only done 26k miles. 

4 hours ago, Vlady said:

I hope my shocks are fine, the car had only done 26k miles. 

I don't know about your model and year but I was very disappointed in the front dampers on my wife's 2015 Fabia as they had to be replaced as a distress purchase on a Dealership MoT at 41k-miles (6 years) and I've seen other Fabia MK3 owners put early replacements of front dampers.  A mate's 28 year old Toyota is still on factory fitted dampers all round.

 

To make matters worse the next year's service was done at an independent garage that dealt with VWs among other marques and they told me the front dampers were leaking and would fail an MoT (that they would have done at another place across the road).  As the Dealership supplied and fitted dampers had a two-year warranty I contacted them to get the replacements to fit and MoT my wife's car.  On the day the Dealership rang my wife to say the dampers didn't need replacing as they were only misting and this is acceptable.  They didn't even list it as an Advisory on the MoT they done.  I'd never heard of misting dampers so a bit of research and I  found it listed as an Advisory on a MoT I found on the web (though I forget the details now).

 

So if you've not asked other 2019, 1.5 TSI Karoq owners about this perhaps it might influence your decision about the dampers - or the VWSkoda  dampers have improved or weren't/aren't so poor on your model and year.

 

Edited 20 February, 20241 yr by nta16
missing word

Finally I had a chance to talk to local mechanic about changing the shocks to B6. 

Well, he said there should not be any issues with finance or insurance.

Also, he changed a few shocks to a B6, and says it is a personal opinion but most owners found the ride much firmer and not what they hoped it would be. Basically he said, personally he wouldn't do that change.

I still have an option to go for a smaller wheels though. Not decided yet, other things are coming into play - spring, biking season and crazy ideas if I should take anything for a test ride etc etc and what if I like it?! lol!

 

Your mechanic seems to have given you his own fair personal opinion on dampers and their fitting, note the should not.

 

All modern cars I've seen have oversized wheels and very low profile and very wide tyres from shopping trollies to sports to hyper, it's the fashion and as it's the UK we have to go one size up on Europe apparently, then fashion is for high and heavy SUV looking vehicles.  Fashion usually has little consideration for comfort.  😄

 

Good luck.

 

I would not trust a mechanic to give you advice on whether insurance or finance companies are ok with a shock change. Only those companies can give you that information.

Just read back your original question and I think a wheel change would do what you want. I also think the B6 would improve the ride as it will control the car better. However it does make the transmission of small bumps to the car more apparent. But in a controlled way. It's hard to describe unless you experience it.

More rubber is what you want I think.

Just been picking this up several months after the event, but to throw my two penn'orth on the table, I've had some transformational changes to previously sloppy joe saloons by installing some inexpensive gas pressure dampers from KYB. I put their Excel G dampers (standard twin-tube) into my Mk2 Octavia 2.0 TDi with the small 205/55-16 wheel/tyre, 15 yrs ago, and it really made a huge difference to the stability and secure handling of that car. It was at approx. 40k mls, I seem to remember, and I'd bought the car new. It was on 140k mls when I sold it to a neighbour, and they hadn't deteriorated to any noticeable degree in that 100k mls of long distance daily commuting on motorway / country B roads. Before that, I'd used them on a Mk2 2.0 VVTi Avensis, and they made a stunning difference to that wobbly jelly of a car, doing the same 200+ mile daily commutes for approx. 80k miles in the year & a half I had it for. And before that... I'd put a set of cheap gas-pressure Monroe shocks on a horribly-squishy but mint 5-cyl. Passat 2.0 to great effect, which is why I carried on the tradition. These were all "standard replacement" black twin-tube replacement units but gas-pressurised, like B4's, with no worries about insurance acceptance. If you don't fancy B6's or are refused insurance for them (unlikely), just go with the "standard replacement" B4's (or even KYB Excel G's) and there will be considerable improvement to controllability AND ride comfort, and no legal worries. Also, they are a LOT cheaper... 🤑