Higher-performance versions used larger wheels ... Now, of course, you'll struggle to find a car with 15-inch tires, and the push for more options means that VW likely has to buy lots of different ...

For years, the 15-inch-diameter wheel was the standard for us 'wheelers. It didn't matter whether we were running 31-inch- or 44-inch-diameter tires on our rigs-most of us used 15-inch wheels.

We used 31⁄2-inch backspacing on the 15x8 ... You could buy four tires and wheels and a fifth matching 15-inch spare tire and wheel for the same price as four 17-inch tires and rims.