My first car was a 2005 xA, and I slapped some 18" rims with low pros on there without knowing what the hell I was doing. It ended in disaster—the tires kept popping and the lips kept getting rashed. An independent mechanic (not the dealership who sold them to me) told me the rims were too big for the car. I wound up having to chuck them.

Now I've got an xD...and I'm getting the rim temptation again! I suppose there's no way to prevent curb rash except to park carefully. But what about the stupid tires? Are low pros just a nightmare in the city? Do they HAVE to be lows to fit rims? And are the 16" alloys you can get from Scion the right size for this car? I cannot make the same mistake twice! Thanks for any help!

 

Shoulda posted this in the rims forum but anways, low pros are def a nightmare for local city driving, not sure how it is in SF but here in NY your guaranteed a pothole at least once a mile (1/10 a mile in NYC ) If u get some chunky tires they can help prevent curb rashing a little but u still need to be careful. just try to move the side view mirror down to the ground before trying to park.
Low pros are really only necessary if ur car is slammed and chose a rim thats a little too big for the car. The optional 16s are the correct size. You can look into some used tC wheels also since they're also the correct size.
I run 17x8 wheels with 235/40/17 tires. Its a nice meaty tire that gives my lips a little cushioning from the curb and can handle the potholes and bumps from crappy NY roads. The middle number on the tires determines the overall thickness of the tire if that helps you at all.

 

Oops, sorry. Didn't know there was a rims forum. I just saw exterior and thought, bam! Anyway, I'll move it. But your reply was very helpful, thank you!