Mainly I think it must come down to cost. Base model ones without an option pack are entry level for a lot of people. I kept to steel/hubcaps as I knew my learners would probably kerb the trims eventually and new hubs are cheaper than alloys! Best of both worlds is to keep a set of alloys seperate for shows/runs.
I agree about the fact steel wheels are not as nice as alloys to look at but I don't thnk the newer covers (3/04+) are as bad as the first ones.
Handling on the 15" wheels is fantastic mind!
