I like the look of the smaller wheels. I don't like the look of low profile tires. Better range, longevity and resilience are all just icing on the cake for me.
The only advantage for the lower profile tires (since I don't prefer them for looks) would be that they can handle better. But, that would also depend on the type of tire used. I'm at a stage of life where the small advantage in handling is not worth the compromises in comfort and reliability and needing to swap to high performance tires for the warm dry months is not something I'd want to deal with. So, all of the potential advantages of the larger wheels are lost on me:
- looks? not for me
- handling? not enough to live with the other downsides