[quicksilverdon]

You don't say where you are - I'm in Northeast, I've had a wheel eaten by a pothole, and my daughter and her husband each lost one also - if you are where roads are smooth & maintained, you can go bigger than 17".
Also depends what you want - handling? Comfort? Wear? Cost? Those things compete with one another - handling/ride is a tradeoff.

Also, bigger tires are more expensive, and often have briefer lives...