Wheel size?

The rim size alone for the examples you've given make little difference: depending upon the tyre profile all three could end up with the same overall wheel diameter if the 12" has deep "balloon" tyres, the 13" has regular profile rubber and if the 14" has low profile tyres fitted. Of those three situations the 12" would have the softest ride quality but the deep sidewalls would flex a lot giving imprecise handling, the 14" would give a far harder ride due to a far shallower tyre but that also provides high dimensional stability so the sharpest handling, and the 13" would be the best compromise.

All three wheels (=rim + tyre) would be of about the same overall diameter so if they're the same width would have very similar sized tyre contact patches with the road, so grip would be similar. But larger diameter wheels give larger contact patches than smaller wheels so give better grip and braking, they also ride better over road imperfections.

They could have thicker tread, or thicker grip