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Originally Posted by JoelK
I've been looking at rims for quite some time (since my summer tire thread in technical in fact), and I had intended to go used stock WRX or 2000-era RS(with a slight preference to RS) simply because of price. My thinking was that with 225/50/16 tires, it wouldn't make that big of a difference performance-wise between 16" and 17" rims. I couldn't care less about how the wheels look on my car (well, as long as they aren't ugly  ).
But 2-3 months later, I'm still looking for rims, and I've got to buy -something- within the next month (at least tires for my stock rims).
Here's my question: I've seen some people that say that most of the time a 16x7" wheel is ideal for price/performance. I was thinking of the Rota Slipstream if I ended up buying new. 13.5 lb. and $500 shipped is the number that attracted me. These 17" Lightstars are 15 lb. and $480 shipped (though tires will probably be more expensive).
Am I right in generally preferring a 16" wheel? Everyone seems to have 17" wheels, and I can't decide if it's just looks or if there is a performance value as well. Someone please enlighten me. |
I think most people will agree that 17" rims are ideal for performance on a WRX. They can still be fairly light, while reducing the sidewall height to a size that will handle better and still protect the rim from potholes. 16 inch tires will be a bit cheaper, but I think you'll be more limited in choices because 225/x/16 tires aren't very popular. For the prices you mentioned, there are *tons* of 17x7.5" Rota models available, and unless you want ultra-high performance, good 225/45/17 tires can be found in the $80/each range.