I currently have the 7 spoke stock 17s and im planning on getting some rims late spring early summer. (still trying to find the right ones) I'm a little scare about getting 19s because i think i would need to lower it if i got 19's and i dont know if that would affect my ride quality. thats why i think 18s might be the perfect size for me. I was wondering what you guys thought about the difference in 18s and 19s because im still debating. -thanks

 

Since you have 17's, going to 18's would be a +1 upgrade, and going to 19's would be a +2 upgrade. There's a couple of important factors to consider when choosing between 18's and 19's. For starters, lets talk about the costs involved. Generally speaking, 19's will usually cost you more than 18's. If not for the rim, definitely so for the tires. Tire selection wise, both sizes offer plenty to choose from, so you shouldn't run into any issues there. Next, you may want to think about the weight of the wheels. Once again generally speaking, due to the fact 19's are a larger rim and will have more rubber surrounding, they usually weigh more than 18's. If you're just into the "show" aspect of a new set of wheels, then the following won't hold true for you, but it is something to consider. The heavier the wheel, the more of an impact it will make on the over-all performance of your vehicle. From acceleration to braking, the heavier the wheel, the greater of an impact it will have on those areas. The trick is to get the lightest wheel and tire combo you can in direct relation to the setup (weight) you have now with your 17's. That way nothing (or not much) will change with the performance specs of your vehicle. With 19's, you'll most likely run a lower aspect ration tire compared to what you would run on a 18. This isn't always the case, but for the most part true. A lower aspect ratio tire will give you the "corner ripping grip" you want from a tire, but at the cost of a little (to some a lot) ride quality. To plainly put it, the ride will get "harder". Here's a rule of thumb you can use, going to a +1 upgrade (18's in your case) will give you 10% stiffer ride, and going to +2 upgrade (19's in your case) will give you a 20% stiffer ride. Now once again, this isn't always true, but something you can refer to quickly if you're put on the spot and need to make a decision. Last but not least, and you touched base on it, the larger the wheel you put, the more it will "lift" your vehicle. Giving it what's known as the "SUV-tuner" look. The rims look great, but the space between the fenders and the tires just looks aweful. With a +1 upgrade, the difference is there, but not as noticeable. With a +2 upgrade, the difference becomes much more evident.... Just some things to think about before you buy...

 

For ride comfort go +1 (18) for max style go + 2 (19) The ride will be harsher on the 19s.

 

I'd go with 18s

 

^+1

Personally I will go for 19's you can lower the car later on the road, it's so easy to lower this cars, 2 bolts on the rear and 6 bolts on the fronts

 

+1

 

^+1 + I wouldn't fit any size that isn't offered as OEM and as far as I know, the biggest stock offered is 18"

 

I'd go with 20"s or 19".

 

^+1
19"
YEA!

 

20inch with 4.5" lip... Can get them crome dipped for $400.

 

Rims look good, the space between the tire and the fender looks right, but the car looks little to high from the ground that may affect the handle and stability.

 

^That car is also lowered with H&R springs.

 

+1 on the 19s

 

It's that the case that's why the gap between the tire and the fender looks just right, but I think it looks to high from the ground up.
It could be just me.

 

I see what your getting at but it also could be the angle of the camera? I think its a perfect height, Would like coilovers but that looks to rice IMHO.

 

If you read any of the new articles on the C63 (AMG C-Klasse)- one of the complaints was about the 19" optional wheels on the test vehicles. One article said they ruined the ride and performance of the vehicle.
A little off subject- but my friend has 19" 2 piece Racing Harts on his Lexus and after spending almost $3500 for rims and tires hit a construction cutout in the road and bent all 4 rims. He then paid $900 to have them repaired and re-painted.
I'll be buying 18's.

 

^Ouch... well Im still going with 20"s lol. Im going to keep the 18" amgs in my closet to scare away the boogy man and also incase something like all 4 rims bending ill have back ups.

 

sell me ur amg rims mike

 

Na, I rather hang them on my wall

 

have you found any rims u like mike?

 

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