vendsit

I posted in the wheels and tire forum but thought I would post here also to see if I can get any feedback.

I have an 09 W204 4magic with the stock 17 inch staggered set up. Since I need new tires, I was thinking about upgrading to an 18 or 19 inch set, and I'd like to get some feedback or suggestions from my fellow members.

I'm thinking about going to 18x8.5 with 235/40/18s all around so I can rotate them in the future. I could do several things;

I can keep the stock 17s and just replace the tires. Cost <$700 installed.

I can buy a set of used 18 inch AMG wheels from a fellow member, and tires from Tirerack. Cost about $1,500

I can buy the 18 inch replicas from Powerwheelpro and tires from Tirerack and take the TPMS from my current set. Cost about $1,500

My main concerns are, do the larger wheels have any adverse affect on ride quality? More importantly, are there quality concerns in buying the aftermarket wheels? I had a long talk with my mechanic and he told me that he's never had any customer that bought non OEM wheels and not had problems. Whether it's vibrations or bends from inferior materials used.

I'd like to hear from my fellow members thoughts and feedback so I can make an informed decision.

Thanks