nkucz

Hey guys,
I drive a black 2013 C300 Sport and have decided on Rotiform SPF wheels, however I'm having trouble deciding between 18" or 19". I don't want to suffer too much in ride quality, and 18s are also cheaper but I still want them to look bigger!
Thanks

MB Marko

I like 18's the ride isn't much different from the stock 17's, 19's do look nice and big but the ride is a lot worse because the tire gets quite a bit thinner and you really do feel more on the road.

It's all personal preference! whats your heart leaning towards? where do you live? are the roads really nice? are they going to be on the car 24/7 or do you have winters? ect.

nkucz

I'm leaning towards 18s I think. I live in Rhode Islamd and Connecticut where the roads are pretty borrible if I'm being honest. Also, yes this will be a daily drivin car!

MB Marko

I went with 18's and couldn't be happier with the ride and the look.

thats just my option, I'm sure you'll get more people chiming in on this later on today

Pcsmsclc

Go for the 19".
I did it last fall and yes the ride is little bit harder but less then I was think. And the road here in Quebec are pretty bad too!

edgalang

Do you care about looks or performance? Is money an issue? 18's are cheaper and with the $ saved, you can get better tires.

I'll take 18s on good rubber over 19s on mediocre tires any day.

nkucz

Well money is akways a factor because I'm a college student, the price difference between the 18s and 19s for the Rotiform SPFs is about $30 per rim. I care about performance and looks lol, but plan on taking this car in the mountains to go snowboarding and things if that makes any difference.

nkucz

Thanks for your input!

nkucz

Anybody have any pictures of 18s on their W204?

MB Marko

have picture's in my profile albums, The multi spoke rims are the 18's take a look.

stgry1

Do any of you know when you go from stock 17"s to say 18"s, what needs to be done with the TPMS? Can you just swap the sensors from wheel to wheel? I believe some are tire valve style sensors but not sure on these cars. Thanks

nkucz

Good question, I would like to know the same! I was assuming I'd just swap them out without any problems.

jylee

19 would make your car ride like a truck without spring. I had a w124 coupe that has 17" AMG wheels on. It looks good, but bad ride. I change it back to stock 15" after the tires wore out.

nkucz

Yea this is something that I was worried about. Almost positive I'm just going to bump up to 18s from 17s!

LCPLPunk

What is the rim weight difference between those sizes? What about between the tires?

If the rims are 5 lbs more each, and the tires 5 lbs more each you'd be gaining 10 at the wheel....just giving an example.

edgalang

Then you've already answered your question. Forget the wheels for now. Think about the tires moving forward. 19s will always be more expensive than 18s. Heck 19s are even more expensive than 20s.

The worst move IMO is buying a set of new wheels and not having enough $ for decent tires.

Rodpwnz

This is very important. At what value do you put your life and the safety of others? I bought my 18" AMG wheels second hand for $650. I had REALLY wanted 18 inch AMG wheels for years. I slightly compromised on tires; I got DWS all season tires instead of DW summer tires. They are both top performance in their categories. It was an easy decision because the DWS were on sale and they will last much longer.

I think you should hold off on new wheels until you can afford both the wheels you want and a set of high quality tires.

Also, regarding going from 17's to 18's, the ride is slightly harsher. I wouldn't say it is a big difference. You will feel the bumps a little more.

nkucz

I plan on getting contipro tires like the oem ones that come on the car regardless if I get 18s or 19s.
However, after taking everything into consideration I will be getting 18s! Love the look of yours by the way.

stgry1

Is anyone going to answer this for us? Especially those of you that have made comments about your wheel swaps??

edgalang

Nothing special needs to be done. Assuming they are not too old 5-7 years, or damaged, you can swap TPMS sensors back and forth.

C300Sport

Heart says 19's...Brain says 18's
Poor road conditions and the extra weight of 19's led me go with a square set of 18's a few years back and I am very happy with them.