Noahh

Hey there,

I just got my 2016 C300 4Matic base and besides my spoiler, it looks bland. It has the 17" wheels on it and it makes it look like a dad sedan and I was wondering where I can get the 18/19" AMG rims? Are there reliable sites that sell GENUINE wheels that I can easily swap onto my car?

also, what affordable methods would you reccomend for making it sound better? my friend has a GLA43 AMG without resonators and it sounds great, would love to get a little crackle here and there and was wondering what the best method of doing that is. Bear in mind im on 19 years old so my budget isnt through the roof

Thank you guys, any help is appreciated

Mike5215

If you're set on OEM wheels you'll need to hunt down a set of take-offs on EBay or Craigslist. Expect to pay north of $2000 for a decent set with tires. Thru the dealer a set would be around $4,000 (just rims).

Or do a search for "18" AMG STYLE WHEELS" on EBay. Those are replica wheels, and are usually around $800 a set. Any set with a 45mm offset will work on the 205. "Staggered" wheels will be an inch wider in rear vs front and tend to be the most common and look more aggressive.

I have a set of these staggered 18" reps and have been very happy with the quality. Around $700 shipped on EBay. I'm not especially budget conscious (I'm probably the "Dad" age you referenced in your post) but I've found zero difference in quality between replica and OEM wheels as far as being true, balancing up, and the finishes holding up.

Another $800 for Michelin Pilot SuperSport tires. The TPMS on your existing wheels will transfer over.

Noahh

Thanks for the reply! your attachments arent working is there anyway u can PM them to me?

Mike5215

Just updated them. The phone app is twitchy with photos sometimes. Here's a set of OEM style W205 18" reps for $600 on EBay:



There's tons of choices on there.

Shadwell

re sounding better you won't get more fart noise in S+ without a retune ..
BUT to get a little more sound akin to the GLA 45, putting some magnaflows or Borla straight through mufflers does a decent job..
More noise than that then a civic with no exhaust would be my recommendation

JBMCL

I'm also looking for 19" AMG rims. Thinking if I should just go with replicas or not hmm..

Noahh

Those look good, im super jealous of your sport package haha

Think they would look good on my base model? I have the spoiler on it so it looks decently sporty but i think tinting the windows and getting bigger rims would make it a lot better looking

Noahh

can you elaborate on this? Im not too familiar with tuning cars

I also lease this car, so any mods would have to be taken off. so as long as theyre easy to install/remove Im in the clear (I have a good relationship with the GM of the dealership I lease from so he lets me slide a little, hence the reason Im 19 and can afford to lease a new mercedes lol)

Mike5215

The dealer didn't actually lease you the car. MBFS bought the car outright from the dealer then leased it to you. The dealer has zero ownership interest in the car so they don't care about your mods at turn in.

The pre return inspection is done by an independent 3rd party, and MB uses them because they're very good at ferreting out extra lease end charges for wear and tear, and missing equipment.

However, unless the car is louder than stock, they're not going to inspect the exhaust.

Mike5215

Lots of choices in 19" AMG reps for the 205. Any wheel that fits the 2000-2017 S Class, or the W204 will work as well. Anything with a 45mm -ish offset is fine.

DapperStyle

I think big wheels without the sport package will look silly.

Noahh

this is also a concern I have. maybe 19s are too much and I should stick with 18s

clifish

if going to 18" or 19" rims from stock 17" do I need to have speedo re-calibrated or bring it in for flash?

Mike5215

No. On a Plus 1 or Plus 2 the overall diameter of the wheel (rim plus tire) doesn't change. You're swapping sidewall height for rim diameter, which is why a Plus One or Two affects ride quality. To keep the overall diameter the same, the sidewall has to be shorter, and shorter sidewalls are stiffer.

I've seen a base car lowered on 20" that looked amazing, so I wouldn't sweat not having the Sport Package, but I'd keep the rim size at 18". Even that extra inch is going to make the car ride noticeably stiffer vs the 17".

Base, dropped and 20":

JBMCL

Good suggestions. I'm mainly looking at the 19" AMG Multi-Spoke ones on the W205, have you seen those reps around?

Mike5215

JBMCL

Thanks! Would that be regular price or would I be able to find them a bit cheaper?

Noob question but what are the major differences between OEM and replicas?

Mike5215

Replicas are essentially unauthorized copies of OEM wheels, typically made in Asia and sold for a fraction of OEM. (That same set from a dealer is probably $5,000).

The established EBay vendors (Aspec, OEM Wheels Plus, any vendor with transactions in the 5 figure range) have been selling reps for years and typically have near 100% feedback. If they were selling unreliable crap my guess is it would have caught up to them fairly quickly.

Personally I've run reps on my Mercedes dating back to my 04 S Class. They've always balanced up easily and ran true. The nice thing about a $200 rep wheel is if you curb one it's not quite as heartbreaking as if it were an $1100 OEM wheel. In terms of durability they hold up as well as OEM, and like OEM, if you hit them hard enough they'll bend.

Purists aren't fond of them on general principle but I've never found a compelling reason to buy OEM wheels. In fact I'd trust a rep vs a refurbished OEM. Ideally a decent set of OEM take-offs at a fair price would be the best bet, if you can find them.

In terms of price, the multispoke wheel is a complex design so I'd expect to see them close to that $800 price.

JBMCL

Great info! Thanks Mike!

JBMCL

This is interesting

Mike5215

Yes, there's a difference between a replica wheel, whose manufacturer and retailer clearly states is an aftermarket product, and a counterfeit wheel with a bogus MB part # stamped on the back where the manufacturer and seller are hoping to deceive a buyer. Avoid the latter. The former are fine.

Hapa88

One more thing to realize about the Replicas out there is the sizing is different from the OEM, so the overall fitment relative to the fender as well as the tire fitment will be different.
From the EBay 19" AMG replica wheels that I saw for the C300, they are generally staggered and are 1" wider than the OEM versions of the same wheel. With offsets in the mid +45 range, they'll generally sit 10-15mm flusher with the fender (this is good IMO). The downside is that if you run the stock tire sizes, the tires will be much more stretched than the OEM versions leaving the rim edge more exposed to curbing and giving the tire a stretched look.

Mike5215

You can find "square" fitments and spot on offsets (within 1mm) in reps but the best sellers are staggered, wider and with a more aggressive offset. I guess the majority of buyers looking for aftermarket wheels want something more aggressive and the vendors are catering to them.

My 205 is the first Benz I've owned with different offsets front vs rear. The 220 and 221 were all 44mm all around, and their staggered OEM wheels were 8.5"/9.5", (If memory serves) so you could find a set of 45mm staggered reps and keep your existing tires (or 35mm for a more flush look).

On the 205 with higher offset rears and narrower OEM rims you're going to either have to live with a stretch (which I did since the tires were two months old) or spring for new rubber. Also with a 45mm rep the rears will stick out further.

You can see the stretch and the more flush rears on my car:

Mike5215

You can really see the stretch on the rear in this shot.

I'm thinking you could save a little money by rotating your OEM rear tires (which are sized for 8.5") to the replica fronts and just buy a new set for the rears.

andylaidb9

If you wanna upgrade the 17" wheels for base model without lowering it, it might look a little too high.
For example:


I recently just upgraded my base wheels from 17" to 19" and did the lowering as well.