car_bore

Hey Fellas,

What do you think is the best aftermarket rims for the C300 Base in Palladium silver? I find the 17" stock wheels too small for the car, and does not compliment the bulging fenders at all. I was looking at the X0 Caracas in black and staggered but I'm not sure if I should go with the black or gun metal finish. AMG wheels do look nice but it doesn't cut it since mine is just a base model. I'm looking at other options as well.


Thanks in advance!
CB

Mike5215

I wouldn't get hung up on the fact the car is a base. Wheels are the biggest change you can make in terms of bang for the buck. Heres' me Palladium Sport with a set of replica staggered 18". Under $700 for the set shipped on Ebay

l3gendary

I looked online the X0 Caracus looks nice, kind of like the one mike has
I wouldn't also hesitate to go more aggressive into the forged look. It's a lease go nuts! Rims have typically pretty good resale value after a few years of use so it's one of the more cost effective mods you can do to upgrade the look. You'll probably lose no more than $500 after 3 years of us so it's like a few hundred a year for your own eye candy given that you don't curb rash the crap out of it

0drk3RT

Here's my base model C300 4matic with 19x8.5 and 19x9.5 CL63 replica wheels.

The 17 inch OEM Wheels are terrible/embarrassing.

0drk3RT

IMO the more you "mod" any Mercedes away from OEM (i.e. Blacking out the grill/star, adding a spoiler that isn't paint matched, painting/Plasti Dipping emblems black, etc) cheapens the look of the car. Replica AMG wheels at least look like they belong on the car, no matter what trim level you have.

l3gendary

you're going to hate my car then!


All my emblems are black/blacked out the star/did a bunch of dechrome wraps and plastidip ...even added that "non paint matched" carbon fiber spoiler....ohh even doing vmr wheels so it's def going to cheapen the look HAHA


I'll post a post hopefully soon when it's all done for your viewing "displeasure" But yeah to each their own for sure. I do get the general sense that people generally speaking don't mod their Mercedes much at all. The c63 I see on the road get modded but the basic non-amg usually stay around stock which is also probably why all these performance upgrades have that "Mercedes pricing" as there's just not much market/competiton out there for manufacturers. Your car does look nice and very luxury which is why I think most cars stay stock which Mercedes is good at. I just prefer more of sporty look that I think chrome doesn't provide. Mercedes just has SO much chrome compared to the competition (BMW) ...but we'll both love our cars just as much

subzero05

these get my vote!

0drk3RT

lmao! It's all good man. Back in the day, I murdered out my 2009 C300 Sport 4M. Plasti dip, wrapped all the chrome, black grill, emblems, wheels, the whole 9 yards. I thought I was the coolest cat out. Lol.
But when I look at old pictures of that car I cringe with embarrassment. I was totally "that guy" trying to make my entry level Benz look like a C63 or maybe just fishing to turn a few more heads at stop lights. Like everyone, Things change with age (I'm 35 now..) and I've come to appreciate a more toned down approach to mods, styling etc. To each th that own for sure! We all enjoy ours cars, so you better post a pic ASAP!!

Btw, you should've seen my Pontiac Grand Prix with 20 inch spinners I had back in college. Lmfaoo!!!!

car_bore

Those exhaust tips

Thanks for sharing Mike! I love how they look like. Just wondering, since yours is a sport model, don't they usually come with brake caliper covers?

Biggest regret I'm having right now is not getting the sport model. I keep my cars for a very long time, and not getting that is really a big mistake for me.

Thanks!
CB

car_bore

Thanks fellas for the reply.

0drk3RT your car looks awesome! I do agree that the AMG weels just looks "at home" with any mercedes.

If you would be so kind, please let me know where you got them wheels!

Looking forward to your reply!

Thanks!
CB

0drk3RT

i hear ya on not getting the Sport package. This is my first base model Benz and I kick myself for not going the extra mile.. anyway, here's a link to the wheels: I have the 45 offsets.

http://www.oemwheelplus.com/product/...er-8505185052/

the correct tire sizes are:
FRONT- 225/40/19; REAR- 255/35/19

i just ordered all new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires for my wheels today. I discovered 2 of my Goodyears I have on them now have numerous large "cold cracks" on the outside should of the treads. No clue how this happened but it's all good because the tires are the wrong sizes and load capacity anyway, so It was unavoidable.

Btw, if you do order these from this vendor make sure they don't ship cone seat lugs, as the wheels use R13 14x1.5mm BALL seat lugs with a 27 inch shank. (Don't use the OEM lugs, as they are R14 and won't secure the wheels properly.)

car_bore

Couldn't thank you enough!

By the way, I noticed that the tire dimensions on their tire and rim package are different than the one that you posted. They have 235/35r19 & 275/30r19. Is this the dimension of your previous goodyears and might have caused the cold cracks cause of the wrong size? And how did you find out the correct tire sizes for it?

And thanks for the tip too! I'll let my installer know about this. I plan on buying just the rims and have them install the tire as well as the stock TPMS and proper lug nuts on it. Too bad I can't use the wheel locks I got free from Mercedes-Stuttgart headquarters.

0drk3RT

The tire installer told me today the cold cracks were probably caused by the way I stored them; on the concrete floor of my basement. He said concrete "sucks the oil out of the rubber and causes the tires to crack." Said I should've put them on carpet or cardboard. Lesson learned.

The wheel supplier pairs the largest tires that fit on those specific size wheels, without regard to the W205's specific requirements for clearances, or matching W205 OEM wheel specs for overall circumference, revs per mile, inner/outer cleanrances of the tire to fender/suspension or changes in speedometer reading.

I confirmed with Tirerack that our specific c300's need 225/40/19 front; 255/35/19 rear. They are closest to OEM specs and are matched for the staggered size wheels, with less than 1% difference in revs, circumference, speedometer reading, etc.

l3gendary

Finally got some time to take pics of my abomination
You have pics of that Pontiac still? I need to see those!!! HAHAH...and any pics of the tryhard c300? Probably looked just like mine


Done with front and rear, I'll save the side profile shot (dechromed the window trim) for when my rims come


I'm turning 29 so I got a few years left of douche-bagery before it's Toyota camry time

car_bore

Now that is a gorgeous color @ l3gendary! I was also planning on plastidipping all the chrome bits in my car. Will probably do it in a couple of months from now since I'm still thinking if I should change to the diamond grill.

Thanks for sharing!

cilenamo

How does the ride feel on the 19s? I have 20" aftermarket wheels now that Im going to downsize to 19 and was wondering how the ride difference is from your 17s. If you dont mind me asking.

cilenamo

How does the rid difference feel?