Dr. FOB

Will be putting on new set of wheels tomorrow. Probably Brabus or HREs.. but still deciding rather to put on 19's or 20's...

deciding factors:

1. appearance - I like the sporty VIP looks, however I don't want to over do it and make it look ghetto.

2. Practicality - i drive it daily...

3. Comfort - this is probably a no brainer. 19's. but just want to see what you guys think.

your suggestions/recommendations is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

BlackonBlack

I had the exact same question on my mind but decided on 19's. Especially if youre in San Francisco, the roads there are terrible, especially in the city. Go 20's if you want to feel the tram tracks under you and it'll make for a bone shakin ride. Plus, as an everyday ride, you'll be glad you chose 19's.
You're right, it is a no brainer.

Dr. FOB

thanks !

pleubner

I am also thinking of a new set for next summer ....

What do you think of these wheels guys?

pleubner

.

Dr. FOB

Those are very stylish. btw, is that a kit on that SL?

SLcharger

What can i say, got both size on car. Look at specs. below.

Guido1986

when i bought my rims i was going to go with 19s.....but the guy told me that 19s you get less rubber and the 20s you get alittle more....(i thought it was kinda weird)......go for the 20s they fill in the wheel well nice and if your car is dropped it will look sick.

vago5150

Which Brabus/HRE's are you considering?

joec1101

You have this backwards - you get *more* sidewall rubber with 19's and *less* sidewall rubber with 20's. If you want a better ride and less chance of bending/damaging the wheels, then go with 19's, especially if you're going with Brabus wheels which are soft cast aluminum and bend easily. If you really want 20's, then go with a higher quality forged wheel like the HRE's which are stronger than the cast wheels.

djamer

From personal experience I can attest for daily driving 19' are better suited, especially for the streets such as San Fran. I live in northern va where the roads are quite nice, but DC is horrendous.

I had brabus 19' wrapped in kumhus' on my CLK and the ride was very sporty, and the cornering ability was outstanding, but the potholes were very unforgiving. no matter how strong your rims may be, be cautious of 19' or 20' rims as they will bend on severe potholes. Also, roadnoise may be something you may need to get used to.

CY

20's all the way with 305 on the rear.... dropped.

SL2003driver

Find a nice set of 17's with 255/45's. Better ride. I personally don't like tires with a profile lower then 45's, I know they might be better for racing with the lower profile but they hurt the ride quality of the vehicle. I doubt 99% or the owners on here never need the extra corning ability of the lower profile tire. Its more about what the "cool" look is about. I also think the 35's and lower look bad. JMHO

CY

Great design but most people want a lip on the rear.....it makes the SL looks SO much more aggressive stance wise.

allenjdmb

to see how many experts there are here on wheels and tires.
17" wheels? Will that even clear the OE brakes? not to mention how wimpy that will look...and 19's on a W208 is one thing, but an SL? That's easy work. And most any pothole that is violent enough to bend a 20 will also bend a 19 or an 18. If you're not paying enough attention to miss these giant holes in the road, should you even be driving a nice car? Perhaps a Taurus or Camry might be better....Quality product is quality product. Buy something reputable, from someone reputable, and get what you like.

Keng1

I have 20" Brabus wheels and I live in SF. Love the wheels and love the look.

123gf

Apart from 20's looking a bit too much, perhaps consideration should also be given to the increased wear rate of your suspension bushes.

pleubner

Hmmmm , what about these ..... they are original SLR

allenjdmb

Your "bushes" aren't going to be worn near as much as they would if you heavily lowered the car. Keep it aligned, keep the air pressure up,and at a reasonable ride height, and you can get surprsingly good tire wear from big wheels and tires.

oofreakoo

I am ready for new tires for my 20's but before I go to my local shop I will have to take 3 of the 4 wheels to another shop for repair. Deep dish rims can get bent easy. I have a local guy that knocks them out for $30 a wheel (unless it’s major) so it’s not a big deal, just a little more of a hassle. It's worth the look and the ride doesn’t seem bad to me at all. Another thing you will need to watch is the front end wheel rub on your fenders.

I do have to agree though, you probably won’t have these problems with the 19’s.

gmo442

Im in San Francisco and may be buying a SL with 20 inch chrome HREs/ I dont like th big rims and might be selling them, whats your price range?

SL2003driver

Guy at the dealership wants to sell his 19" because he is tired of fixing tires all the time. The skinny side walls are a problem. Get some nice 18" HRE forged wheels with some and you will have a nice daily driver wheel/tire combo. Personally the large wheels with skinny tires look stupid to me, but the looks are a matter of opinion. So get what you like looks wise, just realize that the skinnier the side wall the more tire problems you will have. Personally I love my 17" mercedes wheels with 255/45/17 tires. Great ride and looks great.

Chris 45971

Go with 18s. Pilot Sports.

CY

18 inch HRE looks strange IMO....for some reason anything custom under 19 inch bothers me. I would rather keep stock or go 20 personally.

meko3

ALERT: DO NOT TAKE BAD ADVISE FROM THESE JOKERS ON THIS FORM ABOUT YOUR SL...YOU OWN A MERCEDES SL "SPORT" CAR..I OWN A 2005 SL550, FERRARI MODENA, BENTLEY GT, AND OTHER CARS...IF YOU WORRIED ABOUT HOW THE CAR RIDES, YOU SHOULD HAVE PURCHASED A SEDAN. THAT AGGRESSIVE EFX LOOK YOU ARE TRING TO ACHIVE ON A SL WILL NOT BE ACOMPLISHED WITH 19'S...UNLESS ITS ON A FERRARI FRONT. HERE'S THE FORMULA TO THE MAJIC YOU ARE LOOKING FOR:
GO 20'S STAGG..WITH BIGGER LIPS IN THE BACK.
255/35/20 FRONTS=THE SUSPENSION BALL GONNA BE HITTING THE TOP OF THE TIRE, SO YOU HAVE TO JUST HAVE A SHOP FILE THE TREAD END OF THE BALL DOWN A INCH..(INSIDER'S SECRETS ON MERCEDES AND BMY ONLY)THIS WILL NOT DAMAGE YOU CAR.
285/30/20 REARS.(THATS BIG ENUF).DO NOT PUT 308'S BIGGER TIRE SIZE BC THE INNER TIRE WALLS GONNA WARE OUT WITHIN 2000 MILE..PERIOD. HOPE THAT HELPED...IF YOU WANNA SEE PICS OF MY SL550..HIT ME UP AT LENOXBROWNWASHINGTONPC@YAOO.COM..NOW THIS IS REAL TALK FROM ATLANTA.....................