19' vs 18' wheels on 2010/11 S4
#1
19' vs 18' wheels on 2010/11 S4
Hey everyone! My first post. Getting ready to order a 2011 S4. Like the Prestige package except the 19" wheels. My thoughts are that the 19 inchers are nice, but cosmetic only. They seem to me to cause a heavier turn-in, harsher ride, and are of course more expensive to replace than the 18 inchers. Any thoughts before I order???? Thanks!
#2
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Order the car with the wheels you like. If you prefer the 18's, then get that.
I think the 19's kick a$$ - I'm very happy with them. I don't find the ride any worse than the 18's on my BMW.
I think the 19's kick a$$ - I'm very happy with them. I don't find the ride any worse than the 18's on my BMW.
Last edited by mellow_sparky; 05-09-2010 at 07:01 PM.
#3
Banned
Hey everyone! My first post. Getting ready to order a 2011 S4. Like the Prestige package except the 19" wheels. My thoughts are that the 19 inchers are nice, but cosmetic only. They seem to me to cause a heavier turn-in, harsher ride, and are of course more expensive to replace than the 18 inchers. Any thoughts before I order???? Thanks!
#4
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Unfortuantely,you cannot order the Prestige with 18" wheels. ( at least you couldn't on the 2010) Someone has tried that without success. No doub't the 19" tires will cost more to replace and are heavier.
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If the 19'' and 18'' tires and wheel combo weighed the same, the 19's would come out ahead because it has bigger contact patch on the road, and has lower sidewall so it can flex less while cornering. It's simple physics. But naturally most 19's weigh a lot more than most 18's, so 18's would win if they weighed a lot less than the 19's. In everyday driving I think one would be hard to notice though. I test drove a S4 with 19's and the ride was better than my Mercedes C350 with 17's. I ordered my 2011 with 19's.
#7
I just ordered (well, about a month ago) new 19" rims to replace my stock 19" rims. I bet my new setup is lighter than most 18" ones out there.
Personally, I wouldn't go smaller than 19 on this car... but that's just my opinion. It just doesn't look right to me. Of course everyone has their own taste, so that's really not an issue. The stock 19" rims are pretty awesome in person, but I wanted something different/lighter.
Unless you're tracking your car, ignore any performance gains/losses with either setup. Really guys, you'll get a bigger time difference between drivers than wheel sizes. Unless you live your life 1/4 mile at a time, I doubt you'll notice what wheels are on your car.
As for tire cost, it's really not that big a difference either. There are plenty of 19" size tires out there... and perhaps paying an extra $20 a tire for new ones by going 19's shouldn't break your bank.... if that's even the case.
Personally, I wouldn't go smaller than 19 on this car... but that's just my opinion. It just doesn't look right to me. Of course everyone has their own taste, so that's really not an issue. The stock 19" rims are pretty awesome in person, but I wanted something different/lighter.
Unless you're tracking your car, ignore any performance gains/losses with either setup. Really guys, you'll get a bigger time difference between drivers than wheel sizes. Unless you live your life 1/4 mile at a time, I doubt you'll notice what wheels are on your car.
As for tire cost, it's really not that big a difference either. There are plenty of 19" size tires out there... and perhaps paying an extra $20 a tire for new ones by going 19's shouldn't break your bank.... if that's even the case.
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On this car, I only ran 18" wheels for the ride and the fact that the stock OEM 19" are cosmetically challenged IMO i.e b**t ugly (flamesuit on). The stock 18" wheels are much better looking than the OEM 19" IMO. My last cars 35's were too harsh though. I beefed up the width on these to run at least 255's on 18/40s. What are you going to run DrV?
Bruce
old, crabby, and still working for some reason.
Bruce
old, crabby, and still working for some reason.