Robert F

I've got 16" and stock sport supension now. I'm really tempted to get 18" this spring, but aside from the cost of the wheels/tires, then you really have to do the suspension, otherwise the bigger wheels/tires will accentuate the gap, and that'll look like crap, right? And since the wheels I really like are very open, I'll need to upgrade the brakes/rotors too, or else that'll look not so great either, right? Then with lowering the car to close up the gap I'm going to lose ground clearance and that could lead to problems, particularily in the winter with ice ruts etc, right? Rather than go all out I'm wondering if I might be better off just adding an anti-sway bar and a basic lowering spring package. Would that improve my handling significantly?

Thanks for any input.

RKA

It looks a little raised but it's not an eyesore. You'll get a little better performance for now, then do the suspension later if you're still inclined?

Upgrading the brakes and rotors because the stockers look bad is a nice idea, but it's a whole lotta money "just for looks". Hopefully there is some performance motivation justifying that expense (tracking the car).

Robert F

Maybe 17's are a good compromise, then again I wonder if the difference between 16' and 17's (looks wise at least) is worth it. I have to admit I am also thinking more looks than performance when it comes to brakes as I doubt I'll ever track the car. It is a whole lotta money "just for looks". Maybe it's best to wait until the car needs all new brakes anyway and then look at the difference in upgrading vs. replacing the stock ones.

RKA

Take a 17" Oettinger RE. The spokes come out from the center, then bend back in, and make contact inside the rim lip. This gives them a "smallish" appearance in a 17" size. Then look at something like a Kahn RSS wheel, where the spokes run out to the edge of the rim. It makes the wheel appear a little larger. If you can select the right design, you might be happy with the way a 17" rim looks. Have you seen the 17" celebration rims that Audi put on the 2001.5 A4's? They look pretty nice...couple that with a 5-10 mm spacer to push the wheels out, and a 1" drop in the suspension, it looks pretty sweet.