18 vs 17

[Abuimad]

i was in a shop for buying rimms today and he asked a very interesting question...do u want those in 18 or in 17...i was like...17 hes like 18 looks better i was like ok 18 then hes like well 17's ride better....ur car will have shit acceleration on 18's and ull b feeling every bump...so is that true, and what do u suggest

[Under Pressure]

I had 18's on my W202 b/c the Carlssons I had were hard to find in 17. Having said that, I would have prefered 17" wheels because: 1) the wheels are less expensive; 2) the tires are less expensive; 3) you'll have more sidewall, thus more cushion on the tires for comfort and protection; and 4) with less rotating mass, your 17" wheels will help your car accelerate faster than with the 18's

For example, Motortrend tested the stock 2002 WRX wagon at 5.8 seconds 0-60 with its stock 16" wheels. WHen they put on optional the forged aluminum 17" wheels, 0-60 came in at 5.9 seconds instead...

http://motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0403_verdict/

[Abuimad]

well yeah thats what i was thinking sure 18's look better but on our w202 nething over 16 looks phat, however we do have pretty bumpy roads here...so im gonna go for 17's ne idea what the tires would cost ??

[benzfan]

Originally posted by Under Pressure


For example, Motortrend tested the stock 2002 WRX wagon at 5.8 seconds 0-60 with its stock 16" wheels. WHen they put on optional the forged aluminum 17" wheels, 0-60 came in at 5.9 seconds instead...

http://motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0403_verdict/

I notice however, that they picked up 2mph in the slalom. If anyone thinks they can "feel" the 0.1sec difference in acceleration, they're mistaken. Kind of like the people who think they can pick 'their' brand of beer blindfolded.

[Under Pressure]

Originally posted by benzfan
I notice however, that they picked up 2mph in the slalom. If anyone thinks they can "feel" the 0.1sec difference in acceleration, they're mistaken. Kind of like the people who think they can pick 'their' brand of beer blindfolded.

I think they picked up speed in slalom because of width (the optional BBS wheels are 0.5" wider than stock - i.e. the stock wheels are 7" wide whereas the BBS wheels are 7.5" wide). I dont think it had anything to do with the diameter.

And you wont be able to feel 0.1 secs to 60, but perhaps when you accelrate beyond 60, maybe to 80, you might be able to feel a small difference. It might not be a big deal, but little things here and there add up.

[tpliquid]

Originally posted by Under Pressure


And you wont be able to feel 0.1 secs to 60, but perhaps when you accelrate beyond 60, maybe to 80, you might be able to feel a small difference. It might not be a big deal, but little things here and there add up.

i think speedybnz said sumting abuot sumting that has to do with accelearting from higher speeds t higher speeds.. something abuot less HP is lost when car is at high speed or usmitn i duno..

[MYMBZZL]

Go for the 17" the guy at the store is right I have some 17" carlssons and when they are on my car the road fells like shit and I feel slower to accel. vs. the stock rims and wheels that the w202 comes with.

[GPReyes]

my apologies for the difference in opinion... but it's in diversity that makes things interesting haha...

go for the 18s!

the 202 body is solid and broad, and I feel that 17's really don't adequately fill the wheel wells..

18's are just perfect in my view...

especially with a nice drop.

for me a sec difference in 0-60 is negligible..and any 40-45 series tire disparity in ride is unoticeable as well...

I live in manila, where the roads are like the surface of the moon ...but the mercedes benz engineers have created the 202 suspension to such a high degree of excellence that the ride quality is still very good even if I'm running 18's on very low eibachs ...

just my two cents though =)

[Abuimad]

hmm.....well im gonna go for the hottest looking rimm wether it was 18 or 17 i guess

[GPReyes]

suggest if you do get rims..to keep the body kit in the same tuning brand: ie: carlsson rims with carlsson kit...

I guess I'm a purist like that...

and perhaps the designers really intended their own rim style to go with their body kit style for optimal aesthetics

[Abuimad]

yeah its a valid point, but most propably im getting the amg body kit, or the wald body kit, and i dont really like there rimms (way to wide spread amg speaking) so im getting 18 brabus on my car

[jnolte]

I have had about 7 sets of wheels on my C-classes over the years

I went form 17s to 18s to 18s staggard to 19s to 19s staggard

Now i run a 19x8.5 and a 19x9.5 with skinny ass 30 series tires.

While the 17s are nice ride and feel alot lighter, i would go with 18s or 19s!

Plus on a C230 your not going to be going fast anywhere anyways, may as well do it in style ;)

unless of course you thinking of turbo!

[Abuimad]

nope no plans on turbos but i do have a heavy foot on the throttle, but i didnt even know 19's can fit, did u flare the fenders or no, and is there ny rub
oh and one more thing, if i was to lower the car 19's would be out of the question right ?

[pnsji]

with the right setup, lowered with 19" should not be a problem.

I think 18" is the best size for W202 in term of performance, look vs. ride quality.
19" looks good also, depending on the style.

[Abuimad]

when you add bigger rimms does it affect fuel consumption, and every how many miles should i fix my alighnment

[jnolte]

Originally posted by Abuimad
nope no plans on turbos but i do have a heavy foot on the throttle, but i didnt even know 19's can fit, did u flare the fenders or no, and is there ny rub
oh and one more thing, if i was to lower the car 19's would be out of the question right ?

i am lowered on H&R springs

[vbrock1137]

Yeah, bigger rims will give you worse MPG, obviously more so the bigger they are. Not a huge difference though, I'd say maybe 1 or 2 MPG.

I put 18"s on my car this summer, and sometimes I still think they look just a little too small. 19"s though and I'd be too worried about damaging them with some of the surfaces I have to drive on.

I would definately say go for the 18". If you're even considering them and you like the look of big wheels there's a good chance you'll wish your 17"s were just a little bigger.