LEXGS400

Although the obvious answer to this question...IMO...is 20's....i live in NY and just dont have enough money to pay for a respectable set of 20 inch wheels....i would rather have 18' inch lowenharts than 20' inch replicas...but thats just me. So the question is...18's or 19's ??

I have heard that 18's offer the best combination of performance, comfort and looks and since i dont have the money to replace a wheel if it cracks im leaning more towards the 18's at the moment.

I have also heard that 18's are just a little bit too small for the big GS and it doesnt quite look right.

Money is also an issue....if i get the 18's i can also put on tints, install my two 12 inch subwoofers and get a Greddy or TTE front lip ( Just temporary...as i will most definetly be getting a full kit...either WIN, Wise, RMM, Veilside, Quest power, TOM's, possibly something else, i havent decided) but that is further down the road.

If i get the 19's i wont be able to do anything else to the car besides the rims...not for a while anyways. The only thing that i might have enough money for is tints...

So what should i do???? Or better yet..what would you guys do?
also keep in mind that im planning on dropping the car about 1.5 inches at some point.

Thanks for your help,
Evan

GSXOTIC

iTrader: (6)

I had a set of 19" before and now waiting for another set of 19" to arrive. I like the performance and the ride comfort. Ask GS4Will, he can get you a very good deal on all sizes!

APLUS

It all depends on the wheels use choose. Some 19's cost as much or more than 20's of the same quality due to supply and demand. If there are more 20's available they will be cheaper. Also 19 in tires can cost more than 20 in tires. 18's on a GS are cool just lower it (think M5) If you are looking at the same wheel in the two different sizes I would do the 19's and lower the car/sub install. The 18's are straight but with a 1.5 in. drop still isn't enough. needs a 2in. drop with 18's. I understand your in N.Y. but I am in Detroit and we have worst roads than you guys. Never cracked a rim here.
By the way what wheels where you looking at? Like you said quality plays a part here. I to would rather have 18in. HRE or Lowenharts than 20in. Omegas or Ultras.

CaMsGS3

LEXGS400,

Im on 19's Staggered to (currently on my 16's for winter) and live in NY, The ride is a lil ruff but it dont bother me...........I say go with the 18's and some coilovers or get 19's and just some springs/shocks to dop it a lil............i have about a 1.5 drop and the rims look like 20's

like GSXOTIC said I also like the performance and handling
Aplus makes some good points too

ALSO LOOK IN THE WHEEL CLASSIFIEDS......THERE IS A SET OF MY RIMS FOR SALE..........SAME SIZE - LOWENHARTS BSD 19"STAGERED SETUP FOR A KILLER DEAL.... ITS DOWN TO $1900 SHIPPED!!!!!!!!!
I WOULD JUMP ON THIS ASAP BEFORE THERE GONE

Here is how they look on my GS, this pic is before my car was dropped

CaMsGS3

Here is the Link to the Thread

LowenHart BSD's For Sale

GS4Will

thanks gsx...

Evan...you basically kind of answered your own question..taking all the factors you mentioned into play, stay with 18s..

YES, it is true that GS is a large car, and 19s and larger looked right at home, the ride can be bumpy(for me at least) on bad roads....then again, everyone has differnet degree of "bu2t" tolernace..i ran both 18s and 19s before, and is now looking at my next set of shoes...and this is a tough choice for me too

JL4785

Living in San Francisco sucks if you have larger rims like 19s and 20s. I still decided to go with 19" wheels. Just have to be a lot more careful with the driving. The ride to me wasn't as bad when I had 20s on. I was expecting a lot worse! My only complaint was I noticed a loss in braking power? Am I alone on this one??? Either way, the 19s will look a lot better on a GS in my opinion. Performance wise, the 18s would be the way to go... Takes a lot to get the 19s and 20s going and to stop it as well. I chose 19s mainly for the look.

*sidenote, I would of gone 20" again but the particular rim I REALLY wanted doesn't come larger than 19"

Richie

I think 19's look the best, 18's look a tad too small most of the time.

GS4DOUGIE

iTrader: (6)

I got 19's with a stagger. Love em. I would watch the classifieds close for good used buys. I am a satisfied buyer of used tires/wheels thru the CL classifieds.

Be patient.

D

J.P.

I think 19-20's are fine, we have bad roads here much like you. If money is an issue , you can get some decent 18-19" setup's from tirerack that won't break the bank. 18's may be to small for some but a few people run them on here for various reasons and I think they look fine. Performance, ride comfort and price, 18's may fit your needs. I think tire prices for 19's are high to but I am not sure.

///MDex

The type of wheel has a lot to do with the look.

DaveGS4's 18s look anything but small. Its due to the spokes traveling all the way out to the edge of the lip.

Check it out in his gallery.

Weight will affect performance more so that size, but they are still related. A 20lb 19 will be harder to turn than a 20lb 18.

If I had to get a full new set of wheels, I'd do some 18s, but that decision is based on my addiction to the performance with my 17s I have mounted currently.

Come spring/summertime, I may sacrifice a tad of the go for the show.

LEXGS400

this may be a dumb question but what are 19's with a stagger???

CaMsGS3

LEX,

A staggered setup means you have a wider size wheel in the back & smaller in the front

ex.. I have 19's but the front is 8.5" in width and the rear is 9.5"
looks good and i think is a lil better for handling

only thing thats not good w/ a staggered setp is that you cant rotate the tires