Hey there! My '03 LS has factory 17" wheels and Continental tires. The ride quality is very smooth. I just talked with an '01 LS owner that pulled his 17" wheels and installed the factory, five-spoke 18" wheels. He claims there is no difference in the ride quality for him. My question is what is the perceived difference in ride quality going from 17" wheel to 19" wheel? Also, will there be an increase in steering "feel" with the 19" wheels. What are your experiences?? Thanks

 

imho there is usually not much difference, but lower profiles tend to get inconvenient with scraping or denting a lip. I did this for years on my Maxima, went from a 16" to 18".

Also, I think the key is to only go to a larger rim if the width increases. There is no purpose really to keep the width the same and increase the rim diameter. This means more metal, less rubber, and more unsprung weight. Then again, it's a looks thing. Wider tires also introduces understeer, and then the debate gets into grip.

So for me? The factory 17 to 18 changes the tires from 225 to 245, no-brainer. But no need to go any further as the car handles poorly anyway. but if you like the looks of even lower profile, then why not?

Ride characteristics from my experience is the most dramatic when going from a factory RFT to a non RFT.

This has been tested many, many times, where one of the mags did 16-17-18 on the same car, correctly sized for +1,2,3,etc., and from memory, 17 was optimal for performance...unsprung weight is a no-no...

 

I've had all three (17 OEM, 18 OEM and aftermarket 19) on my LS and there is a definite and noticeable difference (at least with the Ultra air suspension) in ride quality with 17's riding best. Neither the 18 and 19 ride bad, just minor increments of being a bit more bumpy and jarring which ultimately I decided I don't want in my LS. Both the 18 and 19 look better IMO, so that's a factor as well.

No real increase in steering feel with the 19's, your tire choice will make a bigger difference there.

 

Thank you to DaveGS4 and Johnhav430. Going to take a bump up from the 17s to the 18's with an aftermarket wheel and Conti tires. It will look a bit better and the ride won't be that degraded.