kjhouston

Can anyone try to describe how 20's ride vs. the stock 16? Is it that you just feel every crack in the road? Is it louder? Will coilovers make the ride better? If riding on stock 16's is considered a perfect ride, a 10, what would you rank riding on 20's on a 1-10 scale? Would it be better for me to only go with 18's to have a smooth quiet ride?

Thanks for the help

redgs4

Compared to the stock 16's, even the stock 17's are harsh and loud in comparison. I'm sitting on 18's now [well, my car is] and the ride is harsh, the tires are loud and I can feel every imperfection on the road. This probably also has something to do with the Tein HA's, TRD sways and all the TOM's braces. But you can't go plus 4 without expecting major changes in ride and noise.

GS300Rich

I have 20s with Toyo tires and compared to the stock 16s the ride is somewhat harsh. I would have to rate it a 6. In addition to 20s I also have eibach springs, soon to be changed to TEIN cs coilovers. When most people change out their wheels they usually have some sort of suspension mod done already, so it is hard to tell if the degradation in ride quality is mostly from the wheels or equal parts wheel and suspension mods. Maybe some one that just has 20s with no other suspension mods will chime in here and give their opinion.

IMHO if you are going to add 20s to your car, then some sort of modification to the stock suspension is a must. My first mod was Eibach springs, and looking back I wish I would have gone straight to coilovers. The ride with the eibachs is rather bouncy and rather harsh for only a 1" drop. I chose the TEIN Cs coilover system because I dont want to go too low because I will be installing a WIN kit, which sits lower than most other kits. Hopefully the coilovers will be installed either sometime this week or next week. I can let you know what the difference is between the eibachs and teins if you want.

The good thing about coilovers is that you can increase or decrease the ride height to get the desired effect that you want. Also you can add on the EDFC unit to stiffen or soften the ride from the comfort of the drivers seat. Coilovers are the more pricey route to go but as most will tell you it gives you the greatest amount of flexibility. Good luck with your GS

Kajukenbo

If 16" has a grade of "10", 20" will only give you "4 - 5". Any pot hole that is over 1" deep will most likely cause your cd to skip in your car if you were doing 35+ mph.

20" will definitely give you a harsher ride if the road surface is not smooth. If you do mostly freeway driving, 20" should not cause you too much problem. 20" looks good, but it may not be the most pratical things to do for some people.

bluelex

compared 2 16's stock its not even close. i have the 20's woth bridgestones s03 tures and teins cs coilovers and they ride really smooth but u still feel the road a lot and u wil feel most pebbles on the road with low pro tires. but the cs coilovers really help with the comfort in the ride.. great looks alway come at some sacrifice i guess..... good luck

Manaray

The only way to really understand is the go drive a car with 20's. Everyone has slightly different sensory systems and "harsh" to one person might be "pretty good" to another. Describing it doesn't really help. Also, the ride will depend on the suspension mods (if any) and the type of road you're driving on, etc., etc...too many variables....for example, 20's on the smooth roads are nice (IMO) but on jacked up bumpy roads, it's not very pleasant....but what do I consider "jacked up bumpy roads"? New York style 3-foot deep-loose-your-kids type jacked up or Los Angeles 5 Freeway type jacked up?

If you're that worried about it, stick with the 16's...no one buys 20's for the ride quality.

LEXISM

iTrader: (2)

Nothing will ever ride as smooth as stock 16's or 17's. If looks is your main worry then the little discomfort of havings 20' wont bother you because you look good just remember to look out for potholes and if performance and ride quality is your thing then stick closer to 16's just my $0.02 cents

LexFather

Anything with a tire with a profile lower than 45 is gonna get harsh. 35 profile and lower gets harsher. Less rubber, that is all.

You will notice new cars are getting bigger with bigger tires, i.e instead of 245/45/17 they come with 245/55/17, a bigger sidewall. Its to provide the look of bigger wheels with a smooth ride. QUite silly actually.

D-MAN63

People who get 20's usually DESIRE more of the LOOK of the car than worrying about ride quality. I have 20's on for over 2+ years now (except winter) and IMO the look of the car on dubz is far more worth it for me than worrying about ride quality.

Wald GS

iTrader: (1)

I'm rolling on 19's and the ride is actually very good. If you get 18's, you may regret it and if you get 20's, it may feel really bumpy. I would narrow it down to 18 and 19'' rims.

RNM GS3

I went from 16s to 18s plus i lowered the car and the ride is very good unless you hit a pothole, then u can tell the difference. I would probably get 19s with the fat tire setup if i had to do it again. IMO 20s are too harsh for an everyday car but it depends where u live and also how much u value a smooth ride.