[MartinWake]

Hey guys I currently have 18 inch rims on my car with low profile run flat tires,

I wanted to get 19s and lower it a little with coil-overs so the fitment is nice but how would 19s affect the performance would I feel it any slower?

I read online it would lower the acceleration of the car but they didnt say from what size to what size it would affect it the most, would it be that bad for just 1 inch up?

Thanks!

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

It will affect acceleration in that they might be a heavier rotating mass, depending on the brand and weight. That being said, 19" has sort of become BMW's newest standard. It's absolutely possible to buy lighter and larger wheels.

They could affect ride quality, as 19" wheels will typically have lower profile tires. You will get better road feel out of them as a result.

[axe127]

Depends on a bunch of things, mostly the weight of the new vs old wheels and the tires. And importantly, if you have a 328 (like me), it wasn’t fast to begin with and won’t be much worse with 19s! Regardless, I doubt you’ll notice a difference if the wheels aren’t like 2X heavier.

[hassmaschine]

Handling, ride quality, acceleration and braking are all negatively affected, but wheels on modern cars as so freaking heavy anyway, going from 18" to 19" isn't going to be a big difference.

[SSW]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Handling, ride quality, acceleration and braking are all negatively affected . . .

^This!!!

I just bought a 2000 Porsche 911 Carerra 4 Cab w/19" wheels/tires on it. They "look" good but I hate the way they affect the handling of the car.

Very heavy/muddled steering wheel feel, poor steering response, extreme understeer when attempting to turn at high speed (big wheels/tires just want to go straight), a very harsh ride (w/the very short sidewalls), the front end is over-reactive to bumps and irregularities in the road due to the greater wheel/tire mass and shorter/stiffer sidewalls (have to fight the steering wheel when this happens) and braking response is severely diminished (also due to the greater mass).

Nothing like the 996 w/stock wheels/tires that I've driven before, So, I am already planning to buy OEM stock sized 18" alloy wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires to "fix" this problem; lower weight/mass and better traction should be the result.

[ryan stewart]

Man, Im starting to love my 16"s on the E91, especially once I got those RFTs off. Rides nice, no weight, etc. Also the only thing that can survive the terrible roads here. My girfriend has gone through 3 18s and my coworker has lost two 19s to potholes.

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

It will affect acceleration in that they might be a heavier rotating mass, depending on the brand and weight. That being said, 19" has sort of become BMW's newest standard. It's absolutely possible to buy lighter and larger wheels.

They could affect ride quality, as 19" wheels will typically have lower profile tires. You will get better road feel out of them as a result.

Yeah I would most likely get forged rims that might even be lighter then my current 18s , and yeah ride quality would not improve but the roads where I live are pretty good so it wont bother me that much..

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by axe127

Depends on a bunch of things, mostly the weight of the new vs old wheels and the tires. And importantly, if you have a 328 (like me), it wasn’t fast to begin with and won’t be much worse with 19s! Regardless, I doubt you’ll notice a difference if the wheels aren’t like 2X heavier.

Yeah I understand its mostly about the weight and I would probably get 19s that might even be lighter then my current 18s

[KillaManjango]

I pulled the trigger and installed 19's about 6 months ago. I haven't noticed any difference performance wise, corners are still tight and acceleration is still great, and I absolutely love the look. That being said, I'm considering selling them and going back to 18's and its mainly because of the area that I live in. Road conditions are horrible in the DC area, on every major highway I drive on you literally cannot go 50 ft. without hitting a bump or pothole.

I think you will be fine. I took a vacation down to Fl last month and I was amazed by the roads conditions. I drove about 500 miles when I was down there, I MIGHT have seen 1 pothole. Definitely jealous!

[tcphoto]

Great question, I don’t think it’s ever been asked here before.

[Balr14]

I always go for the smallest wheels with the most sidewall I can get. I have averaged over $2000 per year in wheel, tire and suspension damage caused by poor roads, with cars that had large wheels. I had to sell my 2009 Porsche 911 with 19" wheels because I could only drive it about 1700 miles a year because of the roads.