I am going crazy by going back and forth so much. I'm really leaning towards a staggared fitment 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 but the more I think about it I dont want them to look small...

What are some pro's/con's when trying to decide which size to go with here? I'm upgrading from Stock 17" for my 2004 Coupe...

I noticed these so far in 18" vs 19" :

18's:
1. Better ride quality
2. Less expensive
3. Bigger than what I've already got

19's:
1. Better look (but too big?)
2. Better handling/turning
3. Obviously more expensive

Any input? Those with after market rims: What pushed you to get the size you decided on?

I'm on a pretty tight budget and dont really want to spend the extra money if it doenst make that much of a difference. Thanks everyone!

 

z1auto (I think) made a good point about having a wider tire with 19's when I was shopping. While you are decreasing the sidewall alot, youre also inceasing the tire width. The ride change may be neglible. But thats a personal preference thing. I avoided 19's because of the tire cost. Given how fast I've burned thru my stock tires, I thought it would add up. Not to mention potholes around here.

 

If you plan on lowering the car get the 19's. If not, you'll probably be happier
with the 18's with offset near stock (+30mm range). I would recommend the
stock tire sizes too (225/45/18, 245/45/18).

Also have enough budget to buy 5 wheels just in case you damage one in the
future.

 

Went with 20's to match my 20" guns. ..... Kidding aside ...... Actually my 20" Iforged wheels with Falcon st115's are actually more comfortable than ridding on my stock 18's. Probably because of stock Mich.tires. If your into performance, than chose a quality light weight 18" wheels. For looks, go with 19's, just save up for it. Preferably good brand forged aluminum wheel ( volks, iforged, dpe, etc.etc. ). 20's are also worth considering, if $ and performance is not an issue. Just dont regret later on for buying wheels to small or yet to big.

 

another concern was that if my ride was any harsher, I'd have more rattles. I have alot of rattles and 17 to 18 didnt seem to increase them at all. Not sure if 19 would.

 

That's a very good point TIMW.....i hadnt thought of that -- there are definite rattles i am noticing as the car ages it seems....only 21,000 miles and starting to get arthritis creaks.

Thanks for your input everyone....think you're helpin me solidify my original decision with the 18's.

 

Another factor to consider:

Unless you get very lightweight 19's, going to a 19" wheel will affect braking and acceleration performance a bit. Adding unsprung weight is never a good thing.

 

I'd say go for 19" unless by 18" you meant stock G35C 18" rims. (in which case it will be cheaper than most 19")

Something to think about - if you are going aftremarket, the price difference between 18" and 19" are actually less than you think. You will take a performance hit in acceleration when you go with a larger rims due to the added weight and the location of the added weight. (further from center = higher inertia = slower acceleration and braking) The car will likely corner and respond better, but it will also ride rougher. Looks wise it's obvious 19" looks better than 18". Doesn't make sense getting 18" unless you really want to save money, or you want to track the car.

 

I am also faced with the same dillemma. I'm riding on factory 18's and want to switch to 19's, but with the roads here in Mass., it doesn't look like it's happening. If I lived in a city with smooth roads, I would be debating between 19's and 20's. I've seen a few G's withaftermarket 18's, and I must say, I am not impressed. I'd rather keep the stock 18's.

 

I have tried both 18 and 19. I have come to the conclusion as far as looks go that the 18's are too small. The G has a huge fender well and can swallow massive sized wheels. Having 19's in no way looks overly large on the car at all. Another thing to keep in mind is the lip on most wheels causes the spokes to be shorter in overall look making 19's look like 18's etc. The ride difference between 18s and 19s as far as ride comfort goes is pretty much unnoticeable.

 

Ok i still think that I'm gonna go with 18"s but a staggared fitment. The rims i am looking at will have the 2.5" Lip Front and 3.25" Lip Rear so I think that'll make them look a little bigger (?). Thanks for the input. I just can't justify the extra couple hundred bucks to get just an inch bigger + with the arguments of slower acceleration, braking and throwing in the roads up here in cleveland OH (SUCK)..I think I'll be happy with the 18's. I'm not convinced they'll make such a difference in upgrading to 19's. When I get em on I'll make sure I post som pics. Thanks again....

 

I have a pair of 19" Axis that i love, they ride nice, dont look to big at all...and dont look to small.....because of the lip they look like 18's , maybe a little more on the heavy side but thats not a big deal to me...not sure if it would be to you? I like the 19's personally

 

if you're happy with 18s go for it... but i think if you're gonna spend the money anyway for aftermarket wheels you might as well get 19s... and as long as you get forged 19s the weight difference shouldn't be much...

 

The G35 is a fairly large car. You should get the 19s.

 

An 18" rim with a bigger lip will make it look smaller. This is especially true with a G35c since they have large wheel wells. If you're not willing to go with 19"s but still want the bigger looking wheels, you might want to get rims without a deep lip.