Looking at buying either an '04 or '05 6MT coupe. Two questions:

1) Is there a noticeable difference in the ride quality between an '04 with 18s and an '05 with the 19s ?

2) Is is possible to buy 19s that will last as long as the 18s? From what I have researched, the stock 19's don't last very long.

Thanks in advance for any input/advice.

 

Any input ????

 

Its tough to say because the 04 coupe has different suspension settings than the 05 so its not an apples to apples comparison. Its reasonable to assume that the 18s will give you a more comfortable ride but the difference will be hard to quantify.

 

I owned an 03 and now have an 05. There were no differences between the 03 and 04 so I can give you a direct comparison. I "demonstrated" the capabilities of my 03 to its new owner before handing over the keys, then drove (albeit more gently during break-in) my new baby home. My 03 had 20K miles on it, and brand new tires when I sold it, so although the suspension would have had some wear, the tires were not "hard as pucks", and thus the ride was not degraded by old tires.
First, I was expecting the ride to be worse on the 05 than on the 03. It is not. I was really surprised with this, but honestly, while there may be a slight difference, you will most likely not notice that difference. Credit a long wheelbase and large rolling circumference of the wheels, if I had to guess.
Tires are RE050s on the 19s, Pilot Sports on the 18s. The Pilot is a far superior tire. Max grip in my estimation is actually higher on the 04 than on the 05, and strangely, while I haven't "g" tested or put a chassis dyno on the car, my butt would say that there is actually a bit more body roll with the 05.
Another consideration is this- if you are interested in some of the best rubber out there, they don't make an Advan Neova in 19s, yet anyway. You won't have Brembos on the 05, but having driven both under hard conditions, I'd suggest that other than cool factor, you won't miss them.
On the flip side, the 05 motor is a lot more fun, especially if you enjoy having a few more rpm (I do), and there are mods that will not work with the 04 engine (MREV for example). Listening to MP3s is only available on the 05s and beyond (MP3 player quality is surprisingly good). Finally, the interior is a lot more sorted on the newer car. A lot of the "bugs" have been worked out as well, as the car moves thru its model life cycle.
In the end, regardless of what you choose, you'll end up with a great car.

Cheers,
Derek

 

Like Derek I also had 03 with 18's, when I switch them with aftermarket 19's with wider tires(245/275) I didnt notice much if any difference at all in ride comfort, same with the 05's 19's not much at all, as far as wear goes? the 18 on my 03's only lasted around 22k, cant tell the wear on 05's so far I only put on 8k...check out tirerack.com about the wear/performance of tires.