yes,
because your cost is the tires in the long run, how you drive and what kind of tires you buy make up that cost.
so are you an old fart, a regular driver, or some one that has many speeding tickets.

im a regular to fast driver. i spend 600 for a set of good tires that last me 40k. the sport rims is worth it to me because i like the look and the handling. $600 every 35-40k is worth it to me.

i don't think any one can answer this question for you with a simple yes or no.

you have to answer these
do you like the look of the sports, (yes/no)
do you drive like a bat out of hell, (yes/no)
are you going to buy winter tires because it snows where you live (yes/no)
are you willing to spend a little more $ to have a sportier looking and feeling car (yes/no)

are you really concerned about an extra $800 to $2000 over the life of the car (yes/no)

are you aware that some one can buy the sport rims and end up paying less for tires over the life of the car compared to a 17" set up because they choose to spend $100 a tire instead of $350 a tire?

your asking a question that has a BIG gray area in the answer department because there is so many ways you can spend a ton of $ or save a ton of $ based on how you drive and what tires u choose.

you are not going to get a straight answer.

 

see, in order to make an unbiased decision, these are the things i need quantified. what's "more" performance? how much more? and safety, how much more? you're not implying the 17" are unsafe, correct?

 

i don't think you can get those types of "facts" on a forum.

 

sorry I do not have the data to qualtify that, but some common sense stats, like tire wear rating, sidewall stiffness, physical tire size and past experiences (read age) have lead me conclude that a High Performance All Season radial is not going to be as sticky as a Maximum Performance Summer tire. I am sure the RS-A are fine tires for everyday driving, but in sticky situations, I would go with the more athletic tires.

Not that I value Tirerack's reviews of the tire but check it out for yourself. Pay special to the "would buy again" column.

GY-RS-A:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....nSpeedRating=V

REO50

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=(Y)&minLoad=S

I'm not endorsing either tire, I am only trying to answer whether I think the sports 18's are worth the upgrade. I think yes.

 

because no one knows? there's no link to that kind of info that someone has read? no one has ever tested this?

meh, i'd say go with the 17s then, if they're going to cost you less and appearance is the same to you.

 

Good points. I especially appreciate your comment about temps frequently below 40, which describes a large of the U.S. If I lived in FL, it'd be one thing. But, here in DC, it's frequently below 40 from late October through late April. All seasons and/or winter tires work better for these conditions. (Of course, I wouldn't run winter tires outside the 6 colder months.)

When I've lived in Colorado, the season with temps frequently below 40 could run 8 - 9 months long.

--Rich

 

I'd strongly recommend not to replace the RSAs with the same. They are WAY overpriced and underperform. Not popular in the buy again ratings on tire rack. However, there are many great choices for the 17s, for a variety of driving styles, and for a much better price.

For the 18s, the Potenzas are also not universally loved, but perform better than the RSAs in wet and dry conditions above 40 degrees, although the soft rubber really wears fast. You pay for that stickyness, you really do. The matched Goodyears in the staggered sizes found on the sport package have good ratings, though.

 

If you are young then get Sport package instead, screw the rims. If you are an old fart and can't handle the rough ryder style and get regular journey then. BTW I realize Sport version comes with extra sway bars, i thought the alternate suspension was just springs and shocks. No strut bar(over engine) like the G37, i guess they didnt want to make the G35 sedan more stiff than it already is. GGGG unit, best ride for the money!
_______________
2008G35journey/ivory/stone+prem&sportpkg. CUrrently at 5600 miles.

 

I don't like the look of the 17's on my car.
They're too small and they look like roller skate wheels.
I was at my dealer a few weeks ago and they had 2 Slate Blue G35's right next to each other. One was a G35x with 17's and the other was the G35xS with 18's.
Sitting right next to each other, I was able to see the difference in wheel design, but not wheel size. They both looked almost identical in size.

For this eason, I want 19's, but the cost of tires has me hesitating. I have a long commute so the cost of rubber will affect me quite often.

I'm living with the 17's for now, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out... I hate em'! LOL