18's or 19's in New York City
 

I have a g35 sedan....silver with black int. I live in New York City home of pot holes. I was shopping around for rims and need some advice on the rim size...should i go 18 or 19. Dont want to kill the tires or rims with these damn pot holes. But i also want the car to look nice...18's might look cheeezy hmm....any advice????

If I were you...I would stick with the OEM. New York City is the worst place I have driven around in. No offence. It's a great city but the roads are terrible and traffic is beyond my tolerance.

with 18's there is really no real improvement from stock and 19's would be screaming for mercy when you drive around. This is just my opinion.

i vote 18s. i used to live in nyc, and spend plenty of time driving thru and around nyc. imo the right tire choice and size makes a big difference as far as comfort is concerned. additionally choice in wheel makes a difference also. obviously forged over cast. of course you're going to want to stay away from crate sized potholes on the bqe, etc. and be careful when parking near a high curb.

i suppose if you feel 18s will look cheesy, then it will look cheesy to you. i thought the same, but 18s ended up being the right compromise for me. i don't want to have to worry about denting the rims all the time because ultimately i need to *drive* my car. you judge for yourself and make up your own mind.

https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sedan-v35-2003-06/50337-black-professor-sp1s-black.html

thanks ...i think 18 is it. I just came from the the rim shop. of course they told me to go higher but, im gonna play it safe. NYC is the worst.

If NYC is the worst, then Cleveland must be a close second. I have the 18" wheel package and I love how 19s look, but I just can't see myself grimacing everytime I hit a pothole or go over RR tracks. It's not worth it. I'm already steering around potholes and manhole covers enough as it is. If you must plus size, I would suggest no higher than 18s.

lol, we have potholes the size of small craters. but it's not like that everywhere.

I thought the OE wheels for the sedan looked pretty subtle and good.
Id keep it stock or get some grippier summer tires. :)

Disagree. My BBS RGR in 18x8.5" form weighs 18 lbs vs 25 lbs for stock. quite a reduction. You may want 18x8" for the sedan, which would be substantially lighter than stock when running 245/45/18 all around.

Go 19 and just be careful. Your already riding on low pro's with the factory tire package anyway. Plus there are a lot of cars that come stock with 19's now. Do 19's and be careful, you should be okay. I'm gettin ready to throw on my 20's like this week.

-Vin

I live right outside NYC and I drive in almost every weekend. I am riding on 19" OEM and already had one scratched up (Not in NYC though, Hoboken). I think even with 18s you still have to be careful. So just go 19!

The look of 19's is worth the headache of dealing with potholes.

Vin, when you put those 20's on - let me know whats good with them. I cant wait to get outta these 18's. I havent decided on 19's or 20', but I really would like the 20's so I dont have to mess w the suspension.

I can only think of a few cars that have a stock 19" wheel option: M45/M35, G35, BMW 745, BMW M3. Am I missing anything else? The choice became pretty easy for me when a guy I know bent a 19" BBS RGR.

I have the 19 oem from the sports package and driving around the city with them is a real hassle. I've driven into potholes that i swear that i knew it was never there. Just drive slower and be very cautious when you drive the city(manhattan).

I do hear the sound of *clinks* everytime i hit one. I stop and check the rims and it seems fine. I have to find time to check the inside portion of the rim for bends.

if yer getting a strong forged rim, go with 19's. i'm in the city 3 times a week with 19's, like everyone else said, just dont drive carelessly with them. huge potholes will tear up any rim if u hit it the wrong way. the suspension on our cars is beefy enough to take a bigger rim like 19's. u start to run into problems when your shock bottoms out, then u have nothing to take the impact but the rims and tires. i thought about 20's, but then its just that much more i'd have to be careful...good luck vinny with those 20's, post some pics asap! AFRO....YER AVATAR IS SO HILARIOUS I'M LOVIN IT!!!