UPGRADE TO 18" OR 19"??? Need help deciding

[jmrod0720]

Morning guys. I am relatively new to the Audi family. I purchased a CPO 2013 A4 non S-line with only 5500 miles. I am looking to upgrade the wheel and tires to a 18" or 19". The OEM on the car right now are 17" 10 spoke in a matt black. I love the smooth ride and don't want to loose that in an wheel/tire swap.

My questions to everyone is:

1. Would a 19" loose any smooth ride quality?
2. Is a 19" OEM Peeler easily damaged? (I live in Houston with a lot[IMG]C:\Users\jrodriguez\Pictures\2013 AUDI A4\photo 2.JPG[/IMG] of construction)

[oascom]

I got 18 and the ride is very smooth. And I like the look of it. I think I would go 19 but they didn't have the wheel I wanted in that size.

20 are way to big for my taste.

[OB1]

If you don't want to lose a smooth ride, stay 18" or under. Low profile tires dramatically decrease ride comfort.

[mfoster87]

I went from 17" to 18" (2011 A4) and I did notice the difference for the first week or so until I got used to it. It's still smooth and comfortable but I'd be hesitant to go any bigger than that. 18" looks good and still maintains a good ride.

[AWDLover]

19s will look better, 18s will ride smoother. I went with 18s, but would like to upgrade to 19s at some point.

Also, just as a tip...you cannot post pictures directly from your hard drive. You need to upload them to a photo sharing site (like imageshack or something), and then post the link to the photo like you tried to do from your computer.

[a2 4.0t]

IMO the car needs 19's to set it off looks wise.

As the others have mentioned 19's will give you a firmer ride. Although I wouldn't say it's harsh. I'm on 19's & coilovers and I still think the ride is comfortable for long drives.

As far as damage is concerned, 19's can be less forgiving but I've taken some pretty big hits & still have zero bends or cracks. Just leave room between you & the car in front of you & you'll be ok.


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[Liquid Smoke]

19s definitely look better, but if your priority is a smooth ride then definitely get 18s. also i know how you feel about the bad roads, and trust me you'll want 18s. i have 19s and drive in NYC/NJ, this past winter there were alot of potholes and really bad roads and i ended up getting slight bends in all 4 of my wheels throughout the winter and had to get those repaired.

so you will definitely save a lot of hassle and headache going with 18s, and 18s still look pretty good too.

[dscline]

As far as damage is concerned, 19's can be less forgiving but I've taken some pretty big hits & still have zero bends or cracks. Just leave room between you & the car in front of you & you'll be ok.

And just to provide a counter point... I once changed lanes too late and ran over those round warning bumps they put in the road (turtles) with 19" wheels, and blew out one tire, bulged out two others, and bent three of the wheels. That was an expensive mistake. Most cars with more typical profile tires can run over those with ease, but you really have to be mindful of what you're running over with such low profile tires.

18s will be less harsh and are more practical, but 19s do look a little better.

[name.goes.here]

I have 18" - if I did not live in the NE with the shitty roads and weather encountered in this region, I would likely go to 19". Not worried so much about the firmer ride, as I am with hitting a pot hole, etc. and having a blowout due to less sidewall.

[o1turbo30v]

19" will look a lot better on the car, Audi offers them for a reason, if you are concerned about ride quality, its the tire you choose not the wheel diameter. My stock 18's with 245/40 Conti procontacts rode WORSE then my 245/35/19 Pirelli P1 Plus's, its also know that 255/35/19 Conti DWS have a soft sidewall and are very smooth and comfortable for a 19". Buy 19's because you will eventually want to upgrade to them.

[Frinkferta]

I went from 18" to 19" and I am never looking back.

[dscline]

if you are concerned about ride quality, its the tire you choose not the wheel diameter.

Sure, tires have a bearing on ride quality, but that doesn't mean that sidewall height doesn't. You can choose a softer tire for a softer ride, but softer tires could also be easier to damage (the last thing you want when you minimize the buffer space between the rim and the road). Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires have a reputation for being relatively comfortable, but they also have a reputation for being relatively easy to damage in low profile setups.

[o1turbo30v]

Every low profile tire is relatively easy to damage, the ride quality question answer is that yes 19's can ride comfortably and any size wheel regardless of sidewall size can be damaged, will a 40 series offer a little (.48") more cushion yes but chances are if you are hitting something hard enough to destroy a 40 series, you will also destroy a 35 series. My gf destroyed a stock 245/45/17 tire and wheel on a bad pothole. Just pay attention to your surroundings and you will be fine.

[Warho23]

I was in the same boat as you, have the same model year aswell. I lowered and got 18s for winter 225/45/18 . Definitely noticed the difference. but i attribute it to the springs. Aswell in toronto, winter just destroys the roads here. Summer came about and i switched to 19s 255/35/19 Conti DW tires and they feel the same as my 18s but quieter and with tighter steering (thanks to the great tires). Im actually very happy with my 19s, i still do my best to avoid pot holes, bumps, etc.

I would recommend the 19s mainly for the looks, ride quality will drop but not significantly that it's horribly unbearable. Also consider the roads in your area and if you intend on lowering the car. Stock height of the b8.5s is stupidly high for some reason, and going bigger will look a little goofy

[B-Time]

If you don't have sport suspension or lower, stick with 17".

[TimNGobbles]

And just to provide a counter point... I once changed lanes too late and ran over those round warning bumps they put in the road (turtles) with 19" wheels, and blew out one tire, bulged out two others, and bent three of the wheels. That was an expensive mistake. Most cars with more typical profile tires can run over those with ease, but you really have to be mindful of what you're running over with such low profile tires.

18s will be less harsh and are more practical, but 19s do look a little better.

Ah, I think I got a picture of you when this happened.




To the OP, if your roads do suck and you do hit alot of bad pot holes/ bumps then get 18's. 19's do look better but this car still looks good on 18's.

[Karim@VelosDesignwerks]

19" with coilovers all day!

[r6_11b8]

18's will always ride better since they have more tire....19's look better imo...18's just look small on the b8

ive always had 19's and i live in la...some roads suck ass but others are just as smooth as 17's...only downfall is potholes..you will run a greater chances of denting your rims if you hit one hard enough...this is where spending extra money on good quality rims come into place..none of this replica stuff...on my 350z i always had work wheels or volks that lasted me through years of abuse and never got a dent got a set of varrstoens(reps) and by the end of summer all 4 rims had dents in them...never again

it all depends if youre willing to sacrifice a little comfort for looks

[Eldog_85]

18 for ride comfort. I have shitty roads in my area that would eat up 19+ size wheels. 19's do look better though. Which ever you choose you can always swap 'em out in a few years.

[jmrod0720]

Thank you everyone for your input and opinions. I will think this over the next few weeks.

[dennisA4]

I went from 18" sport suspension to 19" with coils and it really wasn't much different.

[r6_11b8]

tires also play a big part in the comfort as well..some tires are harder than others therefor make the ride a lot less comfortable than with softer compound tires

[manxx]

I'm in the same boat as the OP... 17" stock wheels on a non-sport suspension. I guess I'll have to try both before I decide.

I'm thinking 18" will look better on a non-sport suspension than 19".

[Campblett]

I'm in the same boat as the OP... 17" stock wheels on a non-sport suspension. I guess I'll have to try both before I decide.

I'm thinking 18" will look better on a non-sport suspension than 19".

Unless you plan on lowering then I'd stay away from 19s. They look silly with stock ride height.

[Project Quattro]

The transition from 17 to 18 is pretty subtle in terms of ride quality, but there is a small improvement in cornering so that outweighs it IMO. I went with 18s on my car and I don't regret it, they look great but I needed to maintain the decent ride because the roads in CT were pretty bad to begin with and this past winter destroyed them.

I'm in the same boat as the OP... 17" stock wheels on a non-sport suspension. I guess I'll have to try both before I decide.

I'm thinking 18" will look better on a non-sport suspension than 19".

+1 for @Campblett's comment above. 19s look odd without a drop, but you can get away with 18s (barely).


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[JavikoA4]

19s and 20s for looks, 18 is your best bet if you want comfort and ride quality, plus the wheels weight less which is a big plus in speed. Thats something i lost going from 17s to 19s


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[SleeperCar]

Compromise...

18x8.5 for winter setup
19x9.5 for summer setup

[Chanman94]

Go with 19's, but like others said you'll need a drop to get rid of the 4x4 look. My city is 8 months winter, 4 months construction season, and I find the stock 19's ride similar to my 17's I use for the winter.

[Beef]

18s are lighter, cost less (wheels+tires), more comfortable.
19s look better.

Not sure about this, but if you want to go BBK, you'll need at least 19 right?

Is a 19" OEM Peeler easily damaged? (I live in Houston with a lot[IMG]C:\Users\jrodriguez\Pictures\2013 AUDI A4\photo 2.JPG[/IMG] of construction)

I've hit a serious pothole on my 19" peeler, no bends or cracks. These OEMs are damn near indestructible.

[r6_11b8]

18s are lighter, cost less (wheels+tires), more comfortable.
19s look better.

Not sure about this, but if you want to go BBK, you'll need at least 19 right?



I've hit a serious pothole on my 19" peeler, no bends or cracks. These OEMs are damn near indestructible.

no...thats where offsets come into play