I am really wanting to place the GP rims on my 2007 MCS. I have 17 inch rims right now.

Does anyone out there have 18 inch rims and can you tell me about the pros and cons of this size versus the 17 inch?

How does daily driving feel?

I live in Chicago, and the roads here suck. My ride is already pretty bouncy with all the frikkin port holes, road wear from the long winters and hot summers, and the zillion speed bumps in my neighborhood.

but I truly love those rims!

Thanks everyone!

 

They most likely won't last a week with all those pot holes. . I live in Southern California where the roads are pretty smooth and my 18's are much like riding on the S lites with run flats (flintstone hard) and A big pot hole would take out a rim and tire pretty fast so I must keep my eye's peeled ALL the time. If you do go with 18's, you might want to look into getting a 215/40/18 as apposed to a 215/35/18 which a lot of people run (including myself) and they might survive a little longer.
I have a second set of rims that I use for weekend canyons carving and long drives which are a Rota 16x7 mounted on 205/50/16 Nitto tires and I've got to say that it's hard to take them off after riding on them for a couple of days. They just make the ride so much more livable and, they're great in the handling department but...... I love my 18's !

 

you know the answer to the question that you posed! i have 18" street wheels and love the look. the ride would probably be too rough for most. my track wheels are 17". the difference in ride is amazing. if you want 18's, as i did, be prepared for a relatively harsh ride.

 

Are you interested in the look and willing to take precautions when you drive?

Are you looking for performance with those rims or basically want to use them for street driving and need some comfort for daily use?

18" wheels with performance oriented tires are not well suited for bad road conditions- you'd need to be extra careful and cautious not to hit anything or you will risk damage to the tire and to the rims or your suspension. Plus the daily ride quality will suffer from stiffer sidewalls needed for performance driving.

18" for street use are possible if you choose the right suspension (are you stock or lowered?) and the right tire in the right size that will fit.

A possible comfortable street tire that will work with the 18x7 rim would be General Exclaim UHP (Ultra High Performance Summer tire) in 215/35-18 for $85 each, 380 treadwear, 18 lbs each, fits rims 7-8.5" wide, 23.9" tire diameter. Other possible street tires in this size and tire class include-
Kumho Ecsta SPT $100 each 320 treadwear
Avon Tech M500 $88 each 280 treadwear

Or in 205/40-18 in Ultra High Performance All Season
Toyo Proxes 4 $114 each 300 treadwear Fits rims 7-8" wide, 24.5" tire diameter. Good comfort and street tire plus All Season.

For Chicago and All Season use then in 215/35-18 in Ultra High Performance All Season tire class there are-
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $179 each closeout 400 treadwear
Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $134 each 420 treadwear
Continental ContiExtremeContact $105 each 400 treadwear
Kumho Ecsta ASX $100 each 420 treadwear

 

I went from 17" S-lites with run-flats to 18's with 215/35 Avon Techs non-run flats tires and the comfort was dramatically improved. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

I have the JCW R105's with BFG G-Force KDW-2's in 215/40/18 with H-Sport springs and IE fixed camber plates and IMO the ride is much better than S-lites with RFs.

You do have to be more careful with pot holes and such, but you should be anyway because the 1st Gen MINI is not a comfort queen. I have driven in FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DC, PA, NJ, and NYC without any issues to the wheels and tires.

 

thanks everyone for their insight. i truly appreciate it! I think I am going to go with 18s. I really like the look, and I am pretty sure I will be OK with the ride.