Do you think the difference between 17lb wheel and 20lb wheel would be noticeable, in acceleration/handling/mileage?

Thanks!

 

Maybe the absence of replies suggests it might be a close call on your modded MCS. I'm not sure either. Do you intend to mount heavier tires? Three extra pounds per corner of tire weight might be more noticeable than 3 extra pounds of wheel weight. If you keep the same weight tires, my guess is that any change in acceleration and braking would be hard to feel, assuming no psychological expectancy effect on your part (that would be like the noticeable hp gain from having a louder exhaust).

I couldn't find the weights of your 16X7 Sportmax 039 wheels, but they're touted as being lightweight.

Last gasp: I remember Grassroots Motorsports track-testing some heavy wheels and not finding a significant difference in lap times compared to lighter wheels. The drivers reported liking the feel of the lighter wheels better, however.

 

It really doesn't make much difference if you drive mostly speed limit on the street.

The more you push the car with hard acceleration and hard braking or doing sharp turns at speed then you might notice a little difference.

As stated before, you can also consider the tires which are more important than the wheels. You want tires that do what you want and if they are a little on the lighter side that would be a good match.

What tires are you going to use and what size?

Mileage for wheel weight is not a problem. Once a wheel is up to speed it doesn't matter much for a 3 pound difference.

Wheel weight can affect the power needed to accelerate or to stop and to change direction on turns.

Wheel weight is also a factor in strength as well as construction so a lighter wheel made the same way can be at risk for damage if you hit a pothole at speed. Gravity alloy cast is a common wheel construction method in wheels about 17-20 pounds. A forged alloy wheel will be stronger than a cast wheel.