What's the story with the 16" wheels vs. the 17"? I've read one article in Car and Driver that said the 17" provided an excessively stiff ride, but the Road & Track test seemed to imply that the 17" tires held a lot better.

Are those 17"-ers giving everyone backaches ? Or is the grip worth it ?

What about the look of the 16" V-spokes vs. the 17" S-lite wheels? How do they look in person? (My nearest dealer is 2 hrs away, so I can't see for myself.)

Thanks!

 

Personally I prefer the 16 inch V-spokes. I had a chance to drive a car with the 16's and the 17's and the 16's seemed to ride a little better, but it was on different days so not a real good comparison. The 16's are lighter which should help acceleration slightly and the tires are cheaper when it comes time to replace.

 

I bought these and really like the look. They are 215/35/18. I still have the 17's that came with the car anduse them for Auto-x until they go bad then some real trac tires will follow. The ride is better now that I got rid of those hard as a rock run flats.

 

countrym,

In spite of all the criticism of the 17" S-Lites, I can't get over just how "right" they look on the car. The design completely captures the nostalgic, classic Mini look, but in an updated way. Also, other than weight, the bulk of the criticism is really applicable to the runflat tires, not the wheels.

So my plan is to mount better, non-runflat tires on the 17" S-Lites and carry a mobility kit (tire sealant and 12V compressor). This should give me the ride, handling, and look that I want. The extra weight isn't that big a deal to me for everyday street driving, and if I decide to compete with the car, I'll just set up a second lighter set of wheels and tires to tear up on the track.

Best of luck with your decision,

James

 

This has been covered in many posts (use the search tool). Basically the opinions go like this...performance = 16", looks = 17 or 18. Make sure to ask about weights of the wheels you're thnking about, all 16" wheels are not made alike. You could end up with 16" wheels that are heavier than a set of 18s if your not careful.

 

Thanks for the tip about the other posts, dude.



>>This has been covered in many posts (use the search tool). Basically the opinions go like this...performance = 16", looks = 17 or 18. Make sure to ask about weights of the wheels you're thnking about, all 16" wheels are not made alike. You could end up with 16" wheels that are heavier than a set of 18s if your not careful.