well i want the 18 on my new mini cooper 09... but some people are trying to get me to go with the 17 saying ita a better tire and my car will proform better... please give me your thoughts....thanks
and im posting a pic of my favorite ones so far

 

ok here they are

 

performance or looks... either way new tires will make the difference

 

Geography plays an important decision...You don't want to spend a lot of money only to have bent rims.

If I lived in warmer weather and the pavement is smooth...then 18's...

I live in NYC area...17's or 16's with non-runflats...

 

ok i live in NC..... so is 18 ok

 

I have seen some MINIs with 18s that looked really good.
However, I keep seeing post about the weight difference and what it does to handling. Reading a post on Miata.net just yesterday from an owner who went from 29 lb 17s to 16 lb 16s. He said the difference is big. Something to consider.

 

I see this a lot, but honestly, who gives a crap? Saving a few pounds with smaller wheels is not going to make a bit of difference on your daily driven car. It's not like you're going to be shaving seconds off your morning commute.

You can have 18's on your car and still have a blast in the mountains. If you like how they look and don't mind sacrificing a bit of comfort then go for it.

My .02

 

so get 18s similar, or just like the ones you posted. Its not going to screw anything up. Your preference on looks and your money being spent. Do what you want

 

Larger rims will also hurt your fuel economy, which is definitely something to consider. But at the end of the day if you think you're going to look at the Mini and think "I regret not getting the bigger wheels because these don't look that good" then go with the 18's. Otherwise, 17's are always a nice choice

 

17s just look better IMO.

 

18's in NC is OK...

 

but i hear that 18 will kill the handling...why?

 

I would agree with this - most people talking about the weight of the wheels are tracking their cars or doing autocross. Buy which ones you think look better. 18's will not kill your handling - also just because a wheel is 18 rather than 17 etc. etc. doesn't mean that you will get better or worse gas mileage either. You can get many examples of 18" wheels that are lighter than the stock 17 mini wheels. I personally like 17" for the MINIs but if I was you I would get what you like - don't let people scare you off from getting 18s if that is what you like

 

What? If it does, it's not a measurable amount. I've gone from 17s to 18s and haven't noticed any change in fuel economy.

Then again, depending on your choice of tire size, you could end up with the same diameter wheel regardless of whether you choose 17s or 18s. It's that small of a difference.

 

Agreed....and doesnt the best handling MINI out there - the GP come stock with 18" rims.......doh.

The fender wheel rim trim and openings on these 09's are huge in comparison to the 1St Gen Mini's. IMO the larger tire/rim set ups look even better on the newer cars and should be considered. Especially with all that wheel gap, smaller rims tires makes them look like they have AWD

 

If you want 18's with good performance...see if you can get light weight 2 or 3 piece rims.....I find lighter rims helps the MINI's handling a-lot (conversely, heavy rims destroy it IMO).
So many 18's are heavy, forged rims that are for style only....so be sure if you want to run twisties that you find rims that are more than just bling... They will be kinda $$$, but the style is pretty nice...especially when people realize they are REAL 2 or 3 piece rims...so they are not just bling, but a real performance item!

 

Really? Really?

 

I myself went from 18s to 17s and yes the handling was a dramatic difference. The tires now have enough sidewall to bite in on the corners.

That said I wend from a low performance tire to summer only Hankook's and a much much lighter wheel, Im talking a saving of 5 pounds per wheel and tire.

 

The GP rims are "Unique 18″ lightweight wheels to maintain handling and performance.....

 

Another thing to consider, since it seems that appearance is a factor, is the ease of keeping the wheels clean. Looks like you are going for white wheels in which case you might consider which one has less spokes, nooks and crannies to wipe down.

White wheels will quickly look awful if you don't keep them clean---and your motivation to keep them clean will be helped if wheel spoke pattern is simpler.

 

Wheel weight affects more than just handling. It affects braking, acceleration, and ride comfort. That said, factory 17" wheels are very heavy. Shouldn't be too hard to find 18" wheels that are the same weight or lighter.

The one advantage the larger wheel has in handling is that turn-in can be quicker. This can also vary with tire model.

I think the most noticeable difference between 17" and 18" will be ride comfort, because of the shorter sidewall, but then women suffer in high heels to look good. If you think 18" wheels make your car sexier, you won't be the first to give up comfort for looks.

 

Weight: 22.8lbs is that a heavy wheel? ........yes that is a serious question..

 

22.8lbs is the size of the 18 im looking at...there oz rims white

 

I wish MINI would have made 17s for the GP but at least they are only like 19lbs, for track days I switch to 15s and nevermind the gap.

OP get the 18s they do look nice and good for enthusiastic street driving. If you ever decide to do any performance type stuff lightweight 15 and 16 inch wheels are the set-up. As for the OZ, I say get them, 22.8 is lighter than any oem 18' MINI wheel (minus GP wheel) and lighter than most oem 17' MINI wheel. See Here: http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?faq=faq_wheels_tyres

15x7 - 10.2lbs

17x7 - 22.3lbs

18x7 - 19.8lbs

 

My 17" aftermarket wheels are 16 lbs. My 16" wheels are 13 lbs. So yes, 22.8 seems heavy to me.