Hi all -

I just purchased a 2004 C4S *love it* ... thinking about a set of 19" HRE wheels, but am curious as to how the larger rims will affect the handling of the car. I bought her for a daily driver and 90% of my travels are on city streets.

What kind of handling/ride changes should I expect. I assume most of the ride feel will come from the tires, but what affect should the larger wheels make?

Thanks in advance,
Howard in Denver

 

You don't see anyone racing on 19's so you can assume the handling will be diminished. And the ride will probably be harsher as you will typically have less sidewall. For the 996 the 19's are mostly bling. IMHO

 

Agree with Dharn55, had 19" and now have 18" way better ride, smooth.

 

Bought my C4S earlier this year. Ran the 18" stock rims for a while then bought a set of factory 19" 2010 turbo rims. The 19" look better in my opinion and perform well, but I agree with the others that the 18" handle best.

Before



After

 

Those 19's make the car look wicked (in a very good way)!!

 

I notice very little difference in street performance and ride quality on my 19's vs 18's. I do use 18's on the track.

 

On the street I haven't really noticed a big difference either. 2000 996, stock suspension. And they definitely look a lot better.

 

I haven't noticed any difference at all on the street going from 18" to 19". No additional harshness, no changes in handling. 2002 targa, stock suspension. Just a better look, IMHO.

I don't think there is any debate whatsoever, that on the track, 18's are the way to go for the 996 from a performance standpoint. But then again, I don't track the car, and I don't drive at 9/10ths on city streets (or anywhere near the limits of the car's handling, I'm sure with my lack of track skills).

All the naysayers who digress about the superiority of 18s are correct, but honestly, are you that good that you notice the difference and need the difference in performance on city streets? My guess is no.

 

Outside of handling, for me it was the weight issue of why I switched from 19's to 18's. Slightly better throttle response and suspension compliance and control with lighter wheels.

Best Motoring did a 911 track test between 18's and 19's. There should be a youtube video on it somewhere. Basically it came down to 18's being more predictable and "less nervous" around a track.

 

Thanks for the helpful replies; seems like for daily driving I won't notice much difference... I guess I can start saving for those HRE's!