18 inch for the ride... 19 inch for the looks.

 

+1

Another reason to stick with 18's is that most seem to stick with the same profile tire on the 19's as on the 18's. Larger circumference means longer rolling distance which equates to higher gearing and slower acceleration.

 

I foolishly sold my 18s when I got my 19s. Big mistake. I am running 30's in the back and while the car looks awesome, the ride is really rigid and I feel every groove, every bump. Handling is not improved in anyway that I can tell.

As mentioned by others, 19s are for aesthetics only.

Good luck.

 

There are plenty of people longing for tubo twists. Put an ad in the classifieds, sell yours and buy what you really like. My 19" factory wheels ride like a dream.

 

roderick rw5 matte black rw5

 

18" all the way for a 996. 19" works great on a 997 because Porsche increased the overall wheel / tire diameter when they created the 997. You will notice that the tire sizes on a 997 with 19" wheels are the same as 18" on a 996. 19" can certainly be done but the tire side-wall height gets too small IMO.