Rob Kuhlman Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I'm shortly going to be purchasing four summer tires for my 'new' Legacy wagon and was initially intending to get them mounted on steel wheels to enable the summer/winter swap to go more easily. After browsing the Tire Rack website, I noticed a lot of alloys available for not much more than the price of steel wheels. At this point, I've got two questions: -- What's the difference between ~$80 alloys and ~$180 alloys? Is it quality ("you get what you pay for") or is it China vs. US/Euro manufacturing costs or is it aesthetics? -- or a combination of all three? I guess I'm wondering is there something I should be cautious about...a brand I should stay away from...a price point I should stay above? -- Stock is 15" with 195/60 size. I know that 'wider is generally better' with regard to handling, but I'm also concerned about negative impact upon gas mileage by going to a lower profile with 16" wheels. Advice? Thanks in advance! Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strakes Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I've got a "cheap" set of 17in alloys from tire-rack. They are made in Thailand. They are just as good as the stock alloys I took off. I think you can trust tire-rack. They seem to back their products up well. My gas mileage has remained unchanged. I went wider from stock 205/55R16 to 215/45R17. They only thing about the lower profile is that your ride will be a little stiffer. The guys at tirerack should be able to get you sized up so you wont have that many drawbacks. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Weight; strength and manufacturing process; durability of finish; and whether they designed it or cloned it. Some WRX 6.5x16 wheels also have 100mm bolt circles and 55mm offset. Some SAAB dealers are selling 17x7" BBS RK wheels for $500 per set. Offset is 48mm. Those wheels are usually $250 or more each. You'd need a low profile tire. I say a 90's vintage Outback yesterday with late model 5 spoke 17's on it, from the looks of them. Didn't get close enough to scope it out. but they tansformed the look of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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