What shall i go for, 18" or 19"

[rickparmar]

Currently i have RS4 reps, 18" but now i need new tyres and thought i will change the alloys

Am looking to get BBS LM, reps, but shall i get 18s or 19s

Thanks

 

[jojo]

19's if you can stretch to it dude.

 

[S3Steve]

Depends on wether handling or looks are your biggest concern mate. Personally on the 8L S3 I would go for 18's every time.

 

[Shy19s]

19s arent too bad tho, think they do make a difference. As said before, handling or looks. doesnt affect the handling tooo much tho if you have the right set up.

 

[voorhees]

18's

 

[scott_johnson]

19s every time!!! ive had two s3's both goin from 17s to 19s!! dont care what any one says, they dont spoil driveability as there the same rolling radius (19s with 35 profile tyres / 17s with 45 profile tyres) plus they look the nuts!!!!

 

[Shy19s]

 

[scoobyra]

Shy, what wheels ahve you got on your car mate?

 

[Shy19s]

19 RS6 in gloss black.

 

[Aky]

19s every time!!! ive had two s3's both goin from 17s to 19s!! dont care what any one says, they dont spoil driveability as there the same rolling radius (19s with 35 profile tyres / 17s with 45 profile tyres) plus they look the nuts!!!!

Thats because you drive like a fanny Scott

 

[scoobyra]

Looks nice in white mate, shame they didnt do an S3 from the factory like your A3!

 

[recomdos]

Personally I like 18's. Guess it comes down to preference, I just think they don't seem to stand out too much.

voorhees ya need some Audi centres to finish them off bud - I do like the RS6 wheels, bet they're much easier to clean than the RSTT's too!

 

[S3_Pricey]

I would go for 18's, but that is just my opinion. noticed that when I upgraded from the standard 16's to my 18's there was a noticable difference in comfort, in fact it is abit of a bone shaker at times. 19's with 35 tires on may be the same rolling radius but there is less rubber protect the wheels, hence the harder ride. havnt driven a car with 19's but would imagen that the ride would be harder still. It is all down to personal preferance and what sort of roads you usually drive on i guess...

 

[S3_Pricey]

19's would look sweet tho...

 

[Shy19s]

Ride is harder with 35 profile tyres, and through london you really do feel it in the bottom of your spine, even with the spongy recaro leather. Before i had my suspension set up, there is a hell of alot of body roll and it looks like a 4x4.. so id definatly reccomend changing the suspension.
Rhubarb.. the white is rare which is why i got it, but to be honest apart from the arches and the side skirts i do prefere the A3.. especially as im dropping the BAM engine in there soon.

 

[jojo]

I said before Rick, 19s all the way, I know you like the bling.

 

[rickparmar]

lol@jojo

Thanks for the replies, tell you the truth am even confused even more

ok

1 - i can get 19" bbs lm second hand with budget tyres for around £700

2 - I can get NEW 18" bbs lm for £500 plus ill need 2 new tyres as i allready have 2 spare, (avon ZZ3) total roughly £620

still confused

 

[ash_s3]

18's with spacers
19's look too big

 

[fingermouse]

i have 19`s and they are a little harsh, when I went from 17`s to 18`s I hardly noticed TBH.

I like my 19`s but often consider going back to 18`s but wouldn`t touch reps again.

 

[s3_kev]

here's mine with bbs lm's in 18" i have seen one with 19" that fill the arches better but im planning on getting some wheel spacers at the beggining of next month to really pull the wheels out into the arches that i reckon will make the wheels apear bigger and euro look, if your not interested in using wheel spacers then id recomend getting the 19", also i wouldnt be using budgets on my s3

 

[scott_johnson]

ooiii AKY ill have non of that!!!! but ur prob right, too busy posing to be driving fast lol. wheel manufacturers should make a comprimise at 18.5"!!! 50% pose, 50% fast road / track!!

 

[j4jon]

Easy 18's on the front and 19's on the rear, oryou could go with 19's on the passenger side (so people on the path can see the bling) and 18's on the drivers side (so that you get the fast road feel), or 18's on opposite corners, with 19's on the other corners, now theres an idea...

 

[ChriS3]

Stick to 18's. The handling at the limit really isn't very nice with 19's, the S3 reacts much better with the smaller wheels.

 

[Ess_Three]

Stick to 18's. The handling at the limit really isn't very nice with 19's, the S3 reacts much better with the smaller wheels.

Thank the lord...someone who knows what he's speaking about...and has had both...and thankfully is able to comment in an impartial manner.

S3s handle better on 18s as the ride is more compliant and the car more predictable.
The 19s are harsh on rotten roads.

19s may look better - to some. to me, they look too big...i'm not a fan of the 'rollerscate with bus wheels' look.
18s look good and drive well.
17s have too much sidewall roll when you sort out the rest of the suspension...the S3 wobbles on them,

 

[ChriS3]

Cheers Glen, but its not just me. Fingermouse and Ash seem to know the script too. I'm happy to admit that my 19's were for nothing but show - that's why I kept the 18" CHs in the garage. They would have been good on a nice smooth track, but it would have to be smoother than Knockhill to get the most out of them and there's nothing like that near here so what's the point?

19s every time!!! ive had two s3's both goin from 17s to 19s!! dont care what any one says, they dont spoil driveability as there the same rolling radius (19s with 35 profile tyres / 17s with 45 profile tyres) plus they look the nuts!!!!

Rolling radius isn't the factor in the driveability differences. It comes down to the fact that there's a reduction in the sidewall, and in most cases an increased contact patch (most folks run 235/35/19). This makes the steering a lot more direct, but the tyre is less forgiving over stones, bumps, and potholes. When you combine it with a much heavier 19" wheel you get the effect that the wheel wants to turn in quick but the suspension lags with the extra unsprung weight. The car gets twitchy and quick to turn-in but its heavy through the steering and easily unsettled. In comparison, the 18" wheel is lighter and the tyre more forgiving. You don't loose much of the turn-in, but any mid-corner bumps are better absorbed (as there's more sidewall, and the suspension can work better with the lighter weight) and the whole car feels more chuckable. Its best to avoid replica wheels too, they weigh a ton (as well as being soft and bendy).

Is it just me, or is it mostly the southern city dwellers that prefer 19s?

 

[scott_johnson]

My replicas are alot lighter than the standard 17s and are italian made so by no means **** qulity (granted no bbs's). I agree fully with Ess Three by the 17s are too wobbley with there great big side walls!!! Shouldnt smaller side walls create more precise steering dynamics?? And youre never goin to get the best from your wheels any way if you dont sort out the main problem.... the suspension???

 

[ChriS3]

Since the OP was regarding wheel sizes, my answer was relating to their effect on driving dynamics. But don't think that they're not part of the overall suspension problem.

On paper, yes a smaller sidewall leads to more direct steering and feedback and therefore a better handling car. The problems is that it just doesn't work in reality. 19s just don't go well with the S3 chassis. No matter how well its sorted, and if you have spent all your hard earned money sorting the handling, why ruin it with big wheels? And don't forget, it's not just the shocks and springs you need to change to making an S3 handle well, you need to consider the unsprung weight (brakes, wheels, tyres), bushes, arbs, geometery, steering rack, tyre pressures, etc, etc... Wheels are a major part of how the car responds and 19 inch wheels are just a step in the wrong direction

 

[scott_johnson]

lol. Yeh but chicks dig it

 

[Nilz]

Rick go with the 18s and a slight drop.....would look perfect!!!

 

[S3_Pricey]

Rick go with the 18s and a slight drop.....would look perfect!!!

 

[S3quatt]

I know i've got 19s on but if i could get the same wheels in 18" then that would be the ones for me.

I disagree with you on the handling aspect & the rolling radius Scott, mine suffers a little on the limit.

I've had the standard 17s RS6 18s & the current ones & for handling there's no question.

Also the RR is marginally bigger on that size of tyre, hence the acceleration suffers.

The closest match would be 255/30/19 I think, i looked into this before.
I'm not even sure if you can even get tyres that size but it's all adding more unsprung weight.


Bit long winded, but 18s are best all round in my opinion.

 

[S3quatt]

To add to that, on the roads up here 19s can be a little too harsh for my liking!

 

[PaulJC84]

19s may look better - to some. to me, they look too big...i'm not a fan of the 'rollerscate with bus wheels' look.
18s look good and drive well.
17s have too much sidewall roll when you sort out the rest of the suspension...the S3 wobbles on them,

With 17s if you changed the size of the tyres from 225/45/17 to a size with a smaller size wall would this improve things?

I always just get that standard audi size of Goodyear eagle F1's maybe I should get a different size?

 

[Ess_Three]

With 17s if you changed the size of the tyres from 225/45/17 to a size with a smaller size wall would this improve things?

I always just get that standard audi size of Goodyear eagle F1's maybe I should get a different size?

Yeah, it would.
Going to 205/40/17s on standard Avus wheels will sort out the sidewall movement.

But fashion dictates people want wide tyres...which sadly kills feel.
The wider the tyre, the more the grip, fair enough..but the car becomes blunt, with no warning of grip running out and the steering gets more numb.

I once tried a set of 7" x 16" BBS RX with 215/40/16 tyres on my S3..and apart from lightening acceleration from the much smaller rilling radius, the steering improved due to lesser width and less gyroscope effect and the car just felt more alive.

I would like to have tried an S3 on 205 or even 215 tyres...just to see.
Going wider, was in my view, the last thing the S3 needs.
It has plenty of grip on 225s - so much you can cook the clutch - so why not go narrower and give the chassis some feel and a bit of movement?

 

[PaulJC84]

Yeah, it would.
Going to 205/40/17s on standard Avus wheels will sort out the sidewall movement.

But fashion dictates people want wide tyres...which sadly kills feel.
The wider the tyre, the more the grip, fair enough..but the car becomes blunt, with no warning of grip running out and the steering gets more numb.

I once tried a set of 7" x 16" BBS RX with 215/40/16 tyres on my S3..and apart from lightening acceleration from the much smaller rilling radius, the steering improved due to lesser width and less gyroscope effect and the car just felt more alive.

I would like to have tried an S3 on 205 or even 215 tyres...just to see.
Going wider, was in my view, the last thing the S3 needs.
It has plenty of grip on 225s - so much you can cook the clutch - so why not go narrower and give the chassis some feel and a bit of movement?

Cool, I may try a size smaller next time round.

I am wanting to try the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's next as they have had good writeups. But they don't come in that many 17" sizes as the normal F1's.

http://eu.goodyear.com/uk_en/tires/repository/Eagle_F1AS/index.jsp?page=sizes