Are 19" Alloys too big and will they wreck my S3 8L drive?

[Jimgrim77]

as above really...i like my drive but love the look of 19" wheels.

always gone for fast road set up and driving quite hard but is this still possible on the larger 19" wheels and lower profile tyres.

anybody have any experience on this?

 

[JUS3IN]

my 18 40 225's track around a lot in the grooves in the road... guess 19's would be worse but its your choice, if your not doing trackdays and can dodge a pothole why not?

 

[superkarl]

19s really suit the big curves of the S3, but, i have purposely moved from 18 to 17 because i prefer the feel, and the improved ride aswell. Means i can have a fairly stiff setup car but still retain some cruising comfort.

Its a hard choice. Gotta come down to whats more important on your car really, looks, performance, feel etc

 

[jojo]

I ran 19s for the best part of 9 years or so?, even went on track with them! For a fast road setup, stick with 18s, it's much nicer to drive and handles better.

 

[Nogmeister]

I have 19"s and the ride is HARSH, but the roads over here on the Isle of Wight are some of the worst in the country

 

[Kami]

I run 19's with no issues. The harsh ride is down to my choice of Bridgestones however since changing the tyres to a slightly cheaper brand, I noticed to ride is a lot smoother/softer. Handling is still fine IMO

 

[jojo]

Another bit of feedback for you. I've noticed the roads are a lot worse for wear these days than it was 10 years ago, so running 19s with less rubber has its drawbacks. I never had issues before, as I generally know where all the bumps are locally, and drive weaving about! Lol Starting to get old now, I'm wanting a bit more comfort from my cars.

 

[fingermouse]

I know the roads are pants now ive had to get 2 of my 19`s straightend after hitting pot holes

 

[Sidey]

19"s Just look right!

 

[s3clarke]

they do look good, but im running 18'' now, I was running the original 17's, I must say, I wish id have kept my originals, they drove a lot better.

 

[S3quatt]

19"s Do look good, but the performance & handling do suffer more than the ride.

I found the car didn't accelerate as quick & the extra unsprung weight on the corners definitely affected the handling.

I ended up going back to 18"s which I feel would have been perfect on the car from the start.

 

[liquids3]

depends on tyre size a lot also. Low profile tyres will hurt your back with the bumps lol,and can also crack wheels if you drive in the same style. But 19's can be great.especialy if you make the car low enough to keep the weight of the car lower to the ground, if you go 19's and keep it high, won't handle great with the weight of the s3.also acceleration isn't so great. but do it right mate and yet.

 

[B120WNY]

I run 19's on my 1998 tdi, with uniroyal rainsports. Its only lowered 30mm so sits quite nicely. The ride is fairly harsh, but a motorway cruiser and if you dodge potholes its fine! Here it is!

View attachment 16551

 

[OllieGSR32]

Im running 19 x 8.5 stretched tyres and coilovers with no issues, yes quite bumpy on the roads but handling and general drive is fine handles well. Depends if you want your arches completely filled over practical driving

 

[B120WNY]

Apologies, try again!