joshan

Hi all,

I recently purchased a 2012 TL SH-AWD 6MT and I have been loving it so far. When I purchased it, it came with 17" base wheels and I have been considering upgrading my wheels since I need to replace the tires anyways. I plan on sticking with OEM (either 09-11 wheels or 12-14 wheels) mainly due to cost reasons. I can get a set for $350 (I live in CA) for either 09-11 or 12-14. Is this a good price? Would it be worth the extra cost to look for the 19" advanced wheels? Someone nearby may be selling them for about $700. IMO - I feel $700 is steep since you can get aftermarket wheels lightly used for around the same price. Personally I like the 09-11 look the best, but prefer how the 19" closes the wheel gaps. In either purchase, I will need to replace the tires. So in summary a few questions:
1. Is it worth the upgrade from 17"->18" wheels? 17" -> 19"?
2. Are the 19" HPT advanced wheels worth the extra penny over aftermarket?
3. In the case I buy the 09-11 wheels, I will be buying 3 from a local craigslist seller, and one more over eBay. The tires on the 3 seem relatively new. But since it's AWD, I will need to replace all the tires, correct?

Thanks for the help! I'm really new to all this and have never had to purchase wheels before since I always stuck with OEM.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

what do you mean by worth it?
do you want to go fast or is looking cool your main priority?

if looking cool is your main priority, then sure....buying a larger diameter wheel will be worth it for you.


it all depends on your goals...you have yet to state your goals...so there's no way to tell if these things are worth it...
however, it seems like you just want to look cool. so in that case, sure! it is absolutely worth it to get a larger diameter wheel

if you buy the 09-11 wheels, I would replace the tires to keep them all the same brand...the AWD system doesnt care what tire you have on it...however, if you trying to look cool, it wouldnt look cool to have all 4 different brands of tire with varying degree of tire wear...

joshan

Thanks - my main goal is to enjoy the driving experience. That said, I’m leaning more towards the 18” and might use the difference for a good detail. Any thoughts on what a good price is for a set of the 09-11 wheels? Also, I appreciate the tip on swapping all four tires if I got the 18”.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

well obviously, the lower the price the better.
so, if you can hold out until you find something in your price range, do that.

value is arbitrary. something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it... so, someone might list a set of wheels for $700, but it doesnt mean that it will sell for $700.
you can either negotiate with the seller to get it somewhere closer to where you want to pay, or you can simply wait it out.

the driving experience will be a little bit worse with 18 inch wheels. if your ultimate goal is driving experience, a light weight 17" wheel will do the trick.
so, this tells me, you're in it for better looks.

csmeance

AWD means 4 new tires!

IMO look at tire prices first; sometimes a 19" tire can be cheaper than the 17" model due to how many tires are made and sold. How are roads in your area? For every inch of increase in rim size you'll loose 1/2inch of sidewall on the tire making ride firmer/harsher over bumps.

19"s look the best on the 4G TL in my opinion. If I had the cash I'd buy 4 NSX wheels and get them put on. Super light and strong.

BROlando

17's look kinda dumb on a car that's the size of 8 elephants (IMO)

19's look nice but the cost of wheels/tyres is high. Ride quality will also suffer.

​​​​​​​What kind of aftermarket 19" wheels would you even find for $700? I have massive doubts they'd be as good as OEM in terms of quality/weight.


18's are an excellent compromise. Responsive handling. Lots of tyre choices. Reasonable ride. Reasonable cost. And the stock 12+ SH AWD 18's are an really good looking set (IMO).

Jhnzpnt21

Hi guys,

would 18x8.5 30+ offset work for 14 SHAWD or is that too low of an offset?

Thank you

BROlando

You will probably have fender or bumper tab contact issues (rubbing) on big dips.

And the further away the offset is from the factory offset, the more issues you will see from bump steer and tyre wear.

I think +30 is too low.
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