So in a few months i'll be putting some new shoes on my xB - and in the meantime i have to decide on 17's vs. 18's - cost isn't a factor in my decision, but ride quallity is.

i know this is highly subjective, but all i'm looking for is some honest answers on how you feel about your setup...

so the question is, what tire size/rim/spring combo are you running and how do you like the ride of your car in the following areas:

1. daily driving on the street
2. driving on the freeway (less than 50 miles)
3. long distance driving on the freeway (50 - 150+ miles)
4. driving over rough or irregular surfaces
5. speed bumps and street drainage ditches
6. any other circumstance you think might be revelant

thanks for the info, i'm having a bear of a time trying to decide this one....


Brian

 

17s with 45 series tires fill the wheel well great....and preserve the ride quality perfectly.

That is what I have, and I am very happy with them. I also have the TRD 1 inch lowering springs....and those maintain the ride quality also.

 

In my experience, 17's ride better then 18's in the tire sizes we need to run on our cars. 17's ride worse then the stock 15's do, but the trade off in ride is worth it to me for the better looks. Some people will say the same thing about 18-19's over the look of 17's.

There is also the fact that you will have a much greater chance of dinging a rim runnig 17-19's using the low profile tires that we need for our cars. It's not a huge problem on most roads here in California, but if you live in an area with potholes it might be something to think about.

Other alternatives would be to run 15-16's and 50 series tires like some of the BB guys do in other countries.

 

ok i got 2 people running 17's - can i get some feedback on the 18's too??

thanks!!!

 

sorry to barge in ... but i'm running on 17s too. I have 215/45/17 setup, although it's not lowered as of yet (getting it lowered next weekend hopefully). With the stock springs, the ride is pretty smooth so far. The 45 tires provide great cushion between the road and the car.

it handles pretty smoothly on freeways and local streets... although i do feel abit harsh bumps here and there when on certain freeways with those cracks...but overall it's a great ride.

one of my buddy has 18s with 35 series tire..and he's complaining that it's bit rough on the freeways...but bearable on local streets.

the 18s look great on the xB, but hopefully mine will too after i lower it. Lowering the vehicle and elminating the gap makes the rims look bigger than it actually is.

 

ive got 18's with 215-35 series and drive daily on freeways, surface streets, whatever. theyre a bit bumpy and i have to drive with care over speed bumps and whatnot... i like 18's alot but if youre concerned with driveability id definately go with 17's

 

I'm running 17s w/ 205/40s. I drive an average of 150 miles/day in my xB. I have the 2" drop Spy springs that I think ride ALOT better than the stock springs. The ride isn't as harsh as my Matrix XR that has 18s, and I don't think the performance of the xB is hindered much w/ 17s. Of course the xB is mainly for commuting and running errands around town.

If you go 18s and 35 series tires, beware of potholes. I've destroyed three Tenzo RS-5s on my Matrix before I switched to Rota Subzeros. The freeways are hell in the Bay Area and Central Valley.

squirrel

 

GO 18's!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea well i am running 18's. 215/35-18 w/ Tanabe DF-210 springs. They lower 2.2 front and 2.0 rear. Very nice drop and the wheels fill in the wells quite nice.

My commute is about 100+miles everyday of both city and freeway driving. I just have to watch out for big pot holes but nothing crazy. Ride is surprisingly comfortable. I never scrape on anything considering my driveway is STEEEEEP!! I would go with 18's. It just does wonders for the look of the bB. But of course thats just, IMHO.

 

My xB has stock rims, but my 91 taurus has 2" sprint springs , then I cut them for a 3" drop, plus I ride on 18's. I don't mind it at all. It has the 35 series tire, it's perfect for short travels around town, but on freeways it can get bumpy. Potholes are not a big worry, not because there aren't many, I drive thru them and nothing has happened to the rims. At high speeds its ok but if you like to drive hard, get some 17s and bigger tires cuz mine barely lasted 12,000 miles and they were good for 19,000. I like the look of 18s, I like the look of 19s even better and I will most likely get them for the xB but I drive 16 miles total to school and back so I can trade the bad ride for style. If your gunna travel at all, go with 17s, your passengers will thank you.