hi...i've got a 2005 xb with 46k on original tires (mostly highway miles...40 mile round trip commute). it's totally stock and i love this car!!!

i'm thinking of getting 16s or 17s wheels in the spring. i'm not sure if i'm dropping it yet. has anyone put on new wheels which may have looked great but affected the handling negatively?

i was also thinking of buying from tirerack. any opinions on them and suggestions on other places online to buy rims is appreciated.

thanks!

 

16's or 17's will make the handling better but the ride will be harsher
with less sidewall to absorb the road bumps= more of the bumps transfer to you backside

 

Yea, but with 16s and 17s theres still enough tire that it won't be that bad.

I honestly like the ride with my 18s better than the 15s.

 

another question...anyone put on 16's or 17's without dropping the car? i read somewhere here that the car would look odd. can anyone post pics of cars w/o drops?

thanks again.

 

here is my car before the drop on 17's


and now after a 2inch drop

 

I found a big selection of wheel packages at www.victoriatire.com
I actually found the ride was a little better with lowered springs...I went with TRDs so the drop was just about an inch, but still made a big difference on appearance.

 

thanks for the pics. great looking car!

 

your welcome anypost pics of your car when you get your wheels