17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

I've got this dilemna, I'm trying to figure out wether it's worth spending the money to go out and by 18" wheels and tires, as opposed to 17". Is there a significant difference in performance and handling with 18's? Will I be sacrificing ride comfort as well?

I'm about to replace my suspension with Koni FSDs and probably Neuspeed sport springs, so now I'm trying to decide if I'll even visually see a difference between 17" and 18" wheels.

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

I had stock 17's on my 2010 A3 with Continental tire.. my stock rims were heavier then the 18s i have now.. Because my 18 X 8 rim has a 45 offset.. Its 10mm Wider then stock, giving it an aggressive look.. With the aggressive look comes better handling at turns but then again thats when the tire comes to play.. I got a set of Bf Goodrich G-Force tires.. I find the continental tires to be sticky and mushy during turns while the Bf's have play and it seems like U can move about alot easier with them.. Im happy with the setup , Check my profile for pics.. All I need is to lower it.. Doing that next year..

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

Very nice.... are those VMR's? I'm looking for the same ones but in black. I definitely want GForce tires as well. Right now I'm having my stocks painted black and going to use them in winter.

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

Thanks..There not VMRs, There Audi B7 With Stainless steel lip, Replicas.. I decided to go with a 235/ 40/ 18 Tire for comfort.. No complaints and its been 4 months driving with this setup.. I bought them at OEM RIMS FACTORY WHEELS STOCK RIM CHROME REPLICA WHEEL USED RIMS Wheels OEM RIMS FACTORY WHEELS STOCK RIM CHROME REPLICA WHEEL USED RIMS Rims.. They have the newest audi rims from the 2011 models.. Check it out :)

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

How much was the shipping for a set of wheels from Finish Line Wheels to Canada (wherever you are)? Did you have to pay for custom, duty and / or brokerage?

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

Flew, I'm in Ontario.. Finishlinewheels are in Chicago.. I paid $689 plus $141.00 at the door for duties and stuff..

Re: 17" vs 18", is there a difference?
 

Any time you can reduce weight, especially rotating mass, you will increase performance - braking, acceleration, and handling. So, lighter wheels will yield better performance. If you can get the same width in 17", I'd go with those. That said, the difference is usually only ~1KG between the two sizes, and you're better off shopping for a lightweight wheel to begin with. FWIW, I dropped nearly 50lbs of rotating mass from my car with my wheels alone.