Your Wheel Choice

[Hammer77]

I was just out mowing my lawn, I live on a somewhat busy residential street. Once again I got thinking of some aftermarket wheels for my car, as I still have the stock ones. I started noticing different wheel finishes mostly stock, but a few aftermarket ones, even one with spray painted caps. I am thinking chrome, but I don't know yet, looked into it a little. Still up in the air.

So my question is whats your choice?

1. Do you stick with stock. There are some nice wheels right from the factory.
2. Or what finish? Aluminum, Chrome, Black(either gloss, flat, matte, matt, want to be politically correct on that)
3. Or do you prefer aftermarket?

Please share your thoughts.

[Eldorado2k]

Chrome all day. I think the run of the mill [clearcoated] anodized aluminum looking factory wheels that are on most vehicles these days looks pretty cheap + doesn't shine any good.
I think matte black wheels are bland and look almost as bad as caked on brake dust dirty wheels..
For me, there's nothing like shiny chrome wheels.



Anodized aluminum look...



Or nice clean chrome?

[zmcgovern45]

I've always been a fan of split spoke, concave style wheels. As far as finish, it depends on the color of the car. I personally think chrome should be reserved for large sedans and SUVs that want that "VIP" look, and smaller/sportier cars should go with a silver, gunmetal, or black option.


My ISF is silver, so I went with gloss black wheels for contrast... along with a black carbon fiber front lip, side splitters, and rear diffuser.






My old IS250 was dark grey, so I went with a machined silver wheel for contrast.





In the end it just comes down to personal preference... there is (technically) no right or wrong way to modify your car.

[Setec Astronomy]

I like stock. Frequently it becomes part of my decision to buy the car (whether I like the wheels or not). I don't like aftermarket because they frequently have slots instead of holes, etc.

As far as the finish...I guess it depends when you grew up. Some members associate black wheels with cheap steelies, and "chrome" is desirable...silver is somewhere in between. I personally don't like the trend to gunmetal because your wheels look dirty all the time...that may be ok for a non-Geek who wants the wheels to look cleaner longer, but us 'Geeks want to see when they are dirty, right?

Oh, and I'm not really digging this two-tone trend, nor the bent/angled spoke thing.

I will say some of the wheel features we 'Geeks desire, like having the barrels and the backs of the spokes painted, are hit or miss with factory wheels. I've had two premium brands where those areas weren't painted, and they quickly deteriorated into a pitted mess I couldn't keep clean. While I have a friend with a "cheap" car and the barrels and backs of spokes were painted (a gray rather than the silver on the fronts), so go figure.

[Eldorado2k]

As far as the finish...I guess it depends when you grew up. Some members associate black wheels with cheap steelies, and "chrome" is desirable...silver is somewhere in between. I personally don't like the trend to gunmetal because your wheels look dirty all the time...that may be ok for a non-Geek who wants the wheels to look cleaner longer, but us 'Geeks want to see when they are dirty, right?

Very well said.

[Hammer77]

Wow just 3 responses have got me wondering, now I like them all.

[Setec Astronomy]

In the end it just comes down to personal preference... there is (technically) no right or wrong way to modify your car.

Ha, I guess part of the reason I like stock wheels is I generally am not a fan of modifications/personalization. I guess Freud would have a field day with this.

Many years ago I helped my mother pick out (order) a car at a non-local dealer, because the local dealer didn't have a car for test drive. It was a special version and had a specific, additional badge on the trunk. When she got the car home, I noticed that the dealer had taken off the package-specific badge to put their junky dealer badge on. After I peeled it off, I went to the local dealer and ordered the badge and put it on...that's how much it irked me to have it "non-stock". And it wasn't even like the badge was the model/version name or anything...just that it was supposed to be there.

[Hammer77]

Thanks everyone!

Zach what wheels are those on your old IS250?

[Desertnate]

What type of vehicle are we talking about?

For me I have three rules for wheels:

1) No Chrome
2) No Black wheels
3) Nothing over 19" (Although the 20" optional wheels on the new Jaguar XE look really good)

From there I think it all depends on the vehicle, paint color, and what the OEM wheels look like. My tastes tend to stay with the silver, gray, and gun metal painted colors. I prefer the finish to be either satin or glossy as the matte wheels don't do anything for me. After bad experiences with three sets of OEM wheels, I'm also very hesitant to go with any wheel that is brushed metal covered in a clear coat. I'm 0 and 3 with the clear coat chipping/bubling and then having the wheel corrode under those spots.

I really like the designs by BBS, OZ, Enkei, Vorstiener, and Neuspeed these days. I don't think I've seen a car yet that didn't look good wearing a set of BBS CH-R's.

[Octopiston]

What vehicle and color?

I didn't mind my stockers and they are light and forged so I had them redone. Black powder base, heavy pearl over, topped with a clear. They look gray, and the color ranges from light to dark. You can easily tell when they are dirty because they don't shine, but even at their most filthy they don't look as nasty as my wife's polished aluminum when dirty. Its like having a silver vs. A black car.

I also like bronze and copper color wheels, but I'm not sure how well they would look on my silver car. I'd go bronze on the wife's car simce it,is dark red metallic, but she doesn't like it.