17" Don't have to worry so much about potholes Low enough profile to look good Less weight Cheaper tires Cheaper rims
it all depends on what you are looking for, performance will most likely lead you to 17's, while looks may lead you to the 18's. if you are really concerned about cost go 17. keep in mind that you WILL damage 18's
why does everybody say this... if this is the case stop buying cheap crappy rims... I have been running 19s with 35 profile tires for 4yrs now... RIMS ARE PERFECT (not counting gravel chips).... and trust me... the roads I am constantly on are washed out dirt roads taken at 60+ mph every day.... get WHATEVER rims YOU want.. its your car... be original
Just dont buy some ebay pos rims.... you get what you pay for... here's a pic of my 02 with 18's on it with what i think is plenty of tire height... i do want to go wider on the rubba's tho...
I've got 18's on my 2003 wrx wagon and have seen 17's on the same style car, just think about it 16-->17's are only a half inch on either side or the wheels' radius. 18's are not that big of a deal I have no problems with damage, don't but cheap wheels and drive like and idiot.
All this stuff. Esp weight. I briefly had my SSR comps (12.6lbs) on for autocross down in Iowa I put my stockers back on (over 22lbs) today because of possible snow. My car is notibly slower and worse handling with the stockers on. Unsprung weight is the worset weight. Losing 40 lbs there is like losing hundreds of pounds in the car.
