I've got a 2013 Crosstrek. It currently has winter tires mounted on the factory wheels. I'm getting a set of all season tires in the spring. Which I'd like to put on the factory wheels, so I'd like a 2nd set of 17s for the snow. Is my best option to just keep watching for an affordable subaru set? Or a aftermarket discount tire set? (Which I'm picky on. I really don't want plain steelies or the same set of wheels my wife has for winter tires) What about Audi or VW or even scion wheels? I've seen some with the same 5x100 bolt pattern... Is that worth the hassle? Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere. I didn't see it if it has. I am totally new to this wheel shopping in this size/type. Last car I did that for was a Volvo. Wheels were cheap and plentiful in factory sizes.
5x100 wheels are super easy to find. 04 STI wheels are 4x100 and 17", 05+ LGT and I believe OBXT wheels are 17s, etc. Keep an eye out on craigslist, you can usually find a deal. While certain VW wheels are 5x100, you may run into issues with offsets and centerbore sizing. I'd recommend snagging someone's OEM takeoffs, finding something decent on craigslist or just ordering a cheap set of wheels on tirerack.
Get OEM Take off's from any other Subaru - always will be best bet and will retain some factory look, unless you are going for a modified look.. then go something aftermarket that is not discount, or do steelies.
Wife's prius has 16s for all seasons and 15s for winters. My thoughts on sticking with 17s on the subaru is I have the existing snow tires in 17. I didn't want to ditch the tires and acquire 2 full sets of tires. I guess I'll keep an eye on my tread depth and see if the tires I have will be good for more than just this winter.
I ordered a set of 17s from TireRack 2 weeks ago, I'm definitely liking them so far. Just over $100/wheel (and if you buy tires from them at the same time, they come mounted and balanced). I was dealing with a stock 5x114 with +55 offset though, so they were a little more difficult to find/match.
I agree with what @derp said. You can find other 17in 5x100 wheels pretty easily on craigslist. A few things you want to look out for; any damage to a used wheel, making sure the offset, centerbore and width is appropriate, quality (if aftermarket). 06-07 WRX Wheels 08-09 WRX Wheels 05-09 LGT/OBXT Wheels 10-14 Legacy Wheels 07-13 Forester Wheels ETC...
Well then 17" it is! This thread is a really good reference for finding OEM wheels that match the offset etc you're looking for: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2239019
Remember to get hub centric rings if you get an aftermarket wheel (unless it matches your hub size) or one from a different make of vehicle. Really cheap and gets rid of a lot of the vibration from running without them.
With the roads around here I went the steelie rout on my Wrx with a sti drive line 5x114. 5x100 steelies are not tough to find Cheap.
