Best size wheels for handling? Type r
 

Iv got a v5 type r that I bought around 6 months ago and it came with the newage 18" prodrive wheels on it. They do look good but are they affecting the handling? I'm i mistaken to thinking that they normally come with 16/17" wheels? The car doesn't that quick at steering compared to my mates type r with I think they are 16 or 17" milleniums. I'd be happy to swap or sell if someone could benefit from these. I do no that they are worth more than penuts aswell. If I wouldn't notice any difference with smaller wheels then I'd be happy to stick with them as they look nice. Cheers ash

18's are shoit on a type r, I went back to 16's on mine and much prefer it, only problem is brakes if your tracking it or drive hard for prolonged periods, I found blue stuff pads helped a bit, but then just used brake fade as an indication it was time to slow down for a bit.

17's are a good compromise if you want to have bigger brakes, I'll be fitting AP4 pots to mine and may have to go for 17's which will be a bit of a bummer, but I want good brakes so i'll have to put up with it.

I don't track it or drive it hard. But I do have a quick blast now and then. I won't be up rating the brakes just yet. If I do it will probz be a Godspeed setup with discs and pads. So u would go to 16's? Iv never drove it with any other wheel than the 18 that is on it. Will it make a difference in the handling? It myt be worth selling them and getting a good 16 or 17 wheel. Cheers ditch

17's......they look good and don't destroy the handling/ride.

You can get some nice 16's though and with a tinker with the suspension they can look quite good. But do the 16's look like Trolly wheels on the car? Never seen any in the flesh. Looks like il be puting mine up for sale then. Not sure what they are worth. Got ok tyres on (nankang) and could do with a refurb, but no chunks missing lol. Cheers guys.

Not the best pic but i'd sacrifice looks for handling every time, this is my Type r on 16's with standard suspension, the way I see it is Subaru spent millions on R&D so if 17's 0r 18's were better i'm pretty they would have come as standard.
Double click to enlarge.

I see what you mean ditch. I don't go racing about anyway but it is nice to have a nice set of wheels on them. But it would be good to feel the full potential of the type r. And I can pic some of them wheels up for penuts aswell and have money left over from my wheels to spend on other stuff like anti lift kit etc.... They don't look that flattering but am I really missing out a lot on handling with the 18's on? Think I may well be

Yep go 16s and get some decent tyres, should feel a fair bit nicer to drive! You should notice a slight improvement in ride, and the reduction in unsprung weight should make the car feel a little more lively, finally a 205 45 or 50 will ultimately have a little less grip than your 18's, which is a good thing as Impreza's hardly struggle for grip! So should be a little more playful to boot.

I hope wheel don't let go on me round the corner haha. I suppose il feel that turning into corners is a lot better aswell? Quicker? And of course it might feel slightly quicker with the less weight to push? Iv made a few bids on eBay already at some standard ones. Don't seem to be much in the for sale section. Finally. What size wheel will be the best?

Yep you should find it feels a little more lively and responsive to your inputs across the board, turn in would be hard to comment on as it really depends on what you feel as a driver and also your style, not to mention the tyres you choose as some have stiffer sidewalls than offers etc.

Nice 16's can be hard to find as despite our terrible roads people in the UK do seem to like big wheels! So you will be limited to the standard 5 spokes or the odd set of speedlines etc. Most will be 16 x 7, and I believe the correct tyre size is 205/50r16 (I've had two sets of 16's both on 205/50), though I have seen 205/45 before.

Went from 18s to 17s on my ra was the best thing i done to the car, drove and handled far better.

Ye decent 16's are hard to get hold of. I don't mind the 5 spoke as that's what come on the car anyway so it will look standard which is still a nice looking car. I should be able to pick a set up for pretty cheap. Seems like I've been missing out on the true and long of the car with ther 18's on :( I should get a good price for them so happy days.

Here you go and a choice too.
https://www.scoobynet.com/wheels-and...t-of-15-a.html

I wouldn't say that. I've gone from 16 to 17 and because of the drop in profile the tyre rumble is far louder and you certainly feel each bump (especially with pot holes in pretty much every road).
I've yet to really push the Yokohama's but I'll definately go /45 next time.

I've also sold 2 sets of standard 16's, one set was resprayed Feather white and sold for £80 with tires and a rubbish set with buggered tires for £30.

Cheers ditch. Good find. Iv messaged him for some pics. He's not far from me either.

Are them silver type r wheels so much as "rare"? I would of thought the black ones would be more if a type r wheel? He's put pics up now.