Denis54

My dealer has located an Avant that fits my specs but has 16 inch wheels. I plan to use them for winter and get new 17 inch wheels for summer.

Which ones would you recommend?

MB The Body

I would recommend getting 18s or 19s.... 17s look tiny on the B6 and B7 A4s

JohnStr

2nd, I have 17 BBS RXII's and they look tiny on the car.

Denis54

I like the way the car rides with 17. Would it ride much harsher with 18 or 19?

MB The Body

this will also depend on the tire you choose and how strong the side wall is I would imagine. I went from 16s to 18s, and still wish I went with 19s.

I have smooth roads in my area, but even still I would want 19d probably on my next car no matter what.

The downfall is the bigger the rim the more expensive the tires are and the less tire you have protecting the rim.

Dougiebaby2

First of all, congrats on your new car

I share the same concerns as you with regard to ride comfort -- I have 17" and love them because they are a good compromise between "looks" and "comfort." Where I find them to be most comfortable is on highway driving because 18"s and higher seem to make a lot of noise and vibration over road seams on highways.

But like many have stated before, sometimes 17"ers can look small. I can't recommend the best wheel for you --- just because that is a matter of personal style and taste.

However, I would recommend choosing a wheel where the spokes extend to the outside edge of the wheel. Wheels that have a huge lip, where the spokes are contained within the wheel will appear smaller. For example, the awesome BBS LMs look small at 17"s.

<img src="http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/bbs/swap/bbs_lm_ci3_l.jpg">

Whereas a wheel with the spokes extending to the outer edge gives the illusion of beging larger (like these BBS CHs).

<img src="http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/bbs/swap/bbs_ch_ci3_l.jpg">

Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck and enjoy!

Dougiebaby2

Hey JohnStr, could you post a few pics of your car ... I love the RXIIs. Thanks.