Hey i guess you could consider this a Newbee question but i was wondering other than style what i would gain if i purchased 17" rims with lower profile tires on my WRX as apposed to keeping my stock 16" rims with just new tires at the same stock size tires. is it worth the money to buy all new rims and tires or would tires be the biggest performance/ handling increase?
Thanks

Yes, tires are one of the easiest upgrades and yield very good results. The RE92s are pretty bad compared to most other tires, especially dedicated summer/winter tires instead of all-seasons. Getting 17" wheels will let you have wider tires and the wheels will also look a little better. It really depends if you want to spend the extra money.

so if i went with some Pzero Neros on 16s or 17s it would be the same except for the look?

The biggest thing you will gain with new wheels is width. The stock wheels are only 6.5" wide and the max you can run on them is 225 width. With a wider wheel you can run wider sizes and have less sidewall flex with the lower profile.

I used to have 225/50/16 michelins on stock rims. The grip was improved but the car still rolls a lot even after I upgraded to a larger rear swaybar -- even at high tyre pressures. The car balance remained on the understeery side but on a much higher limit.

When I switched to 17s, the balance improved dramatically. It's a lot more neutral on corners and can even produce oversteer upon lifting the gas pedal. Steering by gas pedal! The reduced tire flex due to shorter sidewall of 17" wheels/tires improved cornering response -- I don't have to turn the wheel as much to change direction and steering reaction is much quicker too. Grip will improve also but that depends on the tyre you get. It seemed the potential performance improvement from the larger swaybar and other suspension upgrades were maximized with the less flexible tyre.

However, less flexible tyre has it's disadvantage: harsher ride. Took me (and my wife) a while to get used to it but now, I can't imagine going back to stock wheels/tyres.

ANY tire upgrade from stock is a big difference. I went with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S in the stock size and they're FAR superior, the Pirelli's should be the same. Don't forget the stock wheels are pretty light at 16.5 lbs, so unless you're spending some good cash you're just getting heavier wheels for some bling. Personally, I don't like the way the stock brakes look under bigger wheels, too much open space and it makes the brakes look cheap.....and I'm too cheap to upgrade to a BBK just for looks.

There is a reason Subaru put 17" rims on the 06's stock.

There is a reason Subaru put 17" rims on the 06's stock.

Yeah, there's also a reason Subaru put 2 rice wings on the STI and ricer tail lights......

But what is that reason?

^^^ Omg? Owns a Saab now and calls the '06 STi rice? lol? I'll agree the tail lights look like junk, but the spoilers aren't rice...they serve their purpose. You know Saab copied the design of the '06 Impreza and called it their own? How does it feel to drive a poser?

If you're not a Subaru owner anymore, go troll on some Saab forums. :rolleyes:

The stockers are 16x6.5, any 17 rim will be at least 7'' wide. You'll also have a much shorter (stiffer) sidewall on the 17'' rim.

If you have the money, it's worth it to get some 17'' wheels. Rotas are usually 7.5'' or 8'' wide, which is nice, but probably unnecessary on a daily driver. The Prodrive P7s and OZ Supperleggaras have been on sale lately, and are good 17x7 rims.

There is a reason Subaru put 17" rims on the 06's stock.

Because people like the looks of 17's and they've got nice looking brake calipers behind them?

^^^ Omg? Owns a Saab now and calls the '06 STi rice? lol? I'll agree the tail lights look like junk, but the spoilers aren't rice...they serve their purpose. You know Saab copied the design of the '06 Impreza and called it their own? How does it feel to drive a poser?

If you're not a Subaru owner anymore, go troll on some Saab forums. :rolleyes:

The 9-2x is only a rebadged Impreza and that design was not copied and called their own, it was created under license agreements through the former stake GM owned in Subaru as well as their ownership of Saab. He's not going to find anything useful on Saab forums either as his car has little to do with Saab with the exception of the body and interior, mechanically he's driving a Subaru, hence the term "Saabaru."

Now for the original poster:

You'll definitely experience a huge upgrade if you move to larger rims with lower profile tires. Lower profile tires have stiffer sidewalls and will allow for less rolling of the tire sidewall over the side of the rim during hard cornering. In addition, as has been stated previously, the standard WRX rim is very narrow and will not accomodate very wide tires so you are limited on the amount of lateral traction you can have by that. Finally, bigger rims just look better IMO, that's another reason to consider change as long as your budget will allow it.

I used to have 225/50/16 michelins on stock rims. The grip was improved but the car still rolls a lot even after I upgraded to a larger rear swaybar -- even at high tyre pressures. The car balance remained on the understeery side but on a much higher limit.

When I switched to 17s, the balance improved dramatically. It's a lot more neutral on corners and can even produce oversteer upon lifting the gas pedal. Steering by gas pedal! The reduced tire flex due to shorter sidewall of 17" wheels/tires improved cornering response -- I don't have to turn the wheel as much to change direction and steering reaction is much quicker too. Grip will improve also but that depends on the tyre you get. It seemed the potential performance improvement from the larger swaybar and other suspension upgrades were maximized with the less flexible tyre.

However, less flexible tyre has it's disadvantage: harsher ride. Took me (and my wife) a while to get used to it but now, I can't imagine going back to stock wheels/tyres.

the harsher ride is well worth it

There is a reason Subaru put 17" rims on the 06's stock.

Because they've been doing that in Japan and Europe for many years?

^^^ Omg? Owns a Saab now and calls the '06 STi rice? lol? I'll agree the tail lights look like junk, but the spoilers aren't rice...they serve their purpose. You know Saab copied the design of the '06 Impreza and called it their own? How does it feel to drive a poser?

If you're not a Subaru owner anymore, go troll on some Saab forums. :rolleyes:

Oh, man, I didn't know that Saab "copied" the Impreza and called it their own. Thanks for opening my eyes to the world! :rolleyes:

And since you've asked, it feels pretty good to drive a 9-2x. Why wouldn't it? WRX performance in a better package and better looks (that's subjective though, as to each their own). Plus, the price I paid for it, I couldn't go wrong. As for calling me a troll, look at our join dates.

Now that I'm done with the obligatory argument, I'll reiterate what others have mentioned.
Bigger wheels allow to run wider and smaller profile tires, causing less sidewall flexion and improving feel in the turns. At same time, the stiffer (and smaller) sidewall causes more bumps and road imperfections to transfer to your butt and you will feel them more. Also, if there are lots of potholes where you drive, there's an increased chance of hitting a hole and bending a rim.
The difference in feel between 16 and 17 is noticeable.
Better performance in turns vs. decreased everyday driveability? What's worth more to you? Look at your driving style and habits and then make the decision. Since you're looking for all seasons, then performance is probably not your main concern, so I'd recommend getting a good set of 225/50/16 tires and putting them on your stock wheels. Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S and Falken Ziex ZE 512 are considered to be very good all seasons. Toyo Proxes 4 are good too, but they have a little less of a life span.

Unless you're into the look of 17's, just buy the stickiest rubber you can find for the stock wheels.

You'll save $$, maintain your ride quality, keep unsprung weight down, and out-grip guys with 17's who blew their wad on wheels and had to go cheap on the rubber. ;)