Re: 16'' vs 17'' wheels (MADBUG)
Depends where you live and what you want.
17"s look great, and at $400 extra from the dealer, its a good deal. The car will handle better too.
However, for the average person, the downsides are pretty significant: much more expensive tires, you must get a second set of wheels with snow tires if you live anywhere it snows much, and if you damage one of those pretty rims, VW wants $438 EACH for a new one (yes each, and thats without a tire
. Also, the car will have *slightly* worse acceleration and fuel economy and ride quality, but these aren't that significant.
The stock 16" wheels and tires are adequate for most people. If you want to improve the handling, another option is to upgrade the 16" tires at some point to a higher performance tire. Of course, if you do that, you may also want to consider a second set of wheels with snows anyway.
(That said, I'm buying the 17" 'cause they look cool and I have winter wheels anyway
Tom
Depends where you live and what you want.
17"s look great, and at $400 extra from the dealer, its a good deal. The car will handle better too.
However, for the average person, the downsides are pretty significant: much more expensive tires, you must get a second set of wheels with snow tires if you live anywhere it snows much, and if you damage one of those pretty rims, VW wants $438 EACH for a new one (yes each, and thats without a tire

The stock 16" wheels and tires are adequate for most people. If you want to improve the handling, another option is to upgrade the 16" tires at some point to a higher performance tire. Of course, if you do that, you may also want to consider a second set of wheels with snows anyway.
(That said, I'm buying the 17" 'cause they look cool and I have winter wheels anyway

Tom