Should I get new wheels?
 

Hey guys, I have a 2012 Sterling Grey Focus SEL sedan with the 16" alloy wheels.

I'm considering getting new wheels and moving up to 17" at the same time. I will probably do it when I need new tires so I'm not wasting the ones that came with the car.

Do you guys think it's a good idea? If so, which rims would you take a look at without breaking the bank? Which color would you guys prefer with this color Focus?

Any advice would be welcome, thanks!

I got these for $115 a wheel from Discount Tire and I think the Gunmetal would look good on your car.
I have the Conti DWS on mine but with you in SoCal you'd have alot better summer only tire choices to choose from. Check out tire rack and discount tire direct as both sites have alot of cheap quality wheels and good package deals.
Actually if the better deal is on Discount's on-line site vs the store's they will price match. I got mine OTD for $300 less than the in-store quote because of the price match.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...205_141523.jpg

Thanks a lot for the info Ron! What is the make and model of your wheels?

bigger wheels are generally heavier, so they lower your acceleration, your mpg, increase angular momentum with turning.

If you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, then sure, wheels can help it look 'better'. If you want to improve the performance get ready to spend some serious money.

I generally get a set of wheels when i get snow tires. You could go that route.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think I will be needing snow tires in San Diego. [neener]

But you are right, I wouldn't really want to lose MPG, I didn't really think of that. Maybe I can look at some 16's that are more up my alley than the ones that it came with.

Don't let this scare you. We're talking fractions of a mile per gallon, and that's really if you're making a large jump. Most aftermarkets wheels, even bigger than stock, are *much* lighter than the stock Ford brand. In addition, acceleration is also *MINIMALLY* affected.

Angular momentum really isn't affected at all in this case, any more than adding any other amount of weight anywhere else in the car. Not sure what you mean by that one...

Either way, the 18s that come with the handling package are in the neighborhood of 32lbs, while most aftermarkets start around 21lbs or so (and go down from there). Stock wheels are generally much heavier than aftermarket, so upgrading to a bigger size does not generally mean increasing weight.

I like graphite or white on gray, here's a pic of a fellow FF member's gray on gray:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...2/IMG_0106.JPG

My personal opinions:

-17s are a nice size for these cars. That's what I have in the summer and they work even on stock height. Tires are still decent prices too as 17s aren't too large.

-There are tons of choices and it's mainly subjective, so start looking around for ideas. Fifteen52 has nice styles as well as Rotiform, though I don't know what your budget is.

-For SGM, either a darker graphite or lighter silver would work nicely.

The answer is always "yes" to "should I upgrade my wheels" haha

Go with black wheels. a cinch to clean, never dulling, and go great with every color.