I am in the market for some new wheels (finally) and I wanted to know everyone's opinions on wheel brands. What is the best wheel brand you've found? The worst? What's on your car now?

I'm also looking for something that won't break the bank (high maintenance, I know). I just want to be sure I get a quality wheel that isn't going to shatter if I hit a pot hole.

Thanks!

oem? what is your budget? i still have mine for sale...which are lightweight and heavy duty. Designed for auto-x so they should stand up to some punishment but I wouldn't test their durability.

6i_guy wrote:oem? what is your budget? i still have mine for sale...which are lightweight and heavy duty. Designed for auto-x so they should stand up to some punishment but I wouldn't test their durability.

I'm looking for OEM. That would mean I need a 17x7 wheel that would fit my 205/50 17 tires. I don't want to have to buy new tires. My budget would be below about 800 for all four wheels. I don't mind buying new if that's what has to happen. My main thing is that I want something quality.

I think what he meant by OEM was your stock wheels..... As far as aftermarket brands go... OMG theres are 1000's to choose from.. Its really all about what kinda style you like,, there are so many different companies out there that sell all sorts of brands.. some cheap, some that cost more than your car.. but I would suggest to shop around.. and choose wisely.. Dont just jump on the first thing you see..

When I bought mine, it took me well over 6mths before I made my final choice.. just stay with a name brand and you will be fine on the quality of your wheel.. and if you can, buy from a local dealer or atleast one that will back up their warranty and wont screw you over.

And last suggestion,,, if you want something good,, your gonna have to fork over the cash... IF your budget is only $800 with tires then your not gonna find much out there that you will like,, your better off waiting and saving for another month or two and getting something you really do like.. but dont get me wrong, there are deals out there for cheap,, but just beware of what your getting... cuz some are knock offs that are built cheaply and can be dangerous to drive with... just my 2 cents..

oh and one last things,, look on craigslist,,, there are sometimes some GREAT deals on there.. specially now a days cuz everyone is hurting for money,, alot of people are having to sell stuff like that just so they can pay their rent, so they sell it cheap.. good luck and happy hunting..

or buy mine!!! 17x7...asking 500 i think...not new, but still in great shape....
being pushy i know...need to get rid of them but I dont' want to give them away
.... of course if ya don't like the color or style not much i can do.

or yes,, you could by his... thats a good deal for those...

Agree with memphis. I watched CL and CMZC and it took me about 3-4 months. I was concerned about paying big bucks for low quality and there are a ton of brands out there. I eventually found Mazda OEM wheels that were done in black and for a different model but fit my MS3. I think they looked great on the car and I got them from a club member. Then sold my wheels on CL for a good price which = more than I paid for the "new" wheels.

Scan craigslist. As far as "best", it's all subjective.....

These days almost all rims are manufactured to high quality standards. Even cheap brands like XXR / Sport max (same company), VOXX, MB, Rota, etc. hold up pretty well. I'd just go for whatever you can afford that looks good

Are you looking to buy locally?? You might be able to find wheels a lot cheaper online....Here are a few sites to look at....

http://www.wheelsnext.com/

http://www.1010tires.com/

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do

http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp

rush24 wrote:Are you looking to buy locally?? You might be able to find wheels a lot cheaper online....Here are a few sites to look at....

http://www.wheelsnext.com/

http://www.1010tires.com/

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do

http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp

I checked the last two before but hadn't even heard of the first two. Thank you!!

No problem.....I think wheelsnext has the biggest selection.... Also...if there is something you see on the sites....if carried by Discount Tire...they will usually price match and order them for you..

http://www.wheelfire.com/

Some cheap stuff here!

http://www.wheeldude.com

Rotas are very popular in the Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 community because they are cheap and look pretty good for the most part. That site is probably the best site for buying Rotas. Just about all models are going to be less than $800 for the set of 4 wheels (no tires).

So after searching around a bit (I have a lot of down time at work), I believe I have settled on what I want.

http://www.1010tires.com/wheel.asp?wheelmodel=Runaway+-+Black&wheelbrand=Konig

It's the ones I've been eyeing for months now and after comparing against other brands, these seem to be the most durable and lightest I could find within my price range. I don't mind waiting a bit longer to get these but I have a friend who works at Discount Tire that can get a full set with lugnuts for $620, install included. I think that's a damn good deal.

Opinions?