How Much harder is the ride on 19" vs 18" ???
 

Hi everyone,

I am thinking about buying a z that is a touring / nav car that has the sports package. BUT what I really wanted was the touring /nav /aero kit car which would have the 18" wheels. It turns out that has to be ordered form Nissan and we all know that there is a big delay with the disaster over in Japan now.

However the exact car Im looking for, does exist- but as a touring /nav /sports pkg car. Now aside from the difference in $ (slight) my big concern is the ride. How much harder is the 19" ride then the 18" wheelset ride?

This would be my everyday car-

Thank you for your replies.

MD

I've never taken a ride in a non-sport 370z, but I can tell you that the ride with the sport package is really not that harsh considering its a sports car. Mine is my DD and I have had no issues with the 19" wheels.

There are many people on this forum that believe the sport package may be the best option available for the 370z (me included).

It's not that much different. I've got the Sport Package and during the winter I run 225/50-18 wheels and tires. The 18s are definitely a little softer, but the 19s are by no means abusive. They OEM Bridgestone tires are noisy but not really a harsh ride.

I ran the sport package rims on my car for a while, so I was able to compare back-to-back.
It's a pretty noticeable difference, or at least it was for me. Nothing that would be a dealbreaker, but definitely present. I'd take a ride in a sport and see if its too much for you.

+1 on this
i have sports package and run 18" snow wheels in the winter. softer ride with 18s but 19s is where u wanna be at. or 20s if its gonna be ur show car. because of the large wheel fender size, 18s look very puny on the z. sometimes i wonder if my stock 19s are really 19s cause they look like 16/17s on the z's body

Its not a "show" car for me. I want something zippy that can also be a daily commuter or something that wont fatigue me on the highway b/c its harsh or so noisy. I read one review where it clearly stated the 19" wheels were great for the track but noticeably noisier then the 18" which might bother some people. I guess worst case scenario- I could always have 18"'ers put on if the 19" wheels turn out to be annoying?

i dunno about the 19 but the ladies tell me 18 is just a little too much to work with in the first place. It isn't terribly hard tho takes a lot of blood to get that sucker going so i would guess 19 would be worse

:iagree:

my recommendation is get the 19's run 15mm spacers all around to lower the wheel rate of the suspension to make it softer. ensure you run 35psi cold.

then get Continental extremecontact DW tires when your stock RE050A's are done. these tires are much more compliant to american roads imho. (but they dont look as good. :p )