Wheels... 15s vs 16s vs 17s vs 18s
 

So I am trying to learn about wheels and tires for my baby, and I am wondering what sort of performance, driveability, and mpg differences you all see with different sized wheels and tires.

All I understand is, a smaller, lighter wheel will have better acceleration and mpg due to less mass and rotational inertia. But handling might suffer. And a larger wheel might "look" better and handle better.

What do you guys all think?

It is a bit relative - based on driver circumstances. I take it you are looking for something that looks proper but also provides function for daily driving and occasional track events?

It took me a while to decide myself but I based my reasoning similar to what I wrote above with function being primary to the wheel/tire change. Imo I would stick with 17x8+

I think there are some tools online that can calculate the change in Speedo reading, MPG, etc. based on the size of the wheel and tire vs. oem

Unless you're going for something very specific, I'd stick with 16"s or 17"s. Toyota put a lot of time and money and engineering into this car, and I'm thinking they chose 16"s and 17"s for their all-around performance across a variety of conditions. Middle of the road so to speak.

Shedding weight never hurts though, as long as you're not jumping curbs.

Just my $.02c

Thanks, the more I research this I am convinced I want 16s. Specifically, light weight with a throwback look... I love the RPF1 and also the Classic Porsche style wheel that is black spokes with a silver rim.

Awesome.

I went with a 16x7.5" wheel myself very recently.

Personally-and this is just me-I feel like I'm not giving much up in terms of cornering and handling performance in day-to-day driving, but gained quite a bit in terms of comfort and ride quality.

I've only had about a week to judge so far, and it's totally subjective, but I think I like it better, and a lot depends on the tire we buy.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80935

i track on 16x7" with 205/55 rs3s, and put down similar lap times to wider tire set ups. this is on fuji speedway with long straits and what not. but point is, 205-225 16 or 17 for amateurs like us, we wont notice a difference. i stuck with 16s cause i already had the tires, and its cheap to buy new ones. i can get a set of rs3s over here for 400 even.