Quote:
Originally Posted by chanomatik
I would've preferred the $3k wheels option. That's probably just me, though, because spending almost $600 on your 2nd choice means you would have had to put up $2,400 more for ones you actually wanted.
Not gonna lie, $580 is actually a really good deal. 
Everything I look at is at least $900, up to $1,800. My dream wheels are the ASGA Spirits and they're $912USD right now. |
Well.. the Prodrives weren't even a strong 2nd choice. They were just a "meh" consideration being one of the few wheels available with original gold paint. The face is too flat (Prodrive does offer them in a concave face but not in the right size/bolt pattern for my car). If the face is going to be flat, at least have a lip (like CE28N or GC-010G). I wanted something that would utilize the stock rolled fenders; the best Prodrive offers to get that fitment is 18x8 +43 which is only about halfway between stock and flush (they are fitted with spacers in those pics I posted). I didn't want to settle for halfway. The XXRs come up right behind the roll without chance of rubbing. From a style and fitment standpoint, XXR was my #1 choice among all available gold wheels by far. Weight is relatively light for cast wheels (about the same as stock despite being bigger/wider, lighter than costlier Rays Gramlights and OZ Formula HLT, and likely the same weight STI 18" wheels). Safety/reliability checked out to be perfect from my research with the same JWL/VIA certifications as OEM but no TUV (which STI also doesn't have) and no widespread issues from hundreds of XXR 527 owners through the years. The low price just sweetened everything.
The only faults I can think of are they're not as "exclusive" and the paint can sparingly have minor defects upclose which I gladly overlook.