18 or 19 inch tires?
 

Hello!
I am new to this forum because I recently thought about ordering a 370z and was searching for additional information.

Right now I´m considering whether to order the car with the 18" or 19" tires.

What would you suggest?
Does anybody of you have pictures where one can see the difference between both (actually, does one see any big difference at all, and is it worth the additional charge of 1000 EUR in Europe?).

Any (dis-)adavantages about these two options?

Would be great if someone could help me with this!
Thanks a lot,
Camilo.

Its all about Looks. Some people Like the look of 19s or 20s as they "fill" the wheel opening and help eliminate the dreaded "wheel gap"

Personally I don't like 19s, Tires cost more, wheels weigh more, all for a "look"

Plus I am screwed as an autocrosser as the 370 with SP only comes with 19s. That means Hoosiers which are more expensive and don't last as long. Hoosiers are grippier when fresh but that fresh feeling only lasts about 12-20 runs by 30 - 40 runs you have corded the tires. Kumho on the other hand get around 80-100 runs before cording, though you only get great grip up till around 25ish runs then they are local event only tires.

Go 19's, they look alot better, they compliment the shape of the car superbly!

To me the sport package is a great deal because not only does it include 19"s, you also get big brakes and synchro rev match. I don't know if sport package is offered in Germany, but if it is, it's worth the euros.

All that aside, the 19"s do look better and they come with wider tires too. I don't know if the 18"s are cast or forged, but the 19"s are definitely forged, so they may be lighter than the 18"s.

Are there any pictures in the forum´s gallery where I can see the difference?
Pics from users which have the 19´s comparable to others who have the 18´s?

In Germany we have a package which includes Bose sound system, leather seats and synchro rev control.
I would order this for sure!

But 19"-tires are extra, not part of the package and are 1000 EUR plus on top of the package-price!
That´s why I ask. If they were part of the package anyway, it would be no question.

I went from 18" to 19" wheels on my 350z - and they look MUCH BETTER. I know the actual difference in size isn't much, but it makes a BIG difference to how the car looks. The wheel arches get filled so much better. If 20" wheels handled ok I would even go as big as that, because I think 20's would look superb - but I worry that the handling might get too bad.

When I first went over to 19's I noticed that the handling didn't seem quite as good as the 18's, but you soon get used to it. I know I am talking about the 350z here, but I think it may be similar for the 370z.

Could you explain, how far the handling is different?

I also read somewhere that the 19" are much louder from inside, don´t know if that´s true, too?

I am fairly certain that the forged RAYS are far lighter and stronger than the 18-inch ones. In all honesty it's all about looks. The 18's are reminescent of the 350Z era.

I love Khumo tires. When I was on their site last though I was unable to find tires that fit the dimensions of the 19". The 18", yes they have those. Any new word on this?

You could always buy the 19" rims and then swap out for some 18" rims. that way you get all the perks of the Sports Package.

Kumho is still not making 19s... Maybe next year, or not.

if you swap wheels you are out of the stock class... Any wheel other than the stock wheel has to have the same dimensions as the original OEM equipment plus or minus 1/4 inch from factory offset. So the same diameter and width with just a small difference in offset.

It is even worse since you can't rotate the tires from front to back without swapping the tires on the wheels due to having 9" width on the fronts and 10" on the rear. so you have to spend more money to have the tires swapped from wheel to wheel to rotate them.

Sigh...

Huh???????????????????????????
The sport package which includes 19" rims is about performance, NOT looks. LSD differential, Big brakes, Syncro rev match, Light Rays Forged wheels with stickier rubber and shorter sidewalls for better response. Nissan didn't put this package together for looks (though it does look better). It may not meet your AutoX requirements, but it sure meets my street needs...

Light is a relative term.

the 19 inch oem Rays for the 370 Z are
Front Wheels (Sport Package): 23.2lbs(10.52kg)
Rear Wheels (Sport Package): 23.8lbs (10.8kg)

the 18 inch oem Rays for the track package 350 Z
Front Wheels 18.19lbs
Rear Wheels 18.62lbs

Yes the new 19s are wider by and inch in the front and inch and a half in the rear but they are still heavier that the equivalent 18s. Tires are also Heavier. But if I want wider wheels in 18s just as light they are obtainable for less than the price of a set of Volks. (CCW makes them for the z for 2K a set)

But performance between the two is often very subjective, and unsprung weight is a factor in high performance applications.

A shorter/stiffer sidewall on a street tire, while improving turn in response marginally, it just means that you are more likely to dent that expensive rim when you hit pot hole that the truck in front of you was hiding.

Stickier tires are also available in 18s...

The 19s are demanded today because of looks not performance.

Oh, I will be getting the Sports Package when I buy my Z in a month or two, I am buying it not for the Wheels, but for the brakes... Ice mode was notorious on the 350 base and touring package without the Brembo brakes.

Flame suit on...

And your point is?????????????

19s are for looks. Performance increase over an 18 is marginal at best.

its the internet for gosh sakes. like anyone has a point...

:iagree:

A nice set of forged 18" will be lighter and give you better ride AND better handling in the appropriate widths. 19" is ALL about looks. Check out what the track guys are running.

he is talking stock to stock. the stock Enkei 18's are heavier and not as strong as the stock 19" Forged RAYS wheels.

They also look 10x better on the Z then the 18" Enkei's that come stock on the base model. There is a reason many people are spending extra money to import the 19" Rays into Australia out of the US since they didn't even get the option to have the 19" wheels.

At first they felt lumpier, heavier and the steering didn't feel as accurate. But now that I've had them on for nearly 3 years I don't notice any of that.

Do 18" wheels fit on the sport package big brakes?

our Australian members report that they do. I have a set of 18" Rays 350z wheels being widened right now to fit my needs, and Enkei RPF1's cleared on diameter, but not on depth.

It was a preference for me, I like the 18's over the sport 19's.

Both are nice, so you really can't go wrong!

This an Australian sports/touring with 18's which are standard here. no problems clearing the breaks.

you also have to take into consideration that with bigger wheels, more rotational mass. Thats why draggers/auto x'ers usually go with 17/18's, less work for the car to do, frees up TQ. If you plan to do either, get you some 17" Gram Lites. Then put your streets on afterwards.

Mind you, the Sport pkg weighs 40 lbs more than base, so lighter 19" rims dont make much difference to me! The tires are better though, which is why im rockin 285/35 NT05s, yaaaayuh!

Agreed... if its worth the same amount of money in euros as it is here.
Anything over 5000 american value would not be worth it at all. You can get a good aftermarket set up if they are worth that much in europe.
Asian companies tend to rape the europeans. Like the genesis coupe is way overpriced in europe. They pay 7k more than us here. Terrble

That's a true statement.
Right now, you have to pay something about 40K EUR or slightly more for a fully equipped Z in Germany. Due to current exchange rate, that's at least 57K $. :icon14:
These guys really rip us off!

Same goes with consumer electronics. You get shocked when you see the US-prices at amazon.com, sometimes we have to pay twice that amount in Europe.

Same in Australia, we get a fully loaded Z minus the 19's for U$60,000

I haven´t found out yet what brakes the German 370ies are getting since there is no such thing as a "sports package" here and the brochures don´t mention brake differences between our two available versions.

As far as I understand it, in North America there are a "base" and a "touring" version and there is an optional "sports package" of which I don´t know if it can be added to both or to the touring alone. That sports package adds the larger brakes and the 19" wheels. All those combinations have 6MT or 7AT, navi and paint as main options.

In Germany, we have a "370Z" and a "370Z Pack". Both have the stock rear spoiler, so an exterior apprearance like the US "base" version is not available here.
"Pack" adds Bose, leather interior, cruise control, seat heating and SyncRev (for 6MT).
The 19" RAYS are optional here for an extra €1.100.- list price but only available for a "Pack". Otherwise our options are as above.
So far I haven´t found any info on the brakes for the German models, if there are different brakes or not, if not: what size is standard, etc.

Pricing here in Germany really hurts if you read those American prices all over the forum.
Last Friday I bought my new Z, and the math looked like this:
List prices:
2009 370Z Pack 6MT €41.190.-
+ Black Pearl (AS)/G41 Paint €790.-
+ RAYS 19" Wheels, Summer Tires €1.100.-
That´s €43.080.- or today $61.613.- :eek:

Luckily I got near invoice price, with €37.100.- that´s almost €6K off, but still $53.060.-

And:
Add a set of standard 18" wheels with Yokohama Winter Tires for €2.539.-
+ Parking Sensors front & rear incl. installation for €940.-
+ Accessories (Kickplates, Mats etc.) for €700.-
+ Destination charge and registration for €790.-

So altogether I´m still paying €42.069.- equals $60.167.-
One must not forget that there is a 19% V.A.T. here in Germany but basically that means that not only the car manufacturers are milking us but the state as well...

Nevertheless, I´m really looking forward to getting my Z on Friday next week when the park sensors and kickplates are installed.
Yay!

I saw go with 18's just to me 19 is to big.

Oh, another user from Germany :tiphat:
Of course, I will stick to write in English as this is an English forum.

Why do you get your car that soon? I bought mine 3 weeks ago and were told that you have to wait for 12 weeks at the moment, because the car actually is not yet really available in stock in Germany and must be ordered from abroad.

I bought the same version as you (Pack-edition, black, 19", Navi), but was told to wait until Oktober/November when the car arrives. :excited:

Grüße nach Bayern! ;)

Short answer: because I bought a showcar.
-------------------------------------------------

Full Story:

I learned about the 370Z in June and started collecting information on the car.

By the end of July I was sure I wanted and could afford one and started to check it out live.

Dealer No.1 had no 370Z inhouse (but a GT-R) but had just received the german brochure and official price list. I took one and left my phone number to call me when he had a Z for test driving.

Dealer No.2 had a black manual "Pack" that I checked out in his showroom but that wasn´t available for test driving since it had already been sold.

Dealer No.3 I called ahead if it was worth the drive and it was, and he had a white manual "Pack" with black colored 19" and lowered by 40mm that I test-drove. We had a very friendly and open business talk where I learned that the current dealer invoice price was around 14% below MSRP. His offer was a 8% discount for a custom ordered car that would have taken the same 3 months until delivery that you are waiting now. Since I initially hadn´t planned to get winter tires and drive it next winter anyways, he also was friendly enough to advise to wait with the purchase until Nov./Dec. for a delivery in March. He had heard rumors that Nissan Germany would extend the dealer´s discretion pricing percentage and is thinking about some special deals. He promised to call me once he could make a better offer.

At the beginning of last week, I was in the vicinity of Dealer No.1 for other reasons. He hadn´t called yet for a testdrive date so I stopped by if he at least finally had a showcar. He had, a black manual "Pack" without navi. It was not available for test driving but he promised to call in one or two weeks when he could organize a testdrive. We chatted for half an hour about accessories like e.g. pricing of park sensors incl. installation, winter tires on standard 18" rims, etc. No actual negotiation on a car, rather gathering information, also about financing conditions.

Two days later, last Thursday, I sent him an e-mail, saying I had decided to spontaneously buy his unused showcar. I offered him near-invoice price (-13,9% off MSRP) and listed what additional accessories (including winter wheels) I wanted. He called me on the phone after having received my mail and asked if I was serious about this and where I got this price idea from. I just said that I was dead serious and that I had done some research. Then I told him that I was going to be a faithful maintenance customer, and he said he had to ask his boss and would call me right back. He called back and we had a deal. He never even pitched an other price...

The next day, last Friday, I was at Dealer No.1 again and signed.
Delivery will be next week on Friday since they asked for two weeks time to order and install the park sensors and the kickplates. It´s still summer holiday here and their shop was understaffed due to vacation.

I´m really looking forward to my new car and I´m a little proud of myself that I got the exact car I wanted, at near-invoice, saving €6.000.-, with less than one minute of negotiation, and almost no waiting time.

A large part of my success is owed to this community here, where in the last few weeks I learned tons of useful info about the car itself and the circumstances of other peoples purchase experiences.

Right now I am digging into clear bra, aftermarket stuff like oil and air filters and the correct way to brake-in my new ride.

Knowledge is power and you just gotta love the internet!
Example: after reading about clear bra here it took less than two minutes snooping around on film-manufacturer pages like VentureShield and 3M to find a TrimLine specialist in a neighbour village less than five minutes from my home. Will contact him tomorrow for a quote.
Awesome!

That is, in short - errr - long, the story of my 370Z purchase...

Grüße aus Bayern!

Nice story and definitely a good deal!

What do the kickplates look like, is there any photo available inside the forum?
And what does this part of the car look like without this add-on?

I dun believe it really matter "IF" you're gunna get aftermarket rims in the end.
but if not then it really depends on what you're gunna use it for.
if it's for looks go for 19. if you're gunna do some tracking and stuff then 18"

angie*

Here are pictures of the optional illuminated Z alu-inlay kickplates:
http://www.the370z.com/164606-post21.html

The car normally comes with black plastic kickplates of roughly the same size and with a non-illuminated alu Z emblem.

There are many pics to be found here of both versions, mostly in the member´s albums.
Or use the forum search for "kickplates"...