[Cman]

Would like a larger wheel on the car. Yes we could've bought a GT model but there were options on the GT we didn't want like the moonroof (had it on the Sentra hardly used it and when the car started being parked outside all the time it was a liability with the roof getting baked in the summer and the rubber and seals on the glass getting wrecked), which is why we went with the GS model (non luxury option).

Yes I agree, the 16" wheels that come on the GS do look kinda tiny on this car, the 18's would look better but they are both only 6.5" wide and wouldn't do much for performance and/or handling either way.

So I'm thinking about moving up to just a 17" wheel but going 8" wide. I also want this wheel to work with my SX4 so I could put the wheels on either car and the only difference would be tire size. I wish the same tire size would work on both cars but that won't happen.

So going with my research a 17x8" wheel +40 or +45 will work on both cars with the CX-3 running a 235/50/17 will match perfectly height wise to the factory 215/60/16 size. On the SX4 I would have to run a 225/50/17 to match the factory 205/60/16 tire on that car. The +40 or 45 offset will push the wheel out a bit making it more flush with the fender line (not a bad thing) and still allow decent clearance.

I only have two wheels that I would consider if I do this: Enkei RPF1 17x8" +45 or Motegi MR131 Tracklite 17x8" +40. Both wheels are light (Enkei 15lbs. Motegi 17lbs.). Both cars use same bolt pattern (5x114.3mm), only different hub rings will be needed for them to bolt on properly.

I would stick with silver for the RPF1's but Motegi has a bronze colour for their Tracklite wheel. Wondering how that would work on the Ceramic for the CX-3 or the Black on the SX4?

Tony

the links I had posted up on tirerack showing the wheels on the cars doesn't seem to work the way I wanted it to so I removed the links. If you want to see how they look configure a ceramic CX-3 and Black SX4 Crossover 2010 model and add the appropriate 17" wheel to it to see how it looks.

 

[JPA]

I would choose bronze color.
I just don't think that 5 spoke design suits CX-3.

 

[NotAPreppie]

IMO, going with a lighter wheel is a good plan. As long as they aren't cheaply made, you'll reap benefits almost everywhere.

Keep in mind there's an old rule of thumb that goes something like:
Light, strong, cheap: pick two.

Hub rings are nice for making installation easier but they aren't necessary for a smooth ride. Torque the lug bolts down in a star pattern and you'll be good to go. If you want them and are given a choice, I recommend aluminum over plastic for the extra durability. I've seen plastic rings that broke that actually made wheel mounting more difficult and the added difficulty resulted in vibration; getting rid of them helped.

I'm not a fan of bronze wheels except on very dark gray or black cars. But, it's your car, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm a fan of the Enkei RPF1 in 17x8 but that's mostly because that's what I race on.

 

[Cman]

I like the RPF1's too. For a cast wheel it's one of the wheels where you can pick all 3 of your choices of getting a light, strong wheel for a decent price.

I use 2 RPF's 18x10" +38 on the Shelby for drag racing, if only they made some that would fit the front of my car I would use all 4 of them on the car for street duty and race (I do some HPDE's with the car also).

Price is a bit of a concern here so in that regard the Motegi fits the bill perfectly for either of the cars.

 

[Cman]

After more research it looks like 17x8" wheels might be a bit wide for both cars (more the Suzuki than the CX-3) so I'm thinking now 17x7.5" +45.

Advanti makes one that's 17.6 lbs.

HY ? Hybris Machined | Advanti Racing

They should look good on both cars and the width is just right for either car using 225/50/17 (SX4) or 235/50/17 (CX-3) keeping the tire height near identical to their respective OE measurements.

Heading to Indianapolis next week for the PRI show I most likely will swing by Tire Rack in South Bend on my way down to take a look and perhaps drive down and back home with a set. Priced pretty good too US$155 each.

 

[NotAPreppie]

TireRack's website lists 128 wheels in 17x8 as compatible with the CX-3 and they are pretty conservative about fitment.

I do enjoy their local pickup option since they're (sort of) on the way to my parents' place in Indy.

 

[Cman]

I'm flip flopping back and forth but I did FINALLY make a decision and my wheels were ordered last week and have already arrived in Buffalo for me to go pick up later this week.

I went with the Motegi's in 17x8 +40 in Bronze colour:

http://www.motegiracing.com/wheel/23456/mr131-traklite

I did say I was a bit concerned about the width of the wheel for the Suzuki until I did some more research, it turns out the Euro version of the car in 2010 had a 215/50/17 tire on a 17x7.5" +38 wheel so the Motegi's wouldn't be a problem. As for the Bronze colour I'm still not sure about that with the Ceramic of the CX-3 but down the road should I sell these wheels they will be more desirable than the other colours for this wheel.

I will be putting up an ad soon here and locally selling the Brand New GS alloy wheels and tires from the car, and I also have an ad running selling the OE Suzuki alloys that have new tires mounted on them earlier this year. Whichever set sells first the Motegi's will go on that car.

 

[anchorman]

You can get your hands in there for washing the inside no problem!

 

[NotAPreppie]

You can get your hands in there for washing the inside no problem!

Oh yah? Well REAL petrol heads take their wheels off for cleaning every time they wash their cars!