I commute to my college (ku) and put about 2500 miles on my car a month. i really like the look of 17's but tires are expensive. I also like the look of gsr blades and i can get a set for 400 (new) but by the time i buy good new tires its still 600-650 bucks. i drive carefully, but potholes are sometimes hard to avoid around campus because streets are so small. heres a picture of my car to help and a link to the velox's ive been looking at

any help would be appreciated

http://www.wheelsnext.com/defa...METAL

 

nice wheel but a little on the heavy side i believe the weight is 18 to 20 lbs.
from what you have said about the pot hole's and bad surface. i would stick with 15's.....17 inch tire do not have any sidewall flex so if you hit a pothole to hard or a speed bump you could end up with an impact break(where sidewall buldges outward) or worse case bend the wheel or crack the wheel.......15 inch wheels with tires will have a little more flex with a 195/55r15 or 205/50r15 and can help absorb most of the impact and give you more of a comfortable ride....

 

First, I suggest you consider picking up a set of used wheels, rather than new ones. You'll save a lot of money, and used stock Honda/Acura wheels are easy to find on ebay and in the marketplace forums here on h-t.com. There are lots of different kinds of stock 15" wheels for Civics and Integras to choose from. So that's an advantage of 15" wheels.

I agree with vtecsi that you're better off getting 15" wheels than 17", if potholes are a concern. It's easy to damage larger wheels with their short tire sidewalls. vtecsi also mentioned that the smaller wheels will give better ride comfort.

15" tires are also often cheaper than 17", but not always; it depends on the tire. For example, here are Tire Rack prices for the Kumho Ecsta SPT (best "bang for the buck" tire on the market IMHO) in sizes for your '97-00 Civic Si:

195/55-15 $58
205/50-15 $54
205/40-17 $56

The above prices are before subtracting Kumho's current $40 rebate offer.

 

Whats nice is when you get new wheels there will definatly be someone wanting to buy yours. But I dont recommend 17s for your car, Cause 1. i think they 17s are ugly on a little civic, and 2. if you're worried about potholes you'll be better off with 15s. If you like the bigger look i'd say go with 16s, Cause IMO its not toooo extreme.

 

Stick with the SI's or blades . If you commute 2500 miles a month in a slammed car you don't want to deal with more expensive prices in 16 and 17". My car is almost that low and I buy a new set of tires about once a year, with far less commuting. You also don't want to deal with breaking a 17" on a pothole, which is easier to do than you might think.