I must be in the minority on this. The AP2V3s are my least favorite. I really like the V2s.

My picks, best to worst:

Ap2v2 tied with Ap2v1
Ap1us
Ap1jp
Ap2v3

All nice wheels though.

 

There is definitely a noticeable sluggishness when using the heavier Ap2v2 wheels on my MY03 Ap1.

The front Ap2v2 wheel is 20.x lbs and the rear is 22.x lbs.

It's about 4lbs heavier per REAR tire/ OEM tire combo. (18.6lbs Ap1 rear wheel/ 26lbs 225-50-16)

And the front Ap2v2 wheel/tire OEM tire combo is about 1 lb heavier per side.

For a net gain of roughly 10lbs over the Ap1 setup.

The 205-55-16 SO2 front factory tires were heavy. I think it said 24lbs. Meaty means weight in this particular case lol.

 

I agree the AP2V3 wheels are the best looking and almost put them on my '06 to replace the aftermarket wheels that came on the car when I bought it 3 summers ago. But I went with the AP2V2 wheels to keep the car "correct." 17" wheels on a pre-2004 car (USDM AP1) will never be "correct" so pick which wheel you prefer -- or can afford!

-- Chuck

 

Or, go aftermarket.
On the other hand, many people prefer 16 inch wheels. I think mostly its about looks, not performance.

 

I prefer the 16" for looks but mostly for performance. The tossability of the car changes with the increased grip the wider tires/wheels add. I love being able to kick out the rear at-will.

 

For this reason the FRS/BRZ comes with 215 all seasons. "Kick[ing] out the rear" hurts performance, it does not help it. More grip = more performance...that's a very simple equation all other things being equal.

 

You do realize it all depends on what the driver is looking for. I do appreciate the physics lesson. Putting heavier wheels on a car will take away from its nimbleness.

 

Funny, I did this EXACT change back in 2013. Bone stock, same year, same wheels, same tires in the same size even! I did a track day at the same track with the old 16" S02s and then with the new setup a month later. Not as big of a change as I had anticipated, and my lap times actually didn't really improve - probably because the PSS were at full tread, not ideal for the track. But on the street I did notice the effects of the lower profile the most - slightly firmer ride, but definitely more direct steering with less slop in the transitional feel of the car.

Looks-wise, it's definitely a big improvement IMO!

 

Is this correct? Are the tires on my 16 inch wheels wider than the tires on my 17 inch wheels?

 

No they aren't. You misread my post.