QUOTE(epo @ Dec 20 2009, 09:15 AM)
Autoworld Reviewread review above & thinking to downgrade the rim to 16". is it a good choice?
From the review:
QUOTE
It was a bright sunny afternoon along the North-South Highway. A W210 Merc E280 was cruising southwards from Tapah, with the speedometer hovering steadily between 140 and 150kph. As the occupants enjoyed the cruise, an unfamiliar looking car was closing in on them, lights switched on and right signal blinking.
It was a sleek-looking car, futuristic even. It maintained a distance from the Benz, patiently waiting for a chance to overtake. A kilometre passed. No reaction. Two kilometres. Nothing. Three, and it went on. After a while, the car behind was moving across the Merc's rear view mirror. From his left wing mirrors, the Merc driver saw the car behind finally making the move to overtake from the left.
It didn't take long for the car behind to pass the Benz, showing in all its glory, the 'NAZA' badge adorning its bootlid. The marketing tagline for the Forte is that it'll leave you speechless. I'm curious if that was the Merc driver's reaction when I had passed him without breaking sweat in what was a 1.6-litre Kia with steel rims and wheel caps.
Ok, that was a bit of a fantasy, but trust me, the Forte is a fabulous drive. It's here, and it's a bargain.
Man... potong stim.

There's no way an 1.6L Forte is going to smoke an E280 at 150km/h with ease. When you accelerate at that speed the Gamma would shriek like a banshee.

Otherwise I'm quite impressed with autoworld's review. It's pretty comprehensive, not as good as Autocar ASEAN's, but miles better than other internet/newspaper reviewers which often sound like a short writeup after a leisure Sunday drive. Actually I'm looking forward to reading how Chips and Dennis Wong would rate the Forte, if it hasn't been reviewed already. I miss the mag... Australian motoring magazines are pretty boring with lots of Holden and Ford muscle cars.
Personally, I don't think it would be a wise choice to downgrade the rims as it's going to cost you more money and probably void your warranty. If the stock wheels need to be changed to accommodate the new 16" rims then it'll cost even more. The 17" wheels may compromise comfort, but with the correct tyre pressure settings the ride is not any more harsh than a Civic.
Saying goodbye to my mate's Civic in a few weeks' time, and welcome Forte.