I am looking at buying a like new 2003 TT Quattro 1.8T 225HP 6 speed with the sport package. The car is perfect except who ever had it before didn't know where the curbs are so the 18" stock Audi wheels are really beat up. The dealer also has the same year car without the sport package so the wheels are 17" and I asked him to trade wheels for me on the vehicle and he said he couldn't do that because by putting the 17" wheels onthe car with the sport package would mess up the Quattro and computer system and the car wouldn't run right? Is this true? Doesn't seem right to me I thought as long as you had the same size wheels on the front and back there should be no issue. Please advise as this 2003 only has about 19,500 miles and is in very good shape except these 18" wheels.... NADA has clean retail at $24,225 and Trade-in at $20,975 and they are asking $21,950 (seems like a pretty good deal to me but the dinged up wheels are bothering me.) Please advise.

 

if the total height is the same (withena 1% or so) form top of the tires, they are swappable. Stick them in the tire calculator and it will tell you

calc click here

 

cincyTT -Thanks for the info: Standard 17" are 225/45 17's & Sport Package are 225/40 18's. According to the website you gave, it lists the 18's as of 25.1 in diameter and Circumference of 78.8. For the 17's, it lists the diameter as 25.0 and circum as 78.5. When multiplying either of the 18" values by .99 (for the 1% allowance) I get the following 25.1 x .99 = 24.849 and if the 17's are 25 even then I should be okay. Same goes for circumference: 78.8 x .99 = 78.012 and the 17's should be 78.5. So do I tell the dealer I want them switched anyway and will deal with any problems? Also will he try to give me a hard time about upgrading the other car from 17's to 18's. Guys go up in size all the time without any problem so he should have no ground to stand on from that aspect right? Thanks for your help.

 

78.8 vs 78.5 is nothing. It wont throw anything off. So you can swap them easy without any problems to either car, even with sport suspension.

 

Thanks I will pressure him a little more and see what happens. Appreciate the information! SD