MK7.5 Alternative Alloys

[adavies169]

Hi everyone, I'm new here so please go easy on me.

I recently purchased a Mk7.5 GTI (non performance pack) and absolutely loving it. The dealer I got the car from put some cheap horrible tyres on the car so I'm looking at what options I can swap them out with in the future. Unfortunately, the tyres I was hoping to put on there aren't available in the size. The car I got has the 19"  Santiago alloys and was hoping to put Michelin CrossClimate on as I had these on my Mk7.5 GT with 17" alloys and found them amazing in the snow and wet with this time of year.

So I thought instead, put Michelin Pilot Sports on the Santiago alloys and then get another set of alloys for the CrossClimates and then swap them myself each year. Can anyone recommend some nice 18" alloys which look fairly OEM but would also fit the Michelin CrossClimate tyres please? I'm new to this sort of thing with cars so I don't know where to start looking and all the pitfalls with buying non OEM alloys.

Thanks

[Watts]

Hi and welcome to the forum

You'd be far better posting this in the MK7 section - https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?board=117.0

You'll get plenty of opinions there, the good, the bad and the ugly!

[Guzzle]

Loads of options out there but what is the budget?

[willni]

Yep it's a very budget dependant choice.

Top of my list were the GTD Sevilla Alloys (Powdercoated) and the Clubsport/TCR Belvedere Alloys

After that Mk7 Nogaro Alloys off the GTD, then standard set of parker alloys.

Also are you open to the idea of replica alloys from CM Wheels? Plenty of options there in 18 form without bank breaking prices, that's if you're ok with the idea of replica alloys.

[Exonian]

Welcome aboard adavies 

I’ve been messing about changing wheels and bits on Golfs for over three decades so have a rough idea of what can and what shouldn’t be done.

VW have been using the same basic wheel dimensions and fitment for Golfs since 2004.
Therefore if you fancy a second hand set of OEM wheels there’s a hell of a lot of choice, and wheels from Sciroccos and Passats will also fit for example (amongst other VW group wheels which share similar dimensions).
There are literally dozens of aftermarket alloy wheel manufacturers, so this could potentially be a very exhaustive search.

In your position I’d be favouring either of the following options.

A set of MAK Wolf alloys which can be specced in a size that takes VW bolts and original centre caps, it’s an OEM inspired design that is manufactured in Italy. They can be bought in singles if you wreck one on a winter pothole.

https://www.senco.es/es/blog/2014/03/noticia-114.html


Or a set of replica wheels from CM Wheels as referred to above.
Personally I’d go for these https://cmwheels.com/products/18%e2%80%b3-vw-golf-reifnitz-tcr-style-wheels-satin-gun-metal/ as they’re fairly cheap which will mean you won’t be too upset if one gets wrecked on potholed roads.
The grey colour looks good when clean, hides light brake dust and road salt grime quite well and isn’t diamond cut, thus avoiding discolouration. I’ve run a set for 12 months and just under 8k miles and they’ve held up well with just minimal stonechips to the rear wheels as the only slight blemishes. The downsides are you’ll need eBay centre cap decals and if you wreck one you can’t buy a single wheel to replace it.

[oryx3dr]

I can also vouch for the CM TCR reps, been running mine for about 18 months now and no issues at all. Usual blemishes and defects to be expected with a wheel of that price but by no means noticeable. A little heavier than a good set of aftermarket’s but they certainly get the job done.

[JMS]

Www.Willtheyfit.com

Before buying- it’s a very useful site