January 20, 2013

I wasn't thrilled with the look of the stock alloy wheels on my silver Mazdaspeed 3. I debated refinishing but after a couple of estimates I realized the cost of replacement was comparable. I was willing to spend quite a bit more but these EKM3's had the most curb appeal for me. I purchased a package with Contiental DWS and TPMS installed and could not be more satisfied. With standard shipping they arrived within 48 hrs. and in perfect condition. The only thing I had to do was give them a good coat of wax, bolt them on and add a little air. The balance is perfect with minimal weights added (much less than the considerably more expensive, forged OEM wheels by the way). After 2 months all air pressures remain constant. So far all comments have been positive, even my wife who initially considered this a frivolous purchase admits they are more attractive on the car. Brake dust is a lot less noticeable than OEM's but cleaning is a little more labor intensive but what's an extra 5 mins. per wheel, right? The only question that remains is the durability of the finish, we'll see. This is my first Tire Rack purchase and I am now a big fan.

August 22, 2012

I run these wheels on my silver WRX wagon with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires for three seasons (factory wheels with ContiExtreme DWS during winter). The gunmetal color looks awesome on my silver car. I've had quite a few people approach the car to take a closer look, and compliment me on how nice the wheels look. I keep them waxed regularly, to aide in cleaning the wheels, which isn't the easiest job because of the wheel design. There aren't many 'brand name' wheel makers any more, but Enkei is a top-notch manufacturer that has been around for a long time. They are also the official wheel supplier for the McLaren F1 team. I have had these on my car for 5 years now and still look like new, which tells you that their finish doesn't go to crap as the wheels age.

Good looks, light weight and a fair price makes this wheel a no-brainer.

April 21, 2012

This is the first time ever buying wheels or changing wheels I should say. It was quite the experience I feel my rating is fair to the wheel being it is the exact same size as my OEM. I am no engineer so I went mostly if not fully cosmetic for this choice. I did find that the new wheels are lighter. Not sure how much but not by too much. It is defintely felt in the steering wheel. I get more feedback from the tire and the wheel as a whole is more responsive to the road condition and feels lighter a smidge to the touch. There is a weight difference that my OEM wheel had at higher (highway) speeds but this wheel feels more excitable and encouragable to be run up to higher speeds. This is extrememly subjective but I truly do feel the lightness of the wheel at higher speeds and the enthusiasm to push the car really breathes some life into the driving experience. They have been taking the daily drive well with no noise increase that I can discern from the change. I got few and far between responses on my old wheel for design (I loved it personally but tired of seeing the rotary shape scheme or other non rotary mazdas). My little beef with feeling less special and a motiviating reason for the new wheels. The complements now have been very generous & ranged from nice to mean looking. I appreciate the more stealthy look with the gunmetal paint to my tires to my paint (sparkling black mica). It is not a perfect match at all when you look closely but the total look from a distance is well worth the expense. In regards to cleaning the wheels I had to change my technique from the OEM wheels but I feel more rewarded with cleaning these wheels as if they are more special. Guess that happens when you replace things you don't need to. It is a more tedious process with the thinner spokes and getting into drying the center but it is not hard to do. I really like the fact my brake dust actually settles into the color with this car (not perfectly but it doesn't look disgusting either).