Wheelin' and Dealin': My Journey to Finding the Perfect Wheels for My 2011 Subaru Forester

Hello, fellow Subaru Forester enthusiasts! Recently, I decided to upgrade the wheels on my 2011 Subaru Forester, and man-oh-man, it turned out to be quite a journey. What I thought would be a quick decision turned into a deep dive into design choices, wheel sizes, and just how big an impact a set of wheels can have on your ride. If you're considering new wheels for your Forester, or you just enjoy hearing someone else's misadventure, then buckle in and join me on this wild ride.

Step 1: "How Hard Could It Be to Pick Wheels?"

It started innocently enough. One afternoon, I was looking at my stock wheels and just thought, "Time to freshen things up." Of course, I went online, figuring I'd browse for an hour or two, find something that looked good, and it would be the end of it. Wheels are just circles that bolt onto the car, right? WRONG. I soon learned that picking wheels is like trying to pick out a tattoo-you want something that looks great, but it also has to be you, man. You know, something that matches not only your personality, but also the bolt pattern on your car.

Which brings me to my next point: if you haven't already memorized it, the 2011 Subaru Forester has a bolt pattern of 5x100. It's kind of like the secret Subaru handshake. Unless you want to dive into the headache known as spacers and adapters-and trust me, you don't-your new wheels need to match that pattern.

Step 2: The Design Dilemma

Once I knew the bolt pattern, I thought the hard part was over. How little I knew. Picking the design was a whole other rabbit hole. Do I go for something sporty? Something rugged? Something that says "I could go off-roading, but I also enjoy parallel parking downtown"?

After hours of scouring Subaru forums, Instagram posts, and even asking several of my friends their opinions.bad idea, by the way, because everyone and their mom has a strong opinion on wheels, I finally pulled the trigger on a set of gunmetal multi-spoke wheels. I was going for something that would make the Forester look tough without going full "Mad Max." Gunmetal was a good middle ground-looks clean, hides brake dust, and still has enough shine to stand out. Besides, they would not make me look like I am overdoing things-no chrome for me, thank you .

Step 3: The Wheel Size Debate-Bigger Isn't Always Better

Everything designed, now the next hurdle was wheel size. This is where things started to get a little hairy. You have your 16-inch stock wheels, but then you see guys rolling on 18s, or even 19s-you're like, "Should I go big?" The 18-Inch Experiment

Okay, I'll fess up: There was a strong urge to slap some 18-inch wheels on the Forester and give it that menacing stance, like it could crawl up and roll over mountains, curbs, and potholes. So, I ordered the 18s, thinking intuitively that larger wheels equated to better performance. Spoiler alert: wrong again.

First of all, with those 18s, I had to get lower-profile tires to keep the overall diameter similar to stock. This meant the ride became way stiffer. Every bump in the road felt like I was driving on cobblestones-and trust me, I live in an area chock-full of those bumps. That looked great at first, but after a week of bounding around, I feel that I am driving a Flintstones car. Without mentioning, of course, the low-profile tires are much more expensive, and the roads in this area can be notorious for chewing up tires for breakfast.

Back to 16 Inches

Having survived the bone-rattling ride of these 18-inch wheels, I made a smart decision: revert to the 16-inch size. Sometimes it's necessary to acknowledge when you are wrong, and this was one of those times. Using the 16-inch wheels allowed me to retain chunkier tires to absorb the bumps and make daily driving so much more comfortable.

Besides, it was clear that the Subaru Forester was designed to use 16-inch wheels. So, handling seemed more even-keel. Yes, the car still hugged the road enough, and I wasn't always dreading chipping curbs every time I had to park the thing. Sure, the 18s looked cool, but my back was happier with the 16s, and so was my wallet. Sometimes, practicality does win the day!

Step 4: Offset – A Fun New Concept (Not Really)

Just when I thought I was done with the technical stuff, here comes something called "offset." So for all you newbies out there, like myself, offset has to do with how far your wheels stick out or tuck into the wheel well. Get this wrong, and you can end up looking like you're driving a dune buggy or-worse-rubbing your fenders every time you make a turn.

After a bit more research, and some headaches too, I decided to go with a mild offset that would push the wheels out just a little bit. I wanted nothing too extreme, but then again, I didn't want my wheels hiding inside the fenders like a shy turtle either. The end result was just perfect; it gave it a wider stance without making it look like I was preparing for off-road domination.

Step 5: Test Drive and Impressions

The wheels were finally correctly on, and this was a time for a test drive with the Forester. I had the feeling that I was driving an utterly different car. It was just about the right balance of comfort and style. The way it handled-the car simply handled like a dream. I took it to some twisty backroads where the new wheels gave me just the right amount of grip and stability. I wasn't concerned with rolling over every bump, and I still had ample clearance to tackle some light trails.

Of course, the real test came when I showed up at a local car meet. I parked my Forester among a sea of other Subarus, and sure enough, the compliments started rolling in. One guy even said, "Those wheels really set off the car, man! I tried to play it cool, but inside I was beaming.

It is always nice when fellow enthusiasts appreciate all the blood, sweat, and hours of research you've invested in your ride.

Step 6: Lessons Learned

Okay, so what did I learn from this whole experience? A few takeaways here:

Not bigger is better, for sure. Large wheels look cool, but they can seriously mess with ride comfort. Keep something that works for your driving style.

Bolt pattern matters: The 5x100 bolt pattern is a staple of Subaru, so you'll want to make sure those wheels fit without having to mess with spacers.

Offset is not something you just overlook. A slight offset can give your car that perfect stance, while too much leads to handling issues-or worse-rubbing.

Go at your own pace and do not be in a rush with the process. Research, but more importantly, also, do not be afraid to try things out. Worst-case scenario, you'll have a hilarious story next time you go to a meet. There you have it-the story of me choosing wheels for my 2011 Subaru Forester. It was a fun-sometimes frustrating-process, but in the end, well worth it. For those of you who are contemplating upgrading your own wheels, I say, "Go for it-just make sure you do your homework first!