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Well, thanks to pmr, I found a great independent shop that just charged me $12.50/tire to put them on. I haven't had a great deal of time to really test them out, but I am quite satisfied thus far.
Ride quality: a fair amount harsher/rougher than the stock 15s, but in a good way. The car feels more controlled over bumps; it is much less sloppy on rough roads. In general, the ride is more solid and reassuring. I can't figure out exactly how to describe this, but the stocks represented a "bad" harshness whereas the 17s provide a "good" harshness. Tire noise is higher than with stock, but not overly so. I have heard that these tires get much louder as they age, however.
Handling: Steering is noticably heavier and more deliberate due to the wider tires. The tires stick quite well, but will have to see when I get a bit of wear into them. I can corner much faster in every situation. It is quite clear that before, the tires were the limiting factor. I am now more aware of the bodyroll issues that others have spoken of; the suspension is most certainly the weakest link now. I have not tested handling to its limits, but the degree of control exhibited thus indicates that they are quite high.
Saab steer, etc.: I am also beginning to experience "Saab Turbo Steer" (STS) to a small degree due to the wider tires. My automatic transmission has thus far insulated my car from these adverse effects. There is a bit of STS now, but the jerking of the steering wheel is not even near that of a 9-3 5-speed. The steering is noticably more affected by camber and ruts, but again not to any extreme. The car is still quite predictable.
Appearance: Looks cool. Not as noticable as I thought, since the Aero wheels are the same color and same general style (3-spoke) as my base wheels. This is good: the car doesn't stand out like a souped-up Honda or anything. The wheels look very natural. I have always thought that the 15s look a bit small on the car, this solves that problem. If anything, these wheels look more suited to the car than the stocks. I will post pictures as soon as possible. The tires look very aggressive, but the rim protector takes a bit of getting used to.
Overall: I think the 17s are quite more than worth it. Unless you live someplace where you cannot avoid potholes, you need this upgrade. Pittsburgh can be pretty bad, but as long as I keep the tire pressure up and take it easy I think these wheels will last quite a while. Anyone considering new suspension for better handling should first consider 17" wheels.
Next steps: The tires/wheels have pretty much blown my car upgrades budget for now, so probably won't be doing anything that soon. I think that Konis and Abbott Springs are in the distant future. In the short term, I think tinkering with the engine will be my best route. I still need to get around to doing Dean's List of DIY intake mods. Maybe try the manual boost controller too...
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