Buyer's Guide: Best Budget Wheels for Tuners
The Import Tuner Scene in the US drew people who love high-revving straight fours together. But not everyone is capable of blowing huge bucks for mods like wheels. So, here's a guide to budget wheels for tuners. We listed down brands like Vors, Aodhan, and ESR Wheels for all the car nut neophytes out there.
The Import Tuner scene is probably one of the most diverse in the car world, having spread throughout the US and other countries.
Tuner builds are unique because of the quirk, artistry, and sheer enthusiasm each owner has over the chassis. And this transcended into the global car culture.
Navigate your way through the article here:
Budget Wheels for Tuners
Vors Wheels
AodHan Wheels
ESR Wheels
Vordoven Wheel
ARC Wheels
A Little History...
Becoming The Import Tuner Scene
The Import Tuner Scene in the 21st Century
Form Over Function? Think Carefully
Buying Reminders
Budget Wheels for Tuners
Import Tuners express their enthusiasm on the streets and shows.
Street builds are the beacon of their passion and individuality. Consistent to the true spirit of Import Tuners, cars usually have mods that improve their performance and aesthetics.
However, most people new to the tuner scene can only afford so much. Not everyone is privileged with limitless pockets to splurge on a car. (After all, we can't live on cup ramen forever). They have other bills to pay and things to put money on.
Luckily, the automotive aftermarket has a segment that offers affordable and budget-friendly alternatives.
And one of the quickest ways to jumpstart your street build is by getting the best budget wheels that match the build.
Here are some of our recommended budget wheels for tuners:
Vors Wheels
Since its founding, Vors Wheels has been carrying the vibe that made the import tuner scene great. The company is based at the heart of this scene, SoCal.
Vors Wheels' affordable options make it attractive to enthusiasts working on their grassroots tuner builds. While it catered to Miatas and Civics at the beginning, Vors already diversified its options for the modern tuners.
Its popular models are often seen in different street builds. It would be hard to miss them.
TR4
Starts at $848 per set of 4
The TR4 is all about the sporty statement. This wheel's tuner vibe makes it the top choice among the brand's customers.
It has five split spokes that form a long soft V shape, somehow reminding you how Japanese racecars are built.
While originally intended for tuners, the TR4 can also be seen used on Euros and domestic cars alike.
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VR8
Starts at $848 per set of 4
The VR8 is a tribute to European motorsports and the wheels associated with it.
Its design is all too familiar, sharing the likeness of other popular two-piece and three-piece wheels. This makes it appealing to tuners building racecar-inspired projects.
With its lip and multi-spoke design, the VR8 can add a lot of personality to a car.
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TR3
Starts at $632 per set of 4
The TR3 is all about everything good in the '90s JDM scene. It has a deep lip that can give any car a wide and aggressive look.
The design is almost synonymous to '90s Civics and Miatas. Coupled with the right mods, the TR3 can be the perfect throwback for tuners who miss the good old days!
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Klutch Wheels
Klutch Wheels started out in 2012 and became known for old-school designs with a modern twist. This move is targeted toward the new generation of enthusiasts.
The brand currently has a handful of models suited for street builds. Each design pays tribute to classic wheels from the motorsport and car show circuits. These wheels look anything between stunning and wildly exceptional.
SLC3
The Klutch SLC3 starts off with the traditional five-spoke design as its base. This classic design is ever popular with both household names and new blood. From there, Klutch Wheels added a little bit of its own touch.
What sets this wheel apart from convention, is the addition of the inner lip and signature slots on it. These take the SLC3 to another level of expressiveness, perfect for builds that want to make a statement.
The SLC3 is available in 20” and comes in Double Dark Tint Black and Gloss Black with Chrome Lip options. You can also get a custom finish for something unique.
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AodHan Wheels
AodHan Wheels has been around since the late 2000s. It stays on top of its game with modernity and precision engineering to come up with the best wheels for a variety of cars in the performance, luxury, and economy segments.
Its team continues to innovate design and manufacturing processes to cater to modern car enthusiasts. This includes its low-pressure casting for durable yet affordable monoblock wheels.
More recently, Aodhan has been using the Flow Formed method for producing robust light-weight cast wheels.
DS05
Starts at $748 per set of 4
The Aodhan DS05 reminds you how good the wheels on Ferraris and Lambos were during the ‘80s.
It retains a very traditional five spoked design with clean lines throughout. This is complemented by a pronounced lip adorned with a generous number of rivets along its circumference.
The wheel design will work pretty well for tuners who want to flaunt a clean stanced set-up. It has enough lip details and offset to add depth to the car. Its stern lines also bring out a lot of personality even from the most modest cars off the lot.
The DS05 comes in 18-inch and 19-inch versions with varying wheel offsets to best suit your car. It is available in Gloss Black, Bronze with Machined Lip, Silver with Machined Face, Gold Vacuum, and Black Vacuum.
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DS07
Starts at $748 per set of 4
The Aodhan DS07 looks aggressive with the way its ten spokes spread out like spikes from a thorny crown. Throw in the deep-dish lip and rivets on it, and behold this regal wheel. Its boldness resonates with what the tuner is all about.
Tuners will benefit from a loud wheel design like this, whether they want it as an element of a flashy car or a game-changer to the monotony of a daily driver. Whichever path is taken, the car will surely make a standout of a build.
The DS07 comes in 18-inch and 19-inch with limited wheel offsets. Choose from three finishes: Gloss Black, Silver with Machined Face, and Bronze with Machined Lip.
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ESR Wheels
ESR Wheels specializes in intricate wheels for a variety of vehicle applications. Most of its selection can come off flashy to the uninitiated tuner. The designs have so much detail that they are artworks on their own.
The ESR team is dedicated to forging high-quality custom wheels for tuners. Each product is meticulously crafted and tested before it reaches the customer. This way, there is no compromise to quality and attention to detail.
CS01
Starts at $876 per set of 4
The ESR CS01 showcases a modest multi-spoke design. While many, each spoke is narrowly put together leaving ample spaces in between them. Those spaces are just enough to give you a glimpse of the disc brakes behind. It also has a lip that pushes back the spokes inward giving the wheel more character.
It suits any tuner car built for a clean stylish look. It can give off a bit of Euro vibe down there but not enough to overpower the entire theme.
The CS01 comes in a variety of sizes, lips, and bolt patterns. Its standard finishes are hyper silver, matte graphite, gloss black, and matte bronze. But you may opt to reach out to ESR should you want something custom-made for your tuner car.
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CS11
Starts at $876 per set of 4
The ESR CS11 also follows the timeless multi-spoke wheel design but comes with an aggressively deep lip. This first became popular with European cars but soon caught up with the tuners. It did not come as a surprise that this kind of wheel also worked well with Asian counterparts.
This wheel is perfect for stance and VIP themed builds. It gives off an elegant vibe without losing a bit of that edginess tuners would want to have. And don’t discount performance builds because they can also look good in a set of CS11.
The CS11 is available in color-neutral finishes like gloss black, hyper silver, and graphite. It will fit most five-lug bolt patterns and comes in 18- and 19-inch sizes.
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Vordoven Wheel
Vordoven Wheels is one of the younger brands out in the aftermarket tuner wheels scene today. It started in 2014 with a bunch of car enthusiasts. They sought out to further their passion by helping fellow tuners get affordable wheels for their cars.
Despite its affordability, each wheel is manufactured using precision equipment and undergoes rigorous testing. According to its site, Vordoven follows the Japan Light Alloy Wheel Standard for its production.
Forme 9
Starts at 668 per set of 4
The Vordoven Forme 9 is easily recognizable with its five concaved split spokes. This look matches tuner cars seamlessly with its sporty lightweight appearance. With spacious gaps between spokes, it is also very easy to take a peek at the nice brake calipers behind.
At 18 inches and 19 inches, the Forme 9 size is more fitting to modern tuner cars with a five-lug bolt pattern. It is available in machine matte black, matte battleship gray, machine matte gunmetal, and full machine silver.
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Forme 18
Starts at $668 per set of 4
The Forme 18 must have one of the cleanest designs on the list. There is boldness in its simplicity. The wheel comes with a concave five-spoke design complemented by a deep stepped lip. Its lines do not take too much attention away from the entirety of the build.
Its one-piece cast aluminum construction makes the wheel sturdy and lightweight. This retains or even improves, the way the tuner car handles.
The wheel comes in 18- and 19-inch sizes and fits most tuner cars with a five-lug bolt pattern. It is available in hyper black but reach out to Vordoven if you feel like having a custom finish.
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ARC Wheels
ARC Wheels is another brand to consider. It offers affordable custom wheels for tuners on a budget.
The SoCal-based brand has a few models in its lineup right now. These are inspired by popular trends in the aftermarket scene from the past to the present. The wheels usually work well with Hondas and other grassroots builds.
AR05
Starts at $719 per set of 4
The AR05 is more fitting for tuners wanting a very streetable look. It has five split-spokes that spread wide apart from each other. This creates the appearance of a bigger and wider wheel.
This design works best for stanced builds where the wheels can be partially tucked under the fenders. The AR05 can easily be used on import cars and even Euros if you will.
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AR09
Starts at $719 per set of 4
The AR09 is a salute to the two-piece and three-piece wheels that are widely used in motorsports. It has a nice polished lip complete with studs, inspired by the top guns.
Its seven spokes have elongated hexagonal slots. This creates an evenly spaced face, allowing you to have a good look at the brake disc and calipers. These will add a lot of personality to your car.
The AR09 should work best with cars from the ‘90s to the early 2000s. But who knows, somebody might just pull the look off on a new car.
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Klutch Wheels
Now, here's an option if you want to spend a little bit more.
Klutch Wheels started out in 2012 and became known for old-school designs with a modern twist. This move is targeted toward the new generation of enthusiasts.
The brand currently has a handful of models suited for street builds. Each design pays tribute to classic wheels from the motorsport and car show circuits. These wheels look anything between stunning and wildly exceptional.
Klutch SLC3
Starts at $1,600 per set of 4
The Klutch SLC3 starts off with the traditional five-spoke design as its base. This classic design is ever popular with both household names and new blood. From there, Klutch Wheels added a little bit of its own touch.
What sets this wheel apart from convention, is the addition of the inner lip and signature slots on it. These take the SLC3 to another level of expressiveness, perfect for builds that want to make a statement.
The SLC3 is available in 20” and comes in Double Dark Tint Black and Gloss Black with Chrome Lip options. You can also get a custom finish for something unique.
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A Little History...
Detroit will always be known as the birthplace of American iron. There mere mention of Motor City resonates with icons like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Charger.
Meanwhile, Southern California is remembered as the area that opened its arms to Japanese vehicles beginning in the '70s. These smaller economic Asian counterparts rivaled the efficiency and affordability of American cars.
Soon enough, enthusiasts took notice of the Japanese cars for their economic value, and versatility of parts available. This paved the way to SoCal's emergence as the heart of the Import Tuner Scene. Gone were the days that racing and streets only belonged to Detroit Iron.
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Becoming The Import Tuner Scene
The Import Tuner Scene started getting a lot of attention at the beginning of the '90s, a time that predates the first Fast and the Furious movie. And carried over to the early 2000s when the tuner scene really took off.
Oh, don't forget the underglow neon lights
Young enthusiasts wanted to try their hands on building something different, something of their own.
They resorted to meeting together and creating a culture dedicated to loving cars. Soon enough, they bought import cars that were inexpensive and easy to modify. This cemented cars like the Honda Civic as a tuner favorite.
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The Import Tuner Scene in the 21st Century
The culture flourished into the 21st Century. Its influence has reached car owners across the states, from East to West Coast. Likewise, JDM and KDM cars on the streets have increased their number the same way aftermarket parts have been too. Inspirations for tuner builds are more prevalent than ever.
Modern tuner guys are still welcomed with many aftermarket modifications to choose from. These days, form and style are favored over function in the pursuit of clout on Instagram.
Nothing wrong with it, just a little...different from back in our days...
The builds have gotten simpler, or "cleaner" in many ways. Many people shy away from the gaudy race livery, gigantic wing that provides little to no real downforce, and body kits that look like it's a straight hotwheels replica.
The past few years also saw a small comeback of many of the trends back in the early 2000s. From wide body pandem kits, to big, big multi-piece wings to complement. (Where our big wang gang at?)
Time brought cycles to the whole tuner scene. Although one thing will never change: the influx of new, young, car owners looking to build their first tuner.
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Form Over Function? Think Carefully
Many import tuner builds favor form over function. These builds can often turn heads and receive compliments at your local car meet. However, there is always the other side of the story.
Slammed cars risk the chassis and lower body panels being destroyed by the road. It can also make the car's ride wildly uncomfortable, especially on longer trips.
Excessive camber and the lack of fender gap can inevitably cause excessive tire wear, and tire safety issues at the most unexpected time. Handling also suffers because the wheels are angled in a way that is already far past the optimum contact to the road surface.
Wheel diameter and tire size should also be taken into consideration. While appealing to the eyes, big wheels on low profile or overstretched tires may prove dangerous and impractical for daily road use.
Modifying is definitely fun and makes you stand out. But it should always be stressed that modifications should be done with road safety in mind.
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Buying Reminders
Always check the correct fitment specifications for wheels, tires, and suspension. This includes listing down the correct bolt pattern, stock wheel size, ride height, and other clearance factors.
If in doubt, certified tire shops are more than helpful with mounting and tuning the modified car for street applications.
Getting some proper road force balance on the wheels is a critical safety precaution to not ignore.
If you plan on getting fitment that may exceed your car's stock limitations, you can consider extensive body and suspension modifications like camber kits, wide body kits, airbag kits to make sure you get that tucked, static, fender to lip look you may be after. Just make sure to stay street-legal so you don't risk any run-ins with the five-o.
