Are replicas really made of inferior material?

[Darter79]

Hi,

Newbie here. I want to upgrade the wheels on my 325i from stock 16" to 17 or 18". I'm wondering if the replicas are really easy to bend compare to OEM wheels. The price difference between OEM/high-end model wheels and replicas are huge. So is there a big difference between material workmanship or is the price difference mostly for name?

[KP]

some replicas are not that bad, but they usually aren't cheap replicas either. I've heard that some places are decent for them (i.e. wheel exchange), but in the end, there is always something that will give you the disadvantage (i.e. excess weight, prone to bending, paint chipping, etc.). I would just go with the real deal if you can afford it, but if price is something you cannot compensate on, then you might want to look around and shop for used wheels instead.

[FalconGuy]

I read here and just about everywhere else that aftermarket rims are soft and prone to failure if not just bending. For my winter rims I didnt want to spend much so I went with a set of Miglia rims from our sponsor, tirerack.

After driving NJ roads during winter I can say these rims are well made. They still look great too.

I think your hearing people justify why they spent 4 grand on rims.... If you search here you will find plenty of OEM rim failures as well