16" vs 17" wheels
 

I'm looking for a 2nd set of wheels what are the pros / cons of each size ?

16"
Pros: cheap (cheaper wheels, and tires), lighter
Cons: look like crap

17"
Pros: looks better
Cons: bit heavier, tires more expensive.

What do you what a second set of wheels for ?

16's won't fit on a S

I don't think many people even run 16" wheels on a Boxster anymore unless you're talking about wheels for dedicated snow tires. 17" are standard and economical. Many people run with 18" or even 19". But the previous comments are correct- smaller wheel means cheaper and less weight, but less grip.

16" wheels make a great winter set because the tires are cheaper and winter tires are more effective when narrow (205/225). 16" are 6 and 7" wide as I recall so no way to get wide rubber on there for summer grip. 17 & 18 are preferred for summer on a 986 for the look and wider tires choices that will fit.

If you're looking for snow tires I have a set of 16" real German made BBS RS 157s, super light with 225 Blizzaks on them with great tread on them for sale in the Detroit area. These rims are true German 2 piece BBS (not the early 3 piece but still very expensive and light)

Thanks for the feedback. 16's won't work, I'm looking for warm weather tires / wheels
So 17 or even 18's will work better.
I have 17" staggered now and I would not want to be narrower

Daily drivability.
I am dailying my boxster at the moment for the next year at least. its a 97 just for context. When buying it i was given both 16"s and 17"s. My question is does it make that much difference in the ride as I want the 17s but don't want it to become uncomfortable. Thanks

If you have the same tires on the 16 and 17 inch wheels you probably won't notice the difference in everyday driving. I have 17 and 18 inch wheels for my 2003 S and both sets have the same Michelin tires in the factory sizes, the difference to me is not noticeable, but I like the extra half inch of rubber sidewall for everyday driving, having bent a few 18 inch rims on what passes for roads here in Northern NJ.

In an autocross or HPDE, I think the difference would be noticeable, just not in daily driving.

Had 17" on both a base and an S and satisfied for a daily driver. I wasn't out to impress, just to be safe with a bit of bite in the twisties. My roads were not always the best. I visited a wheel repair shop once and saw the costs of running big wheels. They did wheels costing thousands per wheel.

Spend on better tires.