1) Changing to 17"+ rims (even aluminum) add significant weight. Stock brakes are pretty taxed (even the discs) with stock size wheels/tires let alone bigger ones. So if you're going to go bigger than 15s, upgrade the brakes. Or stick with something in a 15".
2) Your choice of brake upgrade can dictate what size you need for clearance. Best to decide as a combo.
I have 17s and may go 18s in the future. I appreciate all types of builds (stock to pro-touring), but my personal preference my for my own ride is pro-touring (not just visually, but suspension upgrades as well). I'm not a huge fan of anything bigger than 18s aesthetically; plus above that there are trade-offs in other aspects of performance. Many of the competitive cars that you see running around from our era run either a 17 or 18.
