18in equipped and grinning!
My advice...(for what it's worth) go for the 18's!
Ride is not much stiffer (remember I swapped from 17 to 18 on the same car).
What is all the fuss about?... sounds like short man's syndrome to me:)
18's fit easy, ride is still great, car handles much better, tires are getting much cheaper as time goes on as they get more popular, the whole package was only a few hundred buck more than 17in option, backend feels 100% better, no rubbing, and to put a cherry on top they look way, WAY, better (265x35)...etc, etc.
Wheel choice is very limited though for 18x8 18x9 set up.
I appreciate all the advice and comments.
PB8