2024 Avid 1 Wheels Review: Are They Good, Bad Or Cheap Reps?

Avid.1. ADIV1? AVD1? Rep wheel companies seem to be getting more and more brazen with their names, getting real close to real brand names they are trying to replicate. We has 885 (copying BBS), and now we have Avid.1. I’m surprised there’s no V0lk Racing or Vvork Wheels yet.

Anyway, in this post I’m going to cover AVID.1 wheels, not to be confused with the forged wheel company ADV.1, which is an entirely different story.

The History of Avid.1 Wheels

It seems like the story for most of these Californian based replica wheel brands could literally be copy and pasted from one of my blog posts to the next, with just the founding date and few small details changed.

The general theme goes like this:

Started sometime after 2010, based in California. Very little information about the company, there may or may not be an owner name somewhere.

They sell very cheap cast wheels, usually all of which are replica designs, that usually come from China.

No information on how the wheels are designed, very little on how or where they are made (we can take a guess), and no mention of any safety tests or certifications such as JWL or VIA (the wheels may or may not have the markings – which doesn’t mean much on its own).

Aside from that, you’ll basically find nothing else about the company other than some threads on forums speculating about them and possibly a photo or two of a failed wheel, depending on how badly their wheels are made.

You won’t find them with any history in motorsport (unsurprisingly), and their only role seems to be to sell cheap wheels to make some quick money.

While I don’t have a problem at all with making money, the way they go about it doesn’t exactly scream “quality product” if you know what I mean.

And what do you know? Avid.1 matches this description almost perfectly.

They started in 2011, are owned by Autotech Accessories Inc., based in California, sell cast replica wheels, have hardly any info on their website, no history in motorsport and no mention of safety testing or any certifications.

Here is something interesting though.

Autotech Accessories Inc. owned Tenzo wheels, which stopped trading around 2015. Tenzo didn’t exactly have a great reputation and were generally considered to be cheap replica wheels. I’m not sure why they ditched the Tenzo brand and became Avid.1, but that’s what seems to have happened.

One more thing about Avid.1. In case it isn’t obvious, their name is almost identical to a well-known brand that sells expensive forged wheels – ADV.1. It’s pretty clear why they chose this name, and I find it interesting that they chose to do this given that there is already a moral debate about brands copying wheel designs, let alone the name of a company.

How Avid 1 Rims Are Made

As predicted, there is very little information available about how Avid.1 wheels are made.

The only information I managed to dig up is that they are low pressure cast wheels.

As far as cast wheels go, low pressure cast wheels are some of the better ones, as this process allows for a more consistent and tighter metal grain structure throughout the wheel, resulting in a strong wheel overall.

However, this also depends on several other factors including what metal is used, heat treating etc, and unfortunately, we have no information on this.

Where Are Avid 1 Wheels Made?

Again, Avid 1 don’t say where they get their wheels made. Usually rep wheel brands get their wheels from China, so odds are that these are made there as well, but I can’t say for sure.

Wheel Safety Standards

Avid.1 wheels do have JWL and VIA stampings on their wheels.

However, I was not able to find any mention of JWL or VIA certifications, or how they do their safety testing, so we have no idea whether or not they have truly passed the tests and have been properly certified.

Maybe they have, but it also wouldn’t be the first time a rep wheel company has just put the stampings on without having the proper certifications.

Warranty

Avid.1 claim to offer a 1 year warranty to the original purchaser of the wheels which covers any material or workmanship defects. I was not able to find any reports of anyone who used the warranty and what their experience was like.

Avid 1 Wheel Options

Avid 1 offers a range of wheel designs, all of which are cast, one piece replicas. Here is what they currently sell.

15 & 16”

AV.02

AV.08

AV.12

AV.18

AV.19

17”, 18” & 19”

AV.06

AV.20

AV.26

AV.27

AV.28

AV.32

AV.40

AV.42

AV.44

Sportline 18” & 20”

SL.03

Are Avid 1 Wheels Actually Any Good?

Based on my research, I would say that they are exactly what you’d expect from the average cast wheel.

They certainly don’t seem to be the worst wheels ever made, but you will find some examples of them breaking. One Youtuber even have to replace his Avid 1 wheels 3 times due to cracks. Others have been happy with their Avid 1 wheels and have not had any issues.

Avid 1 is a fairly new wheel company and it’s possible that they aren’t as widely used as other wheels which is why you don’t hear much about them. There certainly isn’t a huge amount of reports either positive or negative, which just looks like they aren’t that commonly run.

Based on all this, I would say they are probably ok for street use, but don’t use them on the track. Also, be prepared for them to crack if something happens, which means that you will need to replace the wheel, you won’t be able to get it repaired.

How Heavy Are Avid.1 Wheels?

Surprisingly, they are actually not that heavy.

The AV20 wheel in 18×9.5 et38 weighs 18.5 lb (8.4 kg). The AV6 in 18×9.5 et24 weights 22.6 lb (10.2 kg).

The Enkei RPF1, a well-known quality lightweight wheel which is flow formed in the same size weighs 18 lb (8.1 kg) or less depending on the offset.

So Avid.1s are a little heavier but not by a huge amount. This is actually surprising considering they are cast, but that also may be the reason some of them crack.

Conclusion – Should You Buy Avid 1 Wheels?

I personally wouldn’t, but if you are dead set on a particular design they offer for your street car then they will probably be ok. I wouldn’t use them on the track though.

While I did find some reports of failures, it was not an overwhelming number like I’ve seen with some wheels, which probably means that these are a bit better quality than other cheap wheels.

I still think you are taking a bit of a gamble though, so just be prepared for that and don’t be surprised if they do crack. After all, with the lack of information from Avid.1, you really have no idea what you are actually buying.

Good Alternatives to Avid 1 Wheels

If you’d prefer to take my advice and buy wheels from a more reputable brand, here are some alternatives I’d recommend:

Enkei

Enkei wheels are one of the most popular options when it comes to affordable, lightweight wheels.

They have an excellent reputation and are made by one of the biggest manufacturers on the planet.

They use a special flow forming process called M.A.T. to make their wheels which makes them extremely strong and light.

If you are after high quality yet affordable wheels, especially for track use, Enkei are one of your best options.

GET ENKEI WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

Konig

Konig wheels have been in the game a long time and were a decent low cost option.

In recent years they released a flow formed line which proved to be very popular and is in a similar league as the Enkeis.

Being lightweight, durable and affordable, Konig’s flow formed wheels are another good option if you want high quality performance wheels for a great price:

GET KONIG WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

Kansei

Kansei wheels are a relatively new company that is doing some interesting things in the wheel industry.

Instead of going down the route of selling rep wheels, Kansei are releasing unique wheels designs which are good quality, light and durable due to being flow formed.

This makes them great for both on and off the track, while being unique wheels that look great and won’t cost your life savings.

GET KANSEI WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

FAQ About Avid 1 Wheels

Are Avid 1 Wheels Reps?

Yes, Avid 1 wheels are reps. All of their designs are copies of other wheel brands.

Are Avid 1 wheels lightweight?

Avid 1 wheels are fairly lightweight for cast wheels, but they are not as lightweight as flow formed or forged wheels.

What are AVID1 wheels made of?

AVID1 wheels are made of low pressure cast aluminium.

Are Avid 1 Wheels Real?

No, Avid 1 wheels are replicas of other wheel brands and are all cast one-piece wheels. They do not have any real multi-piece wheels.

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Mateja Matic

Having been in the car tuning game for 15 years, I'm now using all the knowledge I acquired to help other people learn and select the right parts for their cars through this blog.

Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF