[2024] XXR Wheels Review: Are They Good, Bad Or Reps?

If you want to stir controversy on your car forum or group, mention XXR.

These wheels are one of the most debated on earth, with people flinging comments and insults about them left and right. Despite this, you will see at least one set of XXR wheels at almost any car meet or event you attend.

Are they really that bad? How have XXR managed to survive over 40 years with this kind of thing going on?

In this post I will go over XXR and their wheels in detail to put to rest how good (or bad) they actually are.

A Bit of History on XXR

XXR has actually been around for over four decades, having been founded in 1976, and producing wheels since 1978. XXR is based in Taiwan where they have four manufacturing facilities that produce the wheels.

XXR’s original focus was actually producing motorcycle wheels before they got into the aftermarket car wheels and they also produce wheels for trucks.

What’s interesting about XXR is that their largest customer base is actually Japan, with 60% of their wheels being sold there. Only 20% get sold to the USA, and the other 20% get sold to other countries around the world.

Japan is a notoriously difficult place for foreign companies to break into, which is what makes XXR unique.

In places like America the opinions on XXR wheels tend to be very extreme. One side consider them to be some of the worst wheels in existence, and their name has become synonymous with cheap replica wheels that will break for no reason as you are driving down the road.

On the other side of the fence you have many people who run XXR wheels because they just want affordable wheels that will make their car look a bit better and have no issues what so ever.

I’m going to go into this in a bit more detail later in this post to see if any of the hate is actually warranted.

How XXR Wheels Are Made

The vast majority of XXR wheels are made using squeeze casting. Squeeze casting is a type of casting method where the molten alloy is injected into the mold rather than just poured in like gravity casting.

The benefit of this is that due to the pressure of being injected, impurities and imperfections in the metal are eliminated and any porosity in minimized, helping to create a more even grain structure which results in a strong wheel.

This means that XXR wheels are actually higher quality than most cast wheels due to the fact that most companies use quick and dirty gravity casting to make their wheels.

XXR did also have some forged wheel options, like the 527F which was a fully forged wheel, that were significantly cheaper than any other forged wheels, but they seem to have been discontinued at the time of this writing.

On their website, XXR says that their wheels go through extensive testing procedures including:

Finite Element Analysis
Raw Aluminum Test
Metal Spectrum Analysis
Coordinate Measuring
Wheel Impact Test
Wheel Bending Test
Wheel Radial Fatigue Test
Air Leak Test
X-Ray Test
Vibration Test
High Speed Rotation Test
Corrosion Resistance Test
Chemical Resistance Test
Accelerated Weather Test
Paint Adhesion Test
Flying Stone Resistance Test
Paint Hardness Test
Cap Thermal Cycle Test

This is certainly a lot more than most cheap wheel companies put their wheels thorough, which is probably one of the reasons that XXR wheels are so popular.

How Good (Or Bad) Are XXR Wheels?

With the type of comments you get any time you mention XXR wheels, you would expect them to break as soon as you lowered the car off the hoist.

However, if you do some research and try to find actual examples of XXR wheels failing, they are surprising few and far between.

XXR wheels are actually extremely common and many people use them for even things like autocross and drifting, yet failures are rare.

What this tells me is that XXR actually produce decent quality wheels, and seeing as they use squeeze casting as opposed to gravity casting, along with their long list of tests, I’m not entirely surprised.

Now, with that said, they are still cast wheels. Cast wheels are perfectly fine for street use, and most OEM wheels are cast. However, they tend to be heavier than flow formed or forged wheels, and are also more likely to fatigue and possibly fail with regular track use.

So just due to the name of being cast, if you are looking for wheels for your track car, XXRs are probably not the best choice.

Are XXR Wheels Replicas?

Kind of. XXR do make some replica wheels which are copies of wheels like BBS LM, WedsSports and Advans, as well as some “fake splits”, but they also make many unique wheel designs. Combined with the fact that their wheels are decent quality, this puts them in an interesting position of being somewhere between rep wheels and not rep wheels.

Popular XXR Wheels

Here are some of XXR’s most popular wheels:

XXR 521 Wheels

XXR 526 Wheels

XXR 527 Wheels

XXR 530 Wheels

XXR 531 Wheels

5×114.3 XXR Wheels

All XXR Wheels are available in 5×114.3 (5.4.5 as XXR call it on their website) except for the XXR 002.5.

4×100 XXR Wheels

XXR have a number of wheels in 4×100 PCD including:

002.5
521
527
530
531
536

XXR Wheels For Ford Mustang

Many XXR wheels fit the Ford Mustang. Common sizes for the Ford Mustang are 18” diameter and 8.5-10.5” widths, and the PCD is 5×114.3 (5×4.5). Exact wheel sizes are going to depend on your Mustang model and suspension setup along with any other body modifications. Popular XXR wheels for Ford Mustangs include:

Gold XXR Wheels

XXR have a number of wheels which come in gold finish, including:

Black XXR Wheels

XXR have a range of wheel available in black finish including:

18” XXR Wheels

All XXR Wheels are available in 18” diameter sizes except for the XXR 002.5.

Conclusion – Should You Buy XXR Wheels?

If you are looking for affordable wheels for your street car or daily driver, XXR wheels will get the job done. There is nothing to suggest they are any worse quality than other cast wheels, OEM or otherwise, and many people all over the world use them without issue.

However, if you are looking for wheels you will regularly take to the track, XXR wheels are not ideal simply due to the fact that they are cast.

Cast wheels are heavier and tend to be inherently weaker than flow formed or forged wheels, and are more prone to fatigue and fail over time. So if you are looking for wheels to use at the track, you are much better off going with something like Enkei wheels or Kansei wheels which are at least flow formed.

GET XXR WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

FAQ About XXR Wheels

Are XXR Wheels Reps?

Kind of. XXR do make a number of wheels which are clear replicas like wheels of BBS and WedsSport, however they also make unique wheel designs. XXRs are some of the better quality reps out there.

Are XXR Wheels Good?

XXR wheels are good if you are looking to buy affordable wheels for street use. They are decent quality cast wheels and are one of the better cheap wheel brands. However, I would not recommend them for track use due to the fact that they are cast wheels.

Is XXR a Good Wheel Brand?

Yes, XXR is a good wheel brand if you want affordable wheels for street use. They make decent wheels that are good quality for cheap cast wheels. However, because they are cast, it is not a good idea to use them for regular track use.

Are XXR Wheels Bad?

No, XXR wheels are not bad. XXR wheels are made as low priced, affordable wheels for street use, and they do that job perfectly fine. However, if you are after performance wheels that will handle track use, it’s best to look elsewhere.

What Are XXR Wheels Made Of?

XXR wheels are made of aluminium alloy and are made using squeeze casting.

Where Are XXR Wheels Made?

XXR wheels are made in Taiwan at one of XXR’s manufacturing facilities.

Who Makes XXR Wheels?

XXR make all of their own wheels. They have four manufacturing facilities in Taiwan that produce all of their wheels.

Are XXR Wheels Made In Japan?

No, XXR wheels are not made in Japan, they are made in Taiwan.

Are XXR Wheels Safe?

XXR wheels are safe for street use. However, because they are cast, they are not recommended for safe regular track use.

How Much Do XXR 00.2 15×8 Wheels Weigh?

The XXR 002.5 wheels in 15×8 sizing weigh 22 lb (10 kg).

What Lug Nuts to Use With XXR Wheels?

XXR wheels tend to have very small holes for the wheel lug nuts so you will probably need to buy a set of very thin lug nuts to fit. Many people have had issues with their lug nuts fitting in the XXR lug holes. Generally lugs referred to as “tuner lugs” will work.

What Wheels Did XXR 530 Copy?

The XXR 530 is almost identical to the BBS CH-R, making it likely that XXR copied the BBS CH-R when designing the 530 wheels.

What Wheels Did XXR 531 Copy?

The XXR 531 wheels are extremely similar to CCW Classics, making it likely that XXR copied the design of the CCW Classics for the 531s.

Why Are XXR Wheels Bad?

XXR wheels are not actually bad. People think they are bad because they are cheap and because they copied a lot of popular wheel designs from other brands. But XXR wheels are actually decent wheels for street use that are very affordable.