The badge says  VW, but we swear it's an Audi. Those headlights, that trunk shape, the exhaust tips. Well, they are made by the same auto group after all.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Jetta Mk7 has an uncanny resemblance to the A4 - VW even said they're based on the same platform. However, there's one dead giveaway; the wheels. Comparable Audi sedans got better wheels; the designs and specs are undoubtedly better suited to a modern four door. If you own a Jetta, it probably came with some weak 16's or 17's. So, what options do you have? - that's what we'll explore in this article.

We put together this guide of our favorite aftermarket wheel/tire combinations featuring OEM+ to stance'd fitment. This is all about the A7 Jetta and Jetta GTI, 2019 to present, better known as the MKVII. Being a fairly recent generation, you won't find a ton of fitment info yet; nevertheless, we found some nice builds from early adopters. Before we get into them, let's look at some basics.

• Basic fitment info
• OEM+ & flush fitment
• Stance & other advanced fitment

Basic fitment info

• Bolt pattern: 5x112
• Bolt thread: M14 x 1.5
• Center bore: 57.1 mm
• Lug torque: 89 ft lbs

Jetta/GLI stock specs

There are four options for OEM alloy wheels on the Jetta MK7:

• GTI - 18x7.5 +49
• ‘Snowflake'- 16x6.5 +46; we're dubbing them this because they're kinda like the classic mk2 snowflakes
• 17-inch - 17x7 +46; there are two designs with the same specs, this is what your Jetta probably came with

Only the GTI wheels come close to properly filling out the fender arches. A few builds use the OEM GTI rims with either coilovers or air suspension - a decent look, but we think improvements can be made.

Recommended Jetta/GLI aftermarket wheels

Square setups, i.e. same width front/rear, are the most common on these cars. While there are factory 16-inch wheels, with aftermarket, 17-inch is the minimum for stylistic reasons. We have seen diameters between 17” and 20”, but there's a strong uptake of 18” and 19”. The design of a wheel can alter how large it looks. Dished wheels with a large step lip often look a bit smaller, keep this in mind when sizing your wheels.

So 17-20”, what about width and offset? For entry-level setups, from OEM+ to flush, we recommend 7.5 to 9-inch wide with an offset between 35mm and 50mm. To get flush fitment with minimal work, the most common size is8.5 +45(give or take a few mm). With these specs, you can run a square sidewall tire, around 235/40, and not have to worry about rubbing unless you're going super low on coils.

For more aggressive stanced fitment, coils or air suspension will be a must. On top of this, you'll need to roll and possibly pull your fenders. With the correct mods, you can make larger sizes and or lower offsets work. Throw on some stretched tires and you can achieve that fender-to-lip look you always wanted.

If these terms sound like a foreign language, see our deep dive on all types of wheel fitment.

What about staggered setups?

There's no reason you can't do it, but the shape and track width of the car are geared towards square setups. Normally, with a staggered setup on a Jetta or other FWD car, you'll need extra rear camber. Be prepared to add adjustable camber arms if this is the route you wanna go (and make it look right).

Lower that thang

The MK7 suffers from wheel gap, as with most cars. Almost all of the cars we found with aftermarket wheels were lowered in one way or another. If they aren't, the owner swears they are about to. ‘ Next week bro, coils are in the mail'. Don't be that guy. If you're getting aftermarket wheels at least through some springs on it.

Lowering Springs- arean affordable way to close that wheel gap. H&R, Eibach, NeuSpeed… There are plenty of brands, all under $400.

Coilovers - If you wanna run a low and aggressive fitment, enjoy a track day, or otherwise do some spirited driving, you'll want to look at coilovers. Similar to lowering springs, there's already a wide variety to choose from.Silver Neomax's have nice spring rates for most users: 9K/5K, stiff enough for most types of fitment, but not too much for daily driving.

Silvers Neomax 1 Way coils

Air Suspension -If you really wanna get that fender-to-lip fitment. You could go all out with an air suspension system. Air Lift Performance Kits are by far the most popular option for the MK7 thus far.

OEM+ & flush fitment

We'll start with entry-level setups. These cars have OEM+ or flush fitment that requires minimal work. Most have lowering springs, but stock suspension would technically work (just not look as nice). Coilovers would work fine as well, as long as you're not slamming your car to the ground. By replicating one of these you can enjoy zero rubbing with minimal or no fender work.

Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	TSW Bathurst 19x8.5 +43	TSW Bathurst 19x8.5 +43
Tires	Michelin PS4S 235/40R19	Michelin PS4S 235/40R19
Notes	Eibach Sportline lowering springs, no rubbing.

19-inch wheels fit this 2020 GLI without any headaches. You'll notice it's lowered - but just on Eibach Sportline lowering springs. At this ride height, there's no rubbing. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S complete the aesthetic, plus they look pretty good in their own right. Overall, it is a pretty solid wheel and tire combination that is perfectly daily-driveable.

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Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	Rotiform WGR 18x8.5 +45	Rotiform WGR 18x8.5 +45
Tires	Milestar MIL Weatherguard 225/45R18	Milestar MIL Weatherguard 225/45R18
Notes	Lowered on H&R, no rubbing. Candy Red wheels.

Here's an almost identical setup, except it's on 18-inch wheels instead of 19's. Both have 8.5J wheels with negligible differences in offset (even with 3mm spacers). Also, the tires are bumped up from a 235/40, to a 225/45. Despite the smaller wheels, the tires compensate to make effective rolling diameter less than ½” different. This is a good example of using a larger tire with a smaller wheel (or vice versa) to fill out the arches.

This car is also lowered, but on H&R lowering springs instead of Eibach.

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Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	Rotiform TUF-R 19x8.5 +45	Rotiform TUF-R 19x8.5 +45
Tires	Yokohama Advan 255/30R19	Yokohama Advan 255/30R19
Notes	3mm spacers, 19 GLI S, BC Racing coilovers

Like we said, 18-19x8.5 +45 is kinda the sweet spot. Here is another setup with these specs. The difference between this ‘19 GLI S and the previous two is ride height. This one is on BC Racing Coilovers, allowing the owner to set it at a low-slung, but still drivable height. This car is on some pretty skinny 30 sidewall tires; tires this small definitely help reduce/prevent rubbing. The overall stance is similar, just a bit lower. We love the factory optioned roof rack that comes with these cars.

Stance & other advanced fitment

Despite the chassis being relatively new, some MK7 owners are already pushing the boundaries. These setups are no longer plug-and-play. Expect, at a minimum, to roll and pull the fenders. Also, these cars will either be static on coils or fitted with air suspension.

Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	BBS FI-R 20x9 +35	BBS FI-R 20x9 +35
Tires	Toyo Proxes Sport A/S 225/35R20	Toyo Proxes Sport A/S 225/35R20
Notes	KW V3 coilovers, no rubbing.

Will 20-inch wheels work on a MK7 Jetta? Yes, but only with thin tires. You're looking at a 35 or maybe even 30 aspect ratio depending on width. 225/35R20 has been done a few times, maybe 235/35R20, depending on tire brand. Anything wider will require a 30 sidewall, and tires this skinny don't take kindly to potholes.

Other than these BBS FI-R being a larger diameter, the rest of the specs aren't too much different. Of course, these are baller wheels for baller budgets, starting at around $2500. The same specs will apply to more budget-friendly options, and, well, just about any other wheel will be easier on the wallet.

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Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	Radi8 R8C5 18x9.5 +32	Radi8 R8C5 18x9.5 +32
Tires	AchillesATR Sport 215/35R18	AchillesATR Sport 215/35R18
Notes	Air Lift Performance Air Suspension Suspension, needs Fenders Pulled - No rubbing or scrubbing.

Liked dished wheels? These last two should be right up your alley.

This 2019 Jetta SE is running a squared set of custom spec'd Radi8 wheels. The specs are a bit more aggressive than what we've previously seen. To achieve the fender-to-lip look, this car is on airbags from Air Lift Performance.

When aired up, there's no rubbing or scrubbing. Aired down: you'd struggle to slide a playing card between the fender and wheel. As you can imagine, considerable rolling and some pulling was needed.

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Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	Weds Kranze 19x9.5 +27	Weds Kranze 19x10.5 +27
Tires	Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 225/35R19	Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 225/35R19
Notes	Air lift performance kit, Staggered, lots of camber.

If you're bout that life, here's what you can do with a Jetta. This GLI Autobahn is rocking the only staggered set of wheels on our list. Moreover the only JDM set of wheels: Weds Kranze. If it wasn't clear, this took some effort to fit the 10.5J rears. A lot of camber adjustment and air suspension were needed to tuck the rear. This would probably be undrivable if it were static.

See Kranze & other vintage wheels

Staggered wheels on a VW aren't for everyone, but this example certainly pulls it off well. If you get dished wheels, you need something with at least somelip. Dished wheels with the typical 8.5 width will probably give you awkwardly small lips, hence why the cars with dished wheels have at least 9.5J.

Wrap up

Despite the MK7 platform being fairly new, it seems there are already standard go-to specs for aftermarket wheels. 18-19x8.5 +45 seems to be the sweet spot for daily-driven and weekend-warrior-type cars. There are some examples, like the ones we saw, of owners fitting some lower offset and or wider wheels.

If you have a Jetta MK7 and wanna be unique, well, it's not too hard - the chassis is new enough that it's not difficult to do something  never before seen. Maybe some USDM wheels? Triple-stepped BBS RS? The possibilities are endless.

If you come up with a fresh look, be sure to share it in our Fitment Gallery where you're automatically entered to win our Fitment Battles. Help others while entering to win cash prizes.