a 'nice ride' is subjective and will vary for different individuals. my advice is if you lower it do springs and shocks at the same time(disregard if you use full coilovers examples:teins, JIC) otherwise it's an easy way to bend expensive rims. recommendation: look into JIC as well as Teins. teins variety will accomodate any budget. if you go 18's do 7.5 inch width with a 225/35/18 or a 215/40/18 tire. i can tell you from personal experience they give plenty of cushion for the 18s. Good luck. Go with some nice rims, they will make or break the look of the car!