16’s are a waste of time, there’s fewer relevant tire options in 16” than 15” and possibly even 14”. Even the selection at 17” isn’t what it was just a few years ago, although it’s still much better than 14 or 15”.
I don’t disagree, there’s really no good street tire options in 14”. Pretty much just BFG T/A's and Cooper Cobra's- treadwear is 400 or higher, temp and traction ratings aren't great. They're just all season tires. But given the use of the car going 17's may not be in the cards, and may not be the "look" the OP wants. Plus it sounds like the car is SBP too, so that will really limit the wheel upgrades. And switching the whole car over to BBP for a new set of wheels gets expensive fast.
The chassis stiffening will still help, and the platform with 1.03's and sway bars will do better than anything factory even with the current tires. It will be traction limited, but that's ok. I still think I'd do the chassis stiffening first, and if better handling is still on the table after that then a BBP upgrade may be the next step with a better wheel package.
