I don't have the 19" sport rims. I have the 19" chrome rims. The wheels came equipped with 245/35/19 tires vs the 235/40/19 tires with the sport. The ride quality is very good. I'm sure if's much stiffer than the 17s. Since I have had them on the car from day 1, it has never seemed harsh. Bumps are not as well damped but it's to be expected with such a short sidewall. The positives are corner is very good. The footprint of the tire is quite wide and taking an on ramp at higher slightly higher speeds make me smile.
Fuel economy is not great. During the winter months in Mississippi, I was averaging around 35mpg. There was two things going on. The temps were in the low 30s at times and the tires were under inflated when delivered. The suggested air pressure is a minimum of 38psi cold for the 19s vs 33psi for the 17 inch tire. I didn't think the tires were under inflated but in February I checked the pressure and found the tires at 32psi. This is where tire pressure readings at the push of a button would have been helpful. I increased the pressure to 40psi and my mileage increased from 35mpg to 38 mpg. Once March came and the temps warmed, I began getting around 39mpg. Now that it's June, I am averaging just over 40mpg. After saying all of that, it may not be the larger wheel size. I drive 40 miles each way to work of which 30 miles is highway driving. The speed limit is 70 mph. This hybrid system seems to hate going more than 65. I drive with my cruise control set at 70mph and regularly achieve close to 40mpg. A few times I have slowed down to 68 for the entire trip and and my mileage went to 43mpg each time. Also when doing strictly city driving I easily achieve the 47 mpg city rating. All of being said, I don't know how much the 19 inch wheels are affecting fuel economy.
Regarding pot holes, fortunately it doesn't get very cold in Mississippi so there are not a lot of potholes. I slowdown for speed bumps and railroad tracks as the short side wall would almost guarantee damage at higher speeds.
If acceleration is affected it would have to be minimal. In normal driving it seems to be as quick as the demo I drove with 17 inchers.
I hope that helps. I am very happy with the 19s. I get a lot of compliments and no one else in my area seems to have them. The main reason I didn't start with the sport 19s was the dealer told me they would not fit when I was purchasing the car. I later found that to be false. I chalked that up to being misinformed and not an intentional falsehood. I'm okay with it as my car is more unique with the optional chrome wheels.
