I personally would avoid machined / diamond cut alloys - IMO they’re more trouble than they’re worth;
- They’re susceptible to white worm corrosion and not really durable enough to withstand winter driving and road conditions in the UK - many manufacturers and retailers of alloy wheels specifically state on their websites that diamond cut alloys aren’t suitable for winter use).
- They’re more expensive to refurbish than a powder coated alloy wheel, and because the diamond cut refurbishment process involves removing a layer of alloy from the wheel, they can usually only be refurbished a maximum of two times, otherwise structural integrity may be compromised.
- They’re easily damaged by careless tyre fitters and / or poorly maintained tyre fitting equipment.
It’s good that we don’t all like the same things, otherwise life would be boring, but if I was looking for a new set of wheels and I found some that were available with either a machined / diamond cut finish or powder coated finish, I’d always go for the powder coated option.