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Car Forum / BMW Cars / June 2007X5 Wheel size Pro and Cons
I am looking at a used X5 and have the choice of 4 different wheels to go on it: 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch. In terms of ride which will be the most comfy? Which wheel/tire combo will weigh the most? Will I feel this weigh in ride comfort? More unsprung weight? It seems to me that the 20 inch wheels will beat me up in ride, give the best handling in the summer but have to be changed out when the going gets snowy and icey? Almost the most expensive for tire choice? douga >I am looking at a used X5 and have the choice of 4 different wheels to go >on it: 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch. > > In terms of ride which will be the most comfy? That's easy" the 17". Taller sidewalls (a consequence of choosing small wheels) are always cushier than the shorter ones on big wheels. > Which wheel/tire combo will weigh the most? Will I feel this weigh in > ride comfort? More unsprung weight? The taller wheels (20") generally weigh more, unless you go to a forged or otherwise expensive wheel. Tires weigh slightly less the bigger the wheel size, but not enough to out-weigh the wheel. > It seems to me that the 20 inch wheels will beat me up in ride, give the > best handling in the summer but have to be changed out when the going gets > snowy and icey? Almost the most expensive for tire choice? Exactly. And it's very hard to get snow tires in large wheel sizes. FloydR >I am looking at a used X5 and have the choice of 4 different wheels to go >on it: 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > douga It is a trade off between ride and handling. Generally the lower the profile the better the handling, but the harsher the ride. Relevant for a vehicle that is supposed to be 4X4 is that low profiles are much more likely to suffer sidewall damage e.g. from kerbing the car or objects or potholes in partly or unmade roads. As the X5 is basically a wheeled barge, get sensible tyres for its use and use the change to buy something to race round in. > I am looking at a used X5 and have the choice of 4 different wheels to go on > it: 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch. OK, I'll jump in here and seehow many I can get right. ;-) > In terms of ride which will be the most comfy? 17" > Which wheel/tire combo will weigh the most? All other things being equal, larger wheels will always weigh more. so the dubs will be most porky. > Will I feel this weigh in ride > comfort? More unsprung weight? Yep. Intuitive question... > It seems to me that the 20 inch wheels will beat me up in ride, give the > best handling in the summer but have to be changed out when the going gets > snowy and icey? Almost the most expensive for tire choice? Wow. You got it right first time. But "handling" is a subjective thing. I prefer a proper size tire to a 20" rubber band any day.  Signature-Fred W >I am looking at a used X5 and have the choice of 4 different wheels to go on >it: 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >douga The first question to ask yourself is "What will I be using it for?" If for the shopping and school run then anything that looks nice is Ok but if you really wanted a tractor (Land Rover - Hummer etc.) then go for 18" and big tires (Tyres) that are suitable for mud and rocks. Horses for courses |
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