Worth it to go from OEM 18s to 19s/ 20s?

[StanF18]

I think the bigger rims are visually appealing, but when I speak to guys with bigger rims seems like a maintenance headache. One guy I know has a 330xi, and he just had to have all four of his prized HREs re-chromed. He had to actually send them in and paid a premium on the shipping.

The more pertinent issue is this: I do as much as I can to make my X5 look and drive awesome, and I want to keep at it, or else I wouldn't be on this forum. But it's also my work-commute vehicle and I'm putting 80 miles on it EVERY day. I would say I'm on pace for 24,000 miles/per year. Most of that is NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway rush hour traffic.
For those of you not familiar with NY/NJ roads: potholes, road debris, flying pebbles, and gravel kicked up by 18-wheelers are an ever-present fact of life. Luckily, my OEM 18s have thick, beefy Michelin Energy MXV4s, and they have held up to the most abusive roads. No flats yet (I know I'll regret saying that). I'm worried that with my commute, if I switch to a nice set of 20s, my life will become an adventure filled with pothole-bent rims, flat tires (due to their lower profile?), and more rattle-and-roll (because of decreased tire cushioning?)

Are these just mis-conceptions on my part? BTW, I'm attaching a pic of my current setup. I don't think the OEM rims look too bad, but I always wonder "What if...."

[villajoe]

If you go with a 20, you're only losing an inch of sidewall. To me, the minimal decrease in ride quality is worth the visual appeal. I wouldn't do 22's though.

Maybe there's someone here that lives close to you that would let you drive their car with 20's.

Can we see more pics of your exhaust? What kind is it?

[thebluedog]

I know exactly what you mean. The 18's definitely provide more "cushion" than 20's. What if you compromised? > and went with a 19" wheel such as the awesome 132's.
I'm still debating on going to a larger wheel. My 18's coupled with BMW's tight suspension are already bumpy enough for me. However, I like the 132's so much I think trade off would be worth it.

[Eds05X5]

I switched fromm 17s to 20s just last month. Ride does suffer abit, but not enough to make me regret the swap. i feel the aggressive look of the 20s outweighs the minimal loss of comfort. If it makes you feel any better, i live in NYC and have had a few run-ins with our notorious potholes. No bends or bubbles! (as I knock on wood!!). You may also get more road noise with the wider tires. I've had my Toyos for about 700 miles and Ive not noticed any more road noise. If you have trouble deciding based on feedback, and want a test ride, PM me. If Im not busy, I'll take you for a ride.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...s/dec07009.jpg

[TurnAround]

Originally Posted by thebluedog

I know exactly what you mean. The 18's definitely provide more "cushion" than 20's. What if you compromised? > and went with a 19" wheel such as the awesome 132's.
I'm still debating on going to a larger wheel. My 18's coupled with BMW's tight suspension are already bumpy enough for me. However, I like the 132's so much I think trade off would be worth it.

I've finally settled on 19's. But mostly because I think I would notice the extra weight of the 20's with my 3.0i M54 engine. I am VERY sensitive to ride quality and insist that my BMW's provide a semi decent smooth ride but still perform well around corners. The side wall on a 20" wheel for an X5 is the same tire side wall height as the 17" wheels on my Z3 Coupe and Roadster. I can tell you that these wheels are "just right" for comfort on our (very crappy / bumpy) streets. Therefore, I think that 20" wheels on the X5, for me, would be the ultimate combination of comfort, performance, and looks.

But keep in mind that I deliberately bought the non-sport suspension.. so that I could lower the profile on my tires and not feel it as much.

I'm going with the Style 132 19's. I think they look great, and will add enough of a lower profile look over my 18's for me.

Tire noise will increase with added width, but not much with larger wheel diameter size. The model of tire you choose is a thousand times more important. If you do go with 20's, get the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tire. They are suuuuuuper quiet (even when worn out).

[E61Silver]

The 20's don't go well in the snow, so they would need to be a warm temp set-up.

[thebluedog]

Originally Posted by TurnAround

The side wall on a 20" wheel for an X5 is the same tire side wall height as the 17" wheels on my Z3 Coupe and Roadster. I can tell you that these wheels are "just right" for comfort on our (very crappy / bumpy) streets. Therefore, I think that 20" wheels on the X5, for me, would be the ultimate combination of comfort, performance, and looks.

In fairness, you can't compare the ride of a Z3 coupe and an X5 with the same side-wall height. I would think the X5 would be far bumpier.
Good choice though on the 132's. Where are you getting 'em? OEM or replicas?

[TurnAround]

Originally Posted by thebluedog

In fairness, you can't compare the ride of a Z3 coupe and an X5 with the same side-wall height. I would think the X5 would be far bumpier.
Good choice though on the 132's. Where are you getting 'em? OEM or replicas?

Good point. Tire volume and suspension system are completely different.

----------------

I'm going with OEM this time. My 18" Y-Spokes are replicas of the 19" Y-spoke. I have to say they're really nice. If they are heavier, I can't see it in the design. wall thickness could be greater tho. My one complaint is that the replicas don't have their back edges rounded before painting. Work fine for years, but paint doesn't like to go across edges like that. I'm starting to see where it is wearing down slightly. Other than that, the finish is par with OEM. Keeping the 18's as my snow wheel / tires.

I felt like I should go with OEM on the 19's just in case there is a small weight savings. With my 3.0i engine, every half pound matters. With luck, they'll weigh the same as the 18's, or close. The price is a killer though But hey, what can you do. BMW makes great wheels (Err... BBS makes 'em as far as I know. Cool).

[mrkbbd]

I honestly don't think it makes a big enough difference for you to worry about the ride difference, especially if you don't have the sport suspension

[jst2878]

20's for that aggresive look