Ride quality trade off between 18's, 19's and 20's

[London Lad]

As a general rule the less side wall the tyre has the less it will flex and the tighter the car will corner BUT the ride becomes harder, more noise is transmitted and the car will follow ruts in the road more.

IMHO 18 are perfect for an e70, maybe 19s if you do a lot of fast motorway or autobahn work but bigger that that is just for bling.

[rh71]

Originally Posted by ard

Why do people seem to focus on RIDE QUALITY, and not on handling and performance?

Reduced sidewall heights with 19, 20+ rims will reduce performance... if it was just ride quality as the trade off I would say whatever, but to trade real performance for vanity is, well...popular these days...

A

Wider wheels also help handling / stability. Also, their sport pkg calls for the 20s to begin with. If you want speed/performance then I'm not sure an SUV is where its at... vanity is a good way to go in that case.

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by London Lad

IMHO 18 are perfect for an e70, maybe 19s if you do a lot of fast motorway or autobahn work but bigger that that is just for bling.

Lets do this what do you look for in a car when buying?! Comfort? Performance/Power?, Speed? Safety?

Its then unfortunate for me because I even rank Comfort below Speed/Performance/Power!... So If you are buying a car with FULL SPORT PACKAGE then you should know that the vehicle is SPORT biased and not something for transforting Queen Elizabeth the 40th between her homes! So should we get surprised why Sports Version come with low profile tires 20"? I really dont think its for bling, unless individual pimping up.

In sports cars stability is paramont important, so Bavalian Engineers (and other car engineers) need to bring the centre of gravity a bit lower (look at Formula 1 Cars!) to reduce/avoid overturning moment when cornering. Besides a wider tire base has more traction surface hence gripping the road/ race track more than a bicycle tire can do (again look at F1 Cars!) ... this also helps in easy transmission of power from the power plant (V8) straight to the road, so its not for bling that some cars come with 18" wheels while "confused engineers" put 20" wheels to others!

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by rh71

Wider wheels also help handling / stability. Also, their sport pkg calls for the 20s to begin with. If you want speed/performance then I'm not sure an SUV is where its at... vanity is a good way to go in that case.

I couldnt have said it better!

[London Lad]

Originally Posted by JoshGM

Lets do this what do you look for in a car when buying?! Comfort? Performance/Power?, Speed? Safety?

Its then unfortunate for me because I even rank Comfort below Speed/Performance/Power!... So If you are buying a car with FULL SPORT PACKAGE then you should know that the vehicle is SPORT biased and not something for transforting Queen Elizabeth the 40th between her homes! So should we get surprised why Sports Version come with low profile tires 20"? I really dont think its for bling, unless individual pimping up.

In sports cars stability is paramont important, so Bavalian Engineers (and other car engineers) need to bring the centre of gravity a bit lower (look at Formula 1 Cars!) to reduce/avoid overturning moment when cornering. Besides a wider tire base has more traction surface hence gripping the road/ race track more than a bicycle tire can do (again look at F1 Cars!) ... this also helps in easy transmission of power from the power plant (V8) straight to the road, so its not for bling that some cars come with 18" wheels while "confused engineers" put 20" wheels to others!

I look for performance speed and handling in a sports car. In a 4x4 SUV I want some of the above but comfort, carrying capacity, towing ability and poor terrain ability all rank high on the list as well.

I don't quite understand your post but I'm not saying a lower profile tyre doesn't offer better handling performance, just that they are not really suitable for a big 4x4 which is not (and is never going to be) a sports car. A quick 4x4 yes but not a sports car.

'Sport' in relation to an X5 is just a marketing term.


PS What's with the sarky comments about the Queen ?

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by London Lad

... I'm not saying a lower profile tyre doesn't offer better handling performance, just that they are not really suitable for a big 4x4 which is not (and is never going to be) a sports car. A quick 4x4 yes but not a sports car.

'Sport' in relation to an X5 is just a marketing term.

If you bought your X5 with terrain abilities and towing as topping the list well...hmnn...... wrong car buddy!

Let me say this, X5 doesnt have much room for carrying stuff anyway maybe mine, low profile tires definately not the greatest tires for rock climbing in the world!, therefore, when one comes with a staggered 20" wheels these BMW guys are just saying keep away from the damn rocks! Iam in Africa where snow is... well... as hard to get as a diamond so my car has all year round 20" wheels on, till death do us part!

Now you remove "Sport" from X5 as a sales gimmick.... ha ha ha... do you really listen to yourself!Man! dont stand behind my 4 pipes when I shoot off.. definately it would a be Knock Out and I might even be charged for manslaughter for letting you stand behind my car..sorry murder weapon in this case, did I mention Steptronic abilities?! specifically designed for HIGH performance... not for climbing rocks!

Seriously, X5 is not an offroader and towing caravans! not to mention climbing rocks!

[London Lad]

Hey each to his own and good luck to everyone with their choices and views.

I agree 100% that the x5 is not the best off roader, not the best load carrier and not the best tow car but it's not a sports car at all.

I am sure your car is quick but its a quick 4x4 SUV not a sports car.

I live out in the sticks, our small lanes are bumpy, often muddy and get snow and ice in the winter. I carry 4 people and their stuff from time to time, I tow a small trailer occasionally, sometimes I do a long motorway run down to Spain with a load of stuff. So for me the x5 (with 19s) fits the bill perfectly.

As for buying the wrong car, I have been lucky enough to have owned or driven pretty much every 4x4 available today in the UK and belive me, I have the right car.

FWIW I drove the SE and the sport (with and without dynamic anti roll) and 18s 19s and 20s before I bought my car.

I thought the sports suspension + 20s was far to harsh, followed ruts to much and had little or no high speed handling benefit.

I went for the SE with dynamic anti roll and 19s.



Come to think of it, my sports car (that out accelerates, out brakes, out handels and 'out speeds' any x5) also has 19s

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by London Lad

Hey each to his own and good luck to everyone with their choices and views.

I agree 100% that the x5 is not the best off roader, not the best load carrier and not the best tow car but it's not a sports car at all.

I am sure your car is quick but its a quick 4x4 SUV not a sports car.

I live out in the sticks, our small lanes are bumpy, often muddy and get snow and ice in the winter. I carry 4 people and their stuff from time to time, I tow a small trailer occasionally, sometimes I do a long motorway run down to Spain with a load of stuff. So for me the x5 (with 19s) fits the bill perfectly.

As for buying the wrong car, I have been lucky enough to have owned or driven pretty much every 4x4 available today in the UK and belive me, I have the right car.

FWIW I drove the SE and the sport (with and without dynamic anti roll) and 18s 19s and 20s before I bought my car.

I thought the sports suspension + 20s was far to harsh, followed ruts to much and had little or no high speed handling benefit.

I went for the SE with dynamic anti roll and 19s.


Come to think of it, my sports car (that out accelerates, out brakes, out handels and 'out speeds' any x5) also has 19s

If you cant call Sport in X5 then what car are you calling 'your' SPORT!?... The british RANGE ROVER ...hmnn... SPORT!?

Actually RANGE ROVER to outclass X5 so they thought, they had to type "SPORT" in bold at the back!!!! ha ha ha... they knew putting it only in "s" nobody will notice there is a car parked nearby!

[stef]

Before buying mine (with 18" RFT tire), I've tried another one with 20", it was too "hard" for me (for that kind of car), especially on bad pavement.

If you like your ride with 18" but want bigger weels, you'll get the same confort with 19' weels with standard tires.

By conception, Run Flat Tires are harder than standard tires.

[London Lad]

Originally Posted by JoshGM

If you cant call Sport in X5 then what car are you calling 'your' SPORT!?... The british RANGE ROVER ...hmnn... SPORT!?

Actually RANGE ROVER to outclass X5 so they thought, they had to type "SPORT" in bold at the back!!!! ha ha ha... they knew putting it only in "s" nobody will notice there is a car parked nearby!

You seem to be very anti British ?

Personally I wouldn't touch a Landrover sport because its really just a Landrover Discovery with a slightly different body at £10k more. The Discovery is a pile of poo (IMHO) but probably the best car in the world if you are a farmer and want to drive across a muddy ploughed field.

My sports car is an Audi.