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

[jamesboags]

I got my 3.0d with 19's Style 212 moved to Style 213 19's with 285 at the rear... Have now moved to 20" Style 227M with Conti Non Run Flats.. I do not notice a discernible difference... The look of the 227M's is what I like simply put the ride difference is not that great for me but the looks are everything.. with the 227M's I sneak a look at my car evry now and then and say "Great CHoice"...

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by jamesboags

I got my 3.0d with 19's Style 212 moved to Style 213 19's with 285 at the rear... Have now moved to 20" Style 227M with Conti Non Run Flats.. I do not notice a discernible difference... The look of the 227M's is what I like simply put the ride difference is not that great for me but the looks are everything.. with the 227M's I sneak a look at my car evry now and then and say "Great CHoice"...

If you dont sneak up your car or catch yourself admiring it then you have a problem with your ride! If i say i do they say... oh! its VANITY! Anyway others buy X5s for pulling caravans... I JUST LOVE MY CAR!

[London Lad]

Originally Posted by JoshGM

London Lad & ARD

You both dont seem to answer my question. Its OK I dont mind you guys saying there is no SPORT in X5, well that is your opinion.

My question is X5s so called SPORT (which you deny) that comes with ALL Sport Package including 20" WHEELS from assembly plant, do they have "compromised" performance just because they are fixed with 20" wheels????

Iam not talking about X5s which comes with standard 18" then somebody feels he needs to "upgrade" it to 20", NO!

Would BMW make such an error of making a more extra cost X5 by Sporting it (Sports Package) including lowered suspension on the expense of its performance???!

Can we talk about this!?

OK to answer your question:-

"My question is X5s so called SPORT (which you deny) that comes with ALL Sport Package including 20" WHEELS from assembly plant, do they have "compromised" performance just because they are fixed with 20" wheels????"

IMHO Yes.

As far as I am aware the X5 sport only has cosmetic changes over the SE other than 20" wheels and stiffer suspension.

IMO these changes add a very small benefit to the handling (if any) and take a lot away from the comfort and utility of the SUV.

I think adaptive drive with 19s on an SE is a far better bet all round than a sport.

Sorry, I have just re read your question: would a sport be better with 19s ? I think yes, but I would dump the hard suspension before the 20s

Its horses for courses but I would recommend a buyer just to get test drives in all the combinations and see for themselves. I did and an SE with 19s and adaptive drive was best for me. To be honest I think 18s may have been just as good.

[JoshGM]

Originally Posted by London Lad

OK to answer your question:-

"My question is X5s so called SPORT (which you deny) that comes with ALL Sport Package including 20" WHEELS from assembly plant, do they have "compromised" performance just because they are fixed with 20" wheels????"

IMHO Yes.

As far as I am aware the X5 sport only has cosmetic changes over the SE other than 20" wheels and stiffer suspension.

IMO these changes add a very small benefit to the handling (if any) and take a lot away from the comfort and utility of the SUV.

I think adaptive drive with 19s on an SE is a far better bet all round than a sport.

Sorry, I have just re read your question: would a sport be better with 19s ? I think yes, but I would dump the hard suspension before the 20s

Its horses for courses but I would recommend a buyer just to get test drives in all the combinations and see for themselves. I did and an SE with 19s and adaptive drive was best for me. To be honest I think 18s may have been just as good.

Now you have answered my question. Your opinion can not be re-examined by me as the only X5 I have test driven and bought is mine (4.6iS Quadpiped in chromes)! So it will be silly for me to challenge that 18" feel better than 19" and even better than 20" in terms of perfomance, even to say yes 20" wheeled X5 has a compromised performance from the factory!

Why? I just DONT feel the compromise, my car handles my rough and speedy style of driving. Its like praising your mom as the best cook in the world (since you have not tasted food cooked by your neighbor friend's mom!).... maybe guys who change wheels according to seasons can say something (mine is all year round!) as long as its the same car, same driver different 18s changed to 20s - Remember the comparison is on performance NOT comfort.

[London Lad]

If you are happy then what you have is right for you and that great.

[sheikh36]

I just ordered a 5.0 with the sport package and my understanding is that What I really paid for was the anthracite headliner, wheel arches, steering and 20" wheels....I had them check off "sports suspension delete" as I did not want a stiff ride..Hopefully the comfort seats will counter the harsher ride of the 20"...if not Ill go to non RFT....may sound silly to some but in black the arches blend in and its wayyy cheaper than getting the M package....I have 2 kids so dont take corners at 120 mph+ i.e. where I would need the adaptive drive suspension....as far as highway driving...Im looking forward to the 5.0....now all I need is clarification as to wether BMW will allow me to get the X-6 perfromance package/tune they have at the dealerships from june for the X-5 as it is a leased car.....

[ard]

Originally Posted by JoshGM

My question is X5s so called SPORT (which you deny) that comes with ALL Sport Package including 20" WHEELS from assembly plant, do they have "compromised" performance just because they are fixed with 20" wheels????

Yes. They come compromised from the factory.

Just like the Porsche 997 is likewise compromised with 19" rims from the factory. (Serious track applications delete the factory 19s and use 18" rims.)

All due to market pressure for oversized metal in to "fill out" the wheel wells.

Why do people think that because a marketing twit at BMW says "Hey, lets throw 20 inchers on there and call it a sport package" this means that the BMW engineers also said "For better 'sport handling' lets use 20 inch rims"????

BMW spends gobs of money to convince people that performance is their primary goal. It is not. Sales is. And big wheels sell to the current crowd.

[rh71]

^ I think the M engineers also spend a good chunk of bacon in re-doing a vehicle... they have performance numbers to meet... yet they left the staggered 20s on there too. They may not be the best application but they aren't that detrimental either.

[jpl]

my 2007 sport came with the 20 inches....too tacky, too noisy on bad roads, so I changes to 19 Conti, very happy
in the winter I have 18
frankly, I don't see much difference in handling, braking, or other ....ing

its mostly in the looks

[Fraser]

The question of ride quality and wheel size is almost entirely dependent on your driving environment. If you drive on dead smooth roads you won't compromise ride quality by going from 18s to 19s or 20s. If however the roads are rough where you drive, you will compromise ride quality. Everyone's driving environment, driving style, and appreciation of a vehicle's appearance is different and that's why a question like this will always throw up a wide variety of responses.