20's or not?
 

I'm really torn on whether to get the 20 inch wheels when I do order my X5 4.8. I love the look but I have two concerns.

1. Snow performance and the additional expense of having either 20 inch snow tires (not sure if they make them) or having a dedicated set of snow wheels/tires.

2. I'm a little concerned that the 20's on this car may just send the wrong "in your face!" bling message. They almost look too good if that makes any sense. I'm going to catch enough sh-t from the guys at work for just getting a BMW let alone one of the most aggressive looking ones they make this side of the M5 (with the 20's).

take a gander at the post about the pothole. $450 for a tire? please, no thanks. and i must wonder if the pothole did that much damage to the tire, what about the rim?

i have the 19s with the all seasons. perfectly fine. and it is my work truck so i visit job sites. talk about catching grief from the pick-up truck crowd. (of which of course i am a member)

I have the oem 20' 214 rims. I like the look and the style on it. The oem Dunlop is AWsome in dry and wet condition. BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE TO Replaced later. But why worry about it if you are going to spend $76K
Snow is a different stories, do some searching on this thread!!!

There is a 20' winter tires available but not at tirerack. Google IT

Why get a 20' winter tires and having to switch it out every winter and spring. Just get an another set of winter wheel tire setup. prefer 18 or 19. It is cheaper in the long run, and save times. And not have a chance to damage the tires sidewall, TPMS, Rims during switch out from ROOKIE Tech.
just my 2 cents!

The 20's are like putting skiis on your car in the snow - basically because they are so wide and the tread pattern/rubber compound are not suited for snow.

We have the 19" sport wheels on our 3.0si and I can tell you they handle backcountry snow just fine (I've had it up on snowy logging roads for x-country skiing).

I wouldn't bother - 20's are all for show not go, plus all the winter related issues the other folks here have already mentioned

I've had sport wheels with additionals wheels and tires for snow. The upside is that the car looks and drives great during the warmer months. The downside is that you have to be VERY disciplined about changing every season as the sport tires are useless in snow; you need to have and consume the space in your garage for 4 wheels; and you have to deal with a different look for half the year. Having done it once, I will stick with all season setups going forward.

i agree..

i swapped out to OEM 214 20s for spring/summer/fall use... i do have all-season non-run flat tires though so I really don't have to swap back to winter tires unless i plan on doing alot of snow driving..(i live in the city so i really won't put winter tires to use much)

you can always swap back to the stock setup.... like they said earlier... having two sets of wheel/tires combos helps..

going to 20s isn't that bad even on the snow...as long as it isn't 2 feet of snow...

i've been running 20s with all-seasons for years now on a number of different SUVs... with no problems..

No question, the 20's looked great on the E70. I don't have it but I'm still thinking of getting a set. I do a lot of ski trips during the winter months with the family and I love plowing through the snow on my 19's. This is why I'm still hesitating to get the 20's. I have to weigh all the pros and cons. Great looks vs. convenience, cost, ride quality, etc. It all comes down to personal preference. At the end of the day, I still drive an E70 and that's what matters.

I am a university student, and it is very "bling" to drive the X5 (4.8i). I also have the 20"s but now i have the 18" winters on.
As far as I know, many people just consider a bimmer as a bimmer and it's almost expected that it comes with big rims. So i don't think it will make much of a difference, in terms of the curve appeal, to have the 20"s.

seriously, whether it is a 3.0 or 4.8i doesn't matter as long as it's an X5. The size of rims are, quite frankly, irrelevant when it comes to other's opinion on you (because having 18" won't stop them from noticing you in a new bimmer anyway). If you can afford it, get them and be happy. Forget about the rest.

it would be nice to not have others judge you on the rims you roll on but i realize it happens. Do what's right for you, and not for them.

You wanna talk BLING... my last truck a NAVIGATOR was bling to the max. It definitely got the looks with the 22"s, quad exhaust..billet grilles...(see for yourself). The BMW is more of a refined vehicle - it doesn't need the bling - probem is there are so many on the road that you just "blend" in... hence some of us are always looking at ways to make it stick out for a little desired attention! I'd say go for 20"s ... improves handling and makes it look a little sharper!

Out of curiosity, what kind of MPG did you get with the Navigator?

Not good....VERY lousy! I think (we're in canada) it's like 18 - 20Liters/100km .. funny thing was that going to the 22"s from stock 18"s actually improved it... not sure if it was due to the momentum of a heavier wheel.

PS - which explains why it has a 110 liter tank.... gas station on wheels! But you don't purchase that for mileage... its usually a trade off (I actually downsized from a 5.4L to a 4.8)...

I hear you. This is my Supercharged 6.0 with 24's, Full 3 1/2" stainless exhaust.

Don't you just love these BIG american muscle machines?

Supercharged? That bad boy must move?

But I take it that the X can still take it in a straight light?

0-60- 5.6 sec, 1/4 mile 103 MPH.

wow - impressive (although I guess the X is heavier as well....)

:iagree:

Here! Here! Well put! Want to stick to the road - put a set of those fatties on!

Until BMW makes some changes to the e70 between non-sport, sport the 20s are the way to go. With the e53 you could definitely tell a distinction between the 3.0, 4.4 non-sport and sport. But with the current e70 they all look the same.

While I've been VERY impressed with the handling and ride of the 18" winter wheels on my E70, I can't wait to put my 20" summer wheels back on the car! That's mostly for the look of it :thumbup:

The are way too many X5's out there with the standard 18" or 19" wheels. :(

Yeah , I got that, I have 17's for winter and 19's for summer.

My point is/was that I don't think that you will see any appreciable difference in handling between the 20's and 19's - how many of us are hitting the track or slalom every weekend.

...hence 20's are all show and no go

Don't think that the extra bling is worth the extra hassle of low(er) profile tires.

But hey its just my opinion, to each their own, its your ride and your wallet - do whatcha want. ;)

you will feel the difference between the 19 and the 20. I don't hit the track with my x5. But take a 35mph corner @55mph, you will feel the oem 20 Dunlop is a right choice. I slalom everyday with all the damn potholes around town:nanana:. The wider 315/35-20 rear tires will have a better traction then a 255/50-19 or 285/45-19. just my 2 cents;)