20" 214's in the rain
 

I know there have been many posts about the E70 with the 214 20"s not being suitable for snow/ice/cold temps. I have already resigned myself to the fact that if I go with the 20"s I will need a set of winter rims/tires.

What I haven't been able to ascertain is how the 20"s will handle in heavy rain during warmer weather. I am sure they will be "fine", but can those with experience tell me how they handle relative to all-season tires in rain. Are they more susceptible to losing traction? Are they actually better is these conditions?

Also. I know that the 20"s are going to be much more susceptible to tire/rim/suspension damage, but I have only seen one or two posts that talk about serious damage (flat or cracked rims) on the 214's after hitting potholes. The highways/roads are pretty crappy here in downtown Chicago. I know there are a lot of posters from Chicago/NYC/Boston etc. Given the low frequency of posts concerning wheel damage, is it fair to say that this is mostly a non-issue unless you repeatedly hit deep potholes at 70+ MPH? :dunno:

Thanks.

yes, it's not made of hot cakes so don't worry about it too much. It should actually be stronger than some of the non-alloy wheels that a lot of cheaper cars have on today.

summer tires are designed to be better than all season tires in preventing hydroplaning. they are not just racing/track tires.

A freak severe thunderstorm hit us while going west on I-40 in east Arkansas earlier this week. Some pulled over, all were flashing their emergency lights.

I am running 20" OEMS and had no problem with traction during this storm and the ponding on the road was significant.

HMM...Surprisingly little chatter on this thread.

I know lots (dare I say most) of you have the 20"s. I hope this wasn't considered a stupid question. I have never owned a car with performance tires. I just want to make sure I won't be hydroplaning at moderate speeds (less than 65 mph) in heavy rain (i.e. significantly more so than I would be on a mid-size non luxury sedan). I will have a pregnant wife in the car with me and just want to make sure there will be no unexpected surprises.

I do know that in general low profile tires are more susceptible to planing...but don't what this means practically for a new E70 with 20s and OEM tires.

Thanks again...

Hi Loki, have 21" on 215s and no problem in thunderstorms, it actually feels pretty stuck to the tar. However you will be needing an alternate winter set up.

Cheers,

I have 20's on the X5 but only 300 miles on the car. I have had OEM 20's on my Rover since new and drive right into snow all winter with no problems. :)

Just to add,

I admit that got the 20"s for the pimpin look :) but the second reason that really made me shell-out the dough (and willingly buy the winter tires package to have them) was that the 20" configuration actually give more footprint (wider contact patch between the car and the road). The wider rear tires not only look good but increases the foothold significant compared to the 19" or the 18" setup, making it safer by giving more grip. and that really sold me on the 20"s.

I wish you all the best.

Summer performance tires are designed with exceptional wet grip in mind, and will definately out-perform an all-season tire in this respect. The only thing you need to keep in mind is, as mentioned above, hydroplaning. It is the wiiiide footprint that increases the chances of hydroplaning, especially as the tires wear down. Otherwise, performance tires can channel more water out of the treads then typical all-seasons. In general, be aware of large pools of standing water at highway speeds and you'll do fine.

i just drove my new (3.7 miles at purchase this very afternoon) 4.8 with 214s home from lincoln, neb (180 miles away) and spent half of the trip in a storm so strong that cars were stopping on the side of the road and water had to be pooling up to 3" in low spots. even with the release agent still on the tread i didnt have any lack of grip or hydroplaning. speeds were from 60 to 75 mph during that time. visibility was the limiting factor. i was very impressed. more sure footed in that situation than my 2001 3.0is was with 19" diamaris.

I ran the 20" wheels from the 4.8is on my E53 for 3 Reno/Tahoe winters with no problems and I'm planning on using the same wheel/tire size on the E70.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:
I ran summer performance tires on all my cars (and winter tires for winter season) and can confirm the above 100%.
Given the weight of the X5, even the 20'' shouldn't be problematic - as it was confirmed by the other posts.
Go for them - but of course even the best tires can't help when you don't drive safe and according to the given weather situations.

On the issue of wheel damage... I've had to have (17")wheels straightened twice in the last 18 mos on my 330xi thanks to Boston roads. I don't know how the 20s would stack up on the X5.

20" 214 = disaster waiting to happen.
Forget about BMW goodwill. 750+ to replace per rim.
My advice buy a q7 or consider non run flats and a set of "19'rims.

Agreed. also, wide tire and speed are the two biggest reasons for hydroplaning. Next would be tread depth. All-season are good all around tires but not great at anything. I run a summer and winter. Best of both worlds. But neither will work well if they are well worn.

M

Tire tread design is a big factor IMHO as well as age. The Goodyear F1 were exceptionally good in the wet. I had them on an '02 M5. I did an autocross at the BMW PC and was impressed with their dry handling. On the way home I encountered 90 miles of torrential rain. I was in the left lane running 50-55 mph the whole way home. Everyone else was running 40 or less or pulled over. I never once had any hydroplaning what so ever. I then did a track event with those tires and had a session in hard rain. They had incredible grip. I was taking corners 20mph faster than any Mustang or Vette. Only once did the DSC ever come on and that's because I took a corner wide and hit the slick gator at corner exit.

Everything else being equal, you'll get more better all-round performance in extreme conditions (heavy rain, mud, sand, snow) with a narrower, taller-profiled tyre (on a smaller wheel) than with a lower-profiled, wider tyre (on a bigger wheel). In ideal conditions (ie dry, smooth, sealed road) the opposite is more likely to be true.

It is a common misconception that all season tires are any better in rain than summer high performance. The all season is built to perform in all conditions including lower temps and some snow, but this makes it not great in any condition. In fact good summer tires will be at least as good if not better in rain water than all seasons!

Absolutely no issues so far in heavy rain. As for the winter, just get some good snow tires. Like you, I also thought that the 20's would be bad for the snow season. This is not the case. I've driven through snow and ice and have had no surprises. I live in a mountainous area of switzerland with very twisty roads. Couldn't be happier with the X5's performance.

Cheers,