There are additional risks with spacers, because you are loading the wheel bearings, hubs, and wheel bolts beyond what they were designed for. If they are well-made hub-centric spacers, with appropriate wheel bolts, you can mitigate some of those risks, but you won't change the fact that you are loading up the wheel bearings.

Spacers have their supporters, and that is fine. Others won't ever use them, choosing function over appearance. Your call.

Edit: Some more reading for you. See the link I provided in post #7 on this thread: http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...l-spacers.html

So the 18's are not chosen for the width advantage(because they are the exact same width) o but the availability of different brands and the price of the 18's over the 19's....... Ok make much more sense to me now...... I should have interjected earlier about the same tire width... I guess that is why I was confused..... I

Its already been down to 2C here in Scotland this autumn.

I am currently on 214's also, and don't feel like buying more wheels. What width and aspect ratio will you end up running for the winter set-up? I see that the pirelli's range from a width of 245-295. What is the recommend width for our wheels?

Adding fuel to the fire:

If you are riding on 214's, Tire Rack shows the Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow RFT available for $1,400/set. Add in $400/year ($200 per tire change) for mounting and balancing. So total cost over 3 winters of $2,600.

OR you could get Pirelli Scorpion RFT's on 18" Moda EB1 wheels, mounted and balanced for $1,500/set. Never have to break down those 214's unless / until you wear out your summer tires. Do the changeover yourself in your own garage, during halftime of a football game. Better resistance to pothole damage, arguably better traction in snow and ice, total cost over 3 winters of $1,550.

And at the end of 3 winters you can probably sell the rims for $50 to $75 each. What's not to like?

Thanks, but those prices do not apply in Switzerland. The mounting and balancing costs aren't a concern, thanks to contacts at the dealership that will hook it up. I do believe you are right that the 18''s would give better traction, but again, I don't want more wheels. I've still got like 8 wheels and tires from the M3 laying around. Essentially, I'd like to know what size most folks on 20''s end up using for the winter. Can the 11'' rear fit on a 275 tire? or would one have to step up to a 295 for the rears? Thanks.

Where can someone find these wheels? TIA!!

I'll keep the 215's on for the winter :D

Tire Rack

You have to be careful. If you reduce the width of the rear tire you have to adjust the front as you go. Its a 4 wheel drive so all wheels should have the same diameter.