X5 M Sport Winter Wheel/Tire Set UP

[SUV55]

I may end up going 20s for my M Sport after all. They look very nice with a Space Gray M Sport. Kind of hard to resist since I am getting DHP and at only a $950 upgrade cost from 19's. I will take the RFs off immediately and get Conti DSW non-RFs. Thinking I will use the 20s until December, but then I will need a winter set up.

I am considering 19s, but the 467s are expensive. The 18s are cheaper and if they fit they will look soooo anemic on an M Sport. Are there any 19" rims that look good and are modestly priced? It would be diificult being on 20's 7 months a year then having to transition to 18's (if they fit, which seems that they may).


What set up of wheels and tires do you all recommend? A high performance V rated 18" or 19" rims and tire or a softer rubber (but with worse handling) true winter tire?

Or I could scrub the whole idea and just go 19" all seasons.

Thoughts and advice appreciated on which wheels and tires to purchase.

Thanks!

[Haris]

Why get all-season conti's for your 20s when you are going to buy a dedicated winter set?

[SUV55]

The reason for going all season non-RFs: I want them to last considerably longer, inclement weather capability during overlapping seasons, less noisy and better ride quality.

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by SUV55

I may end up going 20s for my M Sport after all. They look very nice with a Space Gray M Sport. Kind of hard to resist since I am getting DHP and at only a $950 upgrade cost from 19's. I will take the RFs off immediately and get Conti DSW non-RFs. Thinking I will use the 20s until December, but then I will need a winter set up.

Debating between 19s (but the 467s are expensive). The 18s are cheaper and if they fit they will look soooo anemic on an M Sport. Are there any 19" rims that look good and are modestly priced? It would be diificult being on 20's 7 months a year then having to transition to 18's (if they fit, which seems that they may).


What set up of wheels and tires do you all recommend? A high performance V rated 18" or 19" rims and tire or a softer rubber (but with worse handling) true winter tire?

Or I could scrub the whole idea and just go 19" all seasons.

Thoughts and advice appreciated on which wheels and tires to purchase.

Thanks!

I recommend 18" (for their higher sidewalls) first, or 19" with Nokian Hakkapeliita 8 (studded) or 2 (stud less). They are phenomenal tires that have never let me down in the Sierras. And, many sizes of both models come in run-flat!

WRT wheels, I recommend used: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...temCondition=4 as ice/mud/snow is not kind to rims anyway. You may need to invest $250 in TPMS if the wheels don't have them.

[SUV55]

How do the Nokians handle? Are the side walls soft so the vehicle feels squirrelly?
Are they loud? I find excessive tire noise extrmely annoying. I hope the 20 DSW are not loud.

Thanks

[opasha]

Originally Posted by SUV55

How do the Nokians handle? Are the side walls soft so the vehicle feels squirrelly?
Are they loud? I find excessive tire noise extrmely annoying. I hope the 20 DSW are not loud.

Thanks

Matt is spot on. PM @Nightcreature. He had them with 22" for his winter setup and said they handled beautifully. http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=923595

[MattBianco]

I had studded Hakkapeliita 8. They were noticeably louder. But much quieter than you would expect from studded as they have retracting studs (at least that is what the video shows....I would never know driving them). I had them in deep snow, ice in parking lots, slush....and never felt that the car (R Class is almost 17" long) would misbehave. The ride was firm, which I would take to mean fairly rigid sidewalls. I bet the Hakkapeliita 2 is more comfy, and quieter if you don't need studs. That they are run flats makes them suitable for X5, though I believe there is Pirelli run flat out there as well that is highly regarded.

[SUV55]

Thanks for the posts and links. Matt, the Nokians you recommend are the Hakkapeliita R2 right? are they a performance snow tire or a soft rubber snow tire? Do you know the speed rating?

I dont know much about Nokian tires. They are availavle in the BMW oem wheel size 255/50 19. The 19" wheel/tire size has fewer options than 18".


19" Size:
Nokian R2 (SUV?) (Speed rating ?????)
Yokohama Ice Guuard (Speed T rated)
Bridgestone Blizzaks (Speed V rated)
Pirelli Scorpion Winter (Speed V rated)
Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow. (Speed V rated)
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3d (Speed H rated)

I want a winter tire that has good handling and is quiet, but is good on snow and ice when it does snow. I dont want it to be too painful when the roads are clear. A much higher % will be driven on Plowed to pavement roads but occasional large storms and trave to the mountains.

18's it seems are not the recommended wheel size for M Sport. I will certainly take a large hit on looks and handling if I went 18's.

Thoughts?

[MattBianco]

@SUV55 Yes the R2 is correct for stud less. If your conditions are really tough though (sloped and slippery), and your local laws permit it, go with 8 which are studded. It gives you a lot more security, though you sacrifice performance.

I don't think there is a tire that can give you everything, so it has to be a matter of which trade-offs you can live with. Winter tires perform very poorly when it gets warmer for instance (quick wear) as they are designed to be grippy when cold. As of now 18" is the only one available in run flat, and while it does not provide the optimum look, it does provide the optimum performance for snow.

Nokian (Nokia) has several lines of all season and snow tires. More deets on the R2: http://www.nokiantires.com/winter-ti...kapeliitta-r2/

Before you embark consider how you weigh these opposing characteristics: noise vs. stud security; softness and grip vs performance on dry surface; good winter wear vs. poor warm temp wear; Aggressive tread with numerous thin lines to avoid snow filled grooves, vs. MPG impact and noise.


Sizes for R2

18"
225/40 R 18 92 R XL
225/45 R 18 95 R XL
235/40 R 18 95 R XL
235/45 R 18 98 R XL
235/50 R 18 101 R XL
245/40 R 18 97 R XL
245/45 R 18 100 R XL
245/45 R 18 100 R XL Flat Run
245/50 R 18 100 R Flat Run
245/50 R 18 104 R XL
255/45 R 18 103 R XL

19"
155/70 R 19 84 Q
225/45 R 19 96 R XL
245/40 R 19 98 R XL
245/45 R 19 102 R XL
255/35 R 19 96 R XL
255/40 R 19 100 R XL

20"
255/35 R 20 97 R XL
285/30 R 20 99 R XL

Sizes for 8

18"
215/45 R 18 93 T XL
225/40 R 18 92 T XL
225/45 R 18 95 T XL
235/40 R 18 95 T XL
235/45 R 18 98 T XL
235/50 R 18 101 T XL
245/40 R 18 97 T XL
245/45 R 18 100 T XL
245/45 R 18 100 T XL Flat Run
245/50 R 18 100 T Flat Run
245/50 R 18 104 T XL
255/45 R 18 103 T XL

19"
225/45 R 19 96 T XL
235/40 R 19 96 H XL
235/45 R 19 99 T XL
245/40 R 19 98 T XL
245/45 R 19 102 T XL
255/35 R 19 96 H XL
255/40 R 19 100 T XL
255/45 R 19 104 H XL
285/35 R 19 103 H XL
285/40 R 19 107 H XL
295/35 R 19 104 H XL

20"
245/35 R 20 95 T XL
255/35 R 20 97 T XL
285/30 R 20 99 T XL

[SUV55]

Thanks. I will go with non-RFs winter tires as I have purchased the space saver spare. New England has such variations: snow covered roads, down to pavement, ice, rain, heavy snow, very cold, thaws in the upper 40s or weeks with no snow. So a well balanced winter tire would be best. Not an easy answer.

I am not seeing R2 in the size 255/50 20, which is the BMW 19" wheel size. I thought I saw that size on the Nokian web site?

http://tires.about.com/od/buyers_gui...s-For-2013.htm

[mrwilby]

Nokian tires are some of the best, if not the best, winter tires you can buy. I've lived in Finland where the winters are long and there is snow on the ground for months (potentially, if not actually) and Nokians are the only tire I would put on our vehicles. If you search the boards, people that have them universally sing their praises.

[SUV55]

I wonder how the Nokian WRG2 would perform in extreme winter conditions? Would I be gettting 90% of the R2 SUV winter performance but in a quiter and a bit more universal tire?

[opasha]

Anyone know where I can find 22" Nokian tires for a good price in the states? It seems like the R2 would be the best for me, no? Any advice or help is appreciated. I want to have a 22" snow tire as a back up just in case my All-Seasons can't cut it in Chicago. I looked up @Nightcreature's a while back, but could not find anything on them in the US.

This is all I could find:

http://www.wheelcountrytire.net/Noki...=Nokian&pos=18

http://www.yatesexpresslube.com/noki...ductid=7670508

[mrwilby]

I've had no luck finding a good source here either. They seem more popular in Canada (naturally). If you find a good place, please do post back here

[opasha]

My cousin's husband has a wholesale tire business. I'll ask him about it.

[stewy604]

I just ordered my Pirelli Scorpion Snow & Ice (staggered 20's) from my local dealer. Since I got a $500 P&S credit with my F15, I figured I would utilize that. Out the door after taxes it was $1,526...not a bad deal IMO for tires of this size.

[ramsal]

Originally Posted by stewy604

I just ordered my Pirelli Scorpion Snow & Ice (staggered 20's) from my local dealer. Since I got a $500 P&S credit with my F15, I figured I would utilize that. Out the door after taxes it was $1,526...not a bad deal IMO for tires of this size.

I run the same winter tires although in a non-staggered 18" setup and they were great. Had the car up to Hemlock Mtn. pushing through 8" of snow and had no issues up or down whatsoever. Good tires for this part of the country.

Do you have dedicated winter rims??

[ramsal]

Originally Posted by SUV55

Thanks for the posts and links. Matt, the Nokians you recommend are the Hakkapeliita R2 right? are they a performance snow tire or a soft rubber snow tire? Do you know the speed rating?

I dont know much about Nokian tires. They are availavle in the BMW oem wheel size 255/50 19. The 19" wheel/tire size has fewer options than 18".


19" Size:
Nokian R2 (SUV?) (Speed rating ?????)
Yokohama Ice Guuard (Speed T rated)
Bridgestone Blizzaks (Speed V rated)
Pirelli Scorpion Winter (Speed V rated)
Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow. (Speed V rated)
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3d (Speed H rated)

I want a winter tire that has good handling and is quiet, but is good on snow and ice when it spdoes snow. I dont want it to be too painful when the roads are clear. A much higher % will be driven on Plowed to pavement roads but occasional large storms and trave to the mountains.

18's it seems are not the recommended wheel size for M Sport. I will certainly take a large hit on looks and handling if I went 18's.

Thoughts?

I run the 18" non-staggered for my winter setup on my M sport and aside them no looking as well as the summer wheels they handle great in the rain and snow. My tire shop recommended going down to 18s for winter.

[Iron_Chef]

I am sorry if this has been discussed in length. I still have a set of 18s in the garage from my 2011. Do I have to switch the TPMS sensors?
I do understand that the wheels will fit, not sure about TMPS sensors.

[opasha]

Originally Posted by Iron_Chef

I am sorry if this has been discussed in length. I still have a set of 18s in the garage from my 2011. Do I have to switch the TPMS sensors?
I do understand that the wheels will fit, not sure about TMPS sensors.

I believe you have to use your original F15 TPM sensors that are currently on your wheels because I don't think the 2011 ones are compatible, but I could be wrong. @r33 would know best.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by SUV55

The reason for going all season non-RFs: I want them to last considerably longer, inclement weather capability during overlapping seasons, less noisy and better ride quality.

Smart.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by opasha

Anyone know where I can find 22" Nokian tires for a good price in the states? It seems like the R2 would be the best for me, no? Any advice or help is appreciated. I want to have a 22" snow tire as a back up just in case my All-Seasons can't cut it in Chicago. I looked up @Nightcreature's a while back, but could not find anything on them in the US.

This is all I could find:

http://www.wheelcountrytire.net/Noki...=Nokian&pos=18

http://www.yatesexpresslube.com/noki...ductid=7670508

Reach out to Nokian- they're really responsive. They'll send you the name of a local dealer.