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      11-25-2015, 10:50 PM   #1
hawkerdriver
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20" wheels vs 21"

I'm about to order a new F85.

The only option I'm having some thoughts about is the 21" vs 20" wheels.

I know it will be easier to install some all seasons on the 20" and encounter the occasional trip to the mountains "Tahoe most likely".

I honestly won't be driving in the snow very often as I'm in California, but I wonder if it's a better cost perspective to go with 20 or 21" wheels.

Any of you regret getting the 21" or the 20" wheels and why?

Appreciate your input!
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      11-25-2015, 11:47 PM   #2
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My 2016 has 21", from what I have experienced, it rides harder than my old Porsche Macan Turbo, but not by much. And I have tire and wheel insurance so I am not too worried about destroying them. I live in Delaware so winter tire is required. Maybe another set of 20".
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      11-26-2015, 06:53 AM   #3
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20s will be cheaper of course, and the ride a bit cushier. But I think you can get the conti dws in 21" size so that wouldn't be a problem if you went that way.

I ordered 21s but took delivery with the winter 20s, so I am looking forward to experiencing the difference for myself in the spring. Particularly the difference in road noise between winter and summer tires...
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      11-26-2015, 08:17 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hawkerdriver View Post
I'm about to order a new F85.

The only option I'm having some thoughts about is the 21" vs 20" wheels.

I know it will be easier to install some all seasons on the 20" and encounter the occasional trip to the mountains "Tahoe most likely".

I honestly won't be driving in the snow very often as I'm in California, but I wonder if it's a better cost perspective to go with 20 or 21" wheels.

Any of you regret getting the 21" or the 20" wheels and why?

Appreciate your input!
I had the same thoughts four months ago when I ordered. I chose the 21s. Here's my analysis:

I currently live in a location where there is a chance for two light snows a year. I do not need a full winter set up; all seasons would be sufficient. I understood that the 21s came with summer performance tires. At the time of my ordering, there were no winter or all season tire options for the 21" wheel.

I started thinking that I would get a winter setup like tastelid et al. I was considering a 20" wheel with all seasons like jnosol. But then I didn't feel the 20" options matched the sporty nature of the car. I have since jumped and am looking at 22" wheel options, which surprisingly have more all season and winter tire options.

Given that over 95% of my driving was going to be in weather that would not require a winter tire, I opted for the 21s. I take delivery of my car in a week.

Since ordering, there has been an all season option added for the 21": I believe there is an all season RFT. I don't know if anyone is using it or what their impressions are of it. I would like to know if anyone is thinking of using that.

(FWIW, I lived in Santa Monica previously and if I were still there, I would not even consider the 20" option.)
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      11-26-2015, 09:04 AM   #5
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If I still lived in California I would definitely just run summers all year, or all season if I thought I would hit tahoe in winter...
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      11-26-2015, 10:01 AM   #6
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Just for the looks I vote 21"

Summer tires on the 21" are really bad on snow , event on hail !
Yesterday after a hailstone , I stopped in a steep road and the four tires where spinning on the spot ...
Well , I knew those tires wouldn't be good on snow ... but I didn't expect them to be that bad on hail !
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      11-26-2015, 11:02 AM   #7
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Since you live in L.A., you don't need to worry about a winter setup. In that case, go with 21s.

If you lived in a colder climate, I would suggest getting a set of 20s for winter OEM then buy a set of forged 22s for the summer. I have 20s for my winter setup, it rides so much better.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.
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      11-26-2015, 06:04 PM   #8
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Thanks for all your input.

Yes, I'm going with the 21" wheels and that add trip up in the mountains I'll just get some all seasons, or just rent a truck
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      11-26-2015, 06:33 PM   #9
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I had both the factory 20 and 21 wheels on my F85. I didn't notice a difference in ride quality. I loved the look of the 20s but I'm very happy with the 21s.
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      11-26-2015, 06:35 PM   #10
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As others have mentioned, the 21's are absolutely awesome looking and during the summer or should I say warmer months driving the X5M with the 21's is literally like driving a go-cart. I'm constantly amazed at the performance and flat handling with the X5M. It will truly exceed your driving expectations. I've had many an 'M-Sport' but this is my first true 'M' car and I always wanted an X5M and am not disappointed in any respect.

The ride is a tad rougher than with the 20's but not horrible or outside of what you would expect for an ultimate performance vehicle like this and I live in the Chicago area where our roads are far from perfect.

Personally I'm in a bit of a dilemma now. We just had a somewhat out of season (early) HUGE 20"+ snowfall. With that said I didn't drive the X5M at all and as I type this today it's 60F outside (Chicago weather).

As others have mentioned, the factory performance tires are NOT for winter or even cold road driving (hence the obvious 'Max Performance Summer Tires'). Taking the X5M out over the past few days with the roads cold but clear of ice and snow, you can easily spin the tires without much effort at all from even a rolling start and not all that much throttle.

Where I'm going with this is that we are currently looking to move down to Florida (health issues) so I don't know if I want to spend ~$4K on the winter X5M setup.

Especially given that I have a Ford SVT Raptor that I can drive when the weather isn't great.

Truthfully though, the 21's are the way to go and if you live in an area that gets snow, especially snow like we get here in Chicago, you'll want to just bite the bullet and get a set of the winter X5M wheels and tires or even better do like JNoSol has done and go with some really nice wheels like he has and some DWS06 all season tires in the 275/315 setup configuration.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I truly hope that everyone is having a great holiday and please stay safe and in good health.
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      12-01-2015, 01:29 PM   #11
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21 Michelin pilot super sport is actually cheaper than 20 pirelli p zero , and i don't think there js any other tire option for 20 except p zero on tirerack.
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      12-01-2015, 02:17 PM   #12
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I ordered my x6m with the 21" option and just changed for 20" winter set last week.

Having driven on both sizes here are some of my thoughts:

- The original tires are useless bellow +5 degrees Celsius so even if you are not required to change to winter tires by law you should really consider it

- I personally love the look of 21" and am even looking for some 22" options for next summer, however the ride is considerably more comfortable on the 20"

- Handling wise I don't feel much difference between the 20" and the 21" as the car is just as planted as always

- If you personally don't see much difference in the looks or just don't care about it that much then I think you should go for the 20" as the car will be softer. Then again depends on the roads in your area. I live in a country with very bad roads so I really appreciate the added comfort of the 20" winter set.

IMO I got a really nice winter set, and the comfort improvement is good, however, having had them for a week I already can't wait for the summer to be able to return to the 21" as I think that 20" just looks to small for such a big car

It all comes down to which one do you prefer - looks or comfort. The tradeoffs are quite apparent and noticeable so good luck in your choice
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      12-08-2015, 10:05 AM   #13
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I ordered a X5M with the 21's. The dealer tells me that they are on backorder and the BMW system will only allow builds with the 20". Has anyone else found this to be the case?
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      12-08-2015, 10:19 AM   #14
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I have driven both 20 and 21 and there is a noticeable difference in ride quality. The 21 look much better and fill in the wheel gaps. I did not order my car and with the color options I ended up with 20's. The chassis is pretty stiff already and if you are looking for a more Cush ride 20 is the way to go. I don't care about that so I have a set of 22's being made right now. With that intention I felt having a set of 20's at home would be more practical for winter and snow use if need be
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      12-08-2015, 10:39 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JC8233 View Post
I ordered a X5M with the 21's. The dealer tells me that they are on backorder and the BMW system will only allow builds with the 20". Has anyone else found this to be the case?
I heard there was quality issue with the 21s, cracking was reported. So it's not surprising that they only offer 20s.
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