Tire size recommendation for 2016 X6 XLine Staggered Wheels

[itzjoker]

Hello all,

Looking to get new set of tires for my 2016 X6 XLine Xdrive

The stock wheel specs are:
20x10 Front with 275/40/20
20x11 Rear with 315/35/20

I was NOT happy with the OEM runflat tires (Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT?) performance during the winters, got stuck way too often. For an AWD SUV, it was very embarrassing and disappointing. I forgot these are summer tires (stupid me) which don't help but the OEM 315 spec in the rear is not ideal for winter either.

I'm particularly looking for an All-Season size that handles well in snow/rain. Having a separate dedicated winter setup is out of the question since I don't have the space to store wheels.

Main problem is finding the right size combination within 1% circumference difference and within 3% of OEM circumference spec on staggered set. Been using willtheyfit to find combinations but I need some recommendations.

275/40/20 all around I'm afraid will have stretch look on the 11" rear and I would like more sidewall then the OEM spec.

Options:

1.)
275/45/20 all around

Like the higher sidewall, will lose approximately 0.55" arch gap, I'm afraid they might rub in the front, seems like I have 1" or so between the tire and arm. Might be okay but then 275 will be stretched in the rear.

2.)
275/45/20 Front
285/40/20 Rear -

Will have 1.18% circumference difference, is this tolerable for BMW XDrive? Afraid of messing up transfer case

3.)
275/45/20 Front
295/40/20 Rear

Will have 1.55% circumference difference

3.)
275/45/20 Front
305/40/20 Rear

0.47% circumference difference which is ideal, but then the rears are still wide for winter performance

4.)
265/45/20 Front
285/40/20 Rear
1.43% circumference difference, not much sidewall increase from OEM

5.)
255/45/20 Front
285/40/20 Rear

0.2% circumference difference, barely any sidewall increase from OEM

6.)
Stick to OEM size and forget about this headache.

Any recommendation is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

[lht5059]

Quick clarification: You are actually running 315/35/20 on the rears, not 315/30/20, right? Because the latter would put you at around a 4-5% difference...

Regardless, I would rather stick with 275/40/20 and 315/35/20. Even on the same winter tires, a staggered setup such as this will perform worse than one with less staggering (or preferably square), and going from RF to non-RF is night and day already... If you do a lot of snow driving, I think getting a set of used winter 611 is worth it; there are a few being posted in the non-classified section.

Or, you can always lift the car like this https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1820728

[RED_Y_]

Just go with VREDESTEIN Quatrac Pro with stock size 275/40/20 and 315/35/20. I have this set up and it is amazing.
You can search for reviews here. Very happy. Smooth ride, snow rated but all season (tested personally driving over Donner Summit in the middle of the snowstorm) and not that expensive.

[Qsilver7]

I’m with the others…if you’re going to stick with your existing wheels and go with an all season (or all climate) tire to run year round…I would stay with the recommended 20” tire sizes of 275/40/20 (f) & 315/35/20 (r). The winter performance of the Dunlops you have is purely that their rubber compound is not designed for cold temps below 45°F and snowy/icy/wet or dry roads.

If you use a site like www.Discounttire.com or www.TireRack.com…input your vehicle info a look at the listed brands available in those sizes and read the reviews and test results to select what is right for your driving conditions etc.

BTW, I’m approximately 3 hours northwest of you and run dedicated winter tires and the rears are 315/35/20. I normally minus size 1 or 2 sizes down…but when I got the f15…I couldn’t find a set of 19” or 18” wheels in time for winter…so I turned to the staggered 20” e53 X5 Style 87 wheels just sitting there in my shed. I felt that a 20” dedicated winter tire would probably be a big fail…but I went ahead anyway. Truth be told…I was pleasantly surprised.

I’ve always gotten Michelin winter tires over the last 20 years…starting with Michelin Alpins in 2003 to the 1st Michelin X-Ice to the latest xi3 versions….but Michelins were all out of stock when I got the f15. So I ended up going with Yokohama BluEarth winter tires. After seeing how wide the 315/40/20 rear tire was…I was still thinking winter was going to be rough going. But to my surprise…they performed very well. There was one large snowfall…where we got approx 15” in one day…that was the only time I could feel the rear wheels kinda sled a little in unplowed snow when turning through an intersection…but they still got me through with very little issue as the traction control systems kicked in to help with the fishtailing. Normally I never get traction control kicking in when its just snow…ice, yes…but snow no. But again, this only happened in this big snowfall and it was fresh and unplowed. The rest of the winter…there was no drama at all. The X5 feels like a billy-goat on the side of a mountain.

Pic below shows how wide the 315/35/20 rear Yoko BluEarths are that had me worried…but they performed well enough to give them a grade of “A”. If you go with a staggered 20” all season or all climate set up…they will probably perform better than the performance run flat Dunlop’s you have mounted:

[volc]

Go with 285/40/20 all around. In my country highways are not yet available for all directions and sometimes you need to drive regular roads with different state of asphalt. Run flats are terrible on such roads. I was first of all trying to stick to factory size, but not Run Flats. Unfortunately there are no BMW approved non Run Flats in such size, so I was struggling with X Drive issues. At the end I have chosen 4 the same 285 40 20 Michelin tires and I am finally happy. I have still minor problem that rear rims are too wide for 285, so I will have to buy an extra 2 front rims and with appropriate spacers put them at the rear.

[itzjoker]

Originally Posted by RED_Y_

Just go with VREDESTEIN Quatrac Pro with stock size 275/40/20 and 315/35/20. I have this set up and it is amazing.
You can search for reviews here. Very happy. Smooth ride, snow rated but all season (tested personally driving over Donner Summit in the middle of the snowstorm) and not that expensive.

Quatrac Pro were gonna be my #1 choice!

I ended up ordering Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra in OEM tire specs since I couldn't find anything that would arrive sooner. It was a tough choice between the Alenza and Yokohama Geolandar X-CV in 265/45/20F 295/40/20R.

[bmwx5er]

Vredestein quatrac pro, Continental dws06+, Michelin PS4 AS - you can't go wrong with any of these mild-moderate winters.