18" vs 19" wheels

Neve24 · 11-05-2009, 01:58 PM

I am having a hard time making a decision, please help with facts & differences.

19" will look better but I'm maily concerned about the following:

1. Greater tyre wear on 19"
2. Uncomfortable rigid ride
3. Car was not designed for 19", strain on suspension, etc.
4. Weight of bigger wheel, power loss (320i)

Please give me a point blank analysis.

2M · 11-05-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neve24

I am having a hard time making a decision, please help with facts & differences.

19" will look better but I'm maily concerned about the following:

1. Greater tyre wear on 19"
2. Uncomfortable rigid ride
3. Car was not designed for 19", strain on suspension, etc.
4. Weight of bigger wheel, power loss (320i)

Please give me a point blank analysis.

19's are too heavy for ur car imo ..it would slow it down...plus that 19's have a greater chance of being bend or cracked...id personally go with some wide 17's if i had a 320

Bols · 11-05-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neve24

I am having a hard time making a decision, please help with facts & differences.

19" will look better but I'm maily concerned about the following:

1. Greater tyre wear on 19"
2. Uncomfortable rigid ride
3. Car was not designed for 19", strain on suspension, etc.
4. Weight of bigger wheel, power loss (320i)

Please give me a point blank analysis.

1. Depends on what tires you are going for not sure how much rimsize contributes to that

2. I just switched from 17" runflats to 19" non runflats (dunlop sp sport maxx) and they feel almost completely the same in terms of rigid riding.

3. What do you mean not designed for it ? BMW produces 19" wheels aswell plus as long as the diameters are the same ..

4. You won't notice it. i have a 318d and it's 100% as fast as it was on the 17" RFTS. i'd even say i can start out of corners faster because of the extra grip my new tires have over the old ones.

MassBimmer · 11-05-2009, 03:18 PM

What you have to remember is that the weight you gain by going to 19" wheels will be lost by changing from run-flats to non-run flats...it'll basically be an even switch.

Tire wear should not differ dramatically between an 18" and 19" tire if maintained properly (tire pressure, rotating, etc..)

The ride quality should actually be a little better than what you're used to with run-flats, non-run flats tend to ride a lot smoother even with the heightened wheel diameter.

The main thing you want to consider is the quality of roads your driving on. If they have a lot of potholes or uneven surfaces, 18's would be better for you. However, if your roads are relatively smooth, 19's should be fine

skow · 11-05-2009, 07:38 PM

Not to thread hijack, but I'm contemplating the same dilemma.

As i see it, it's a slight cosmetic improvement, with a performance downside (#4). Are there any side by side pictures of the same car/wheels with just 18" vs 19", is it that noticeable?

Add to the above list:
5: Greater chance of damaging tires on potholes
6: Costs more for 19" tires

Mr&Mrs323i · 11-05-2009, 07:45 PM

I'm in the same dilemma as well.

Dirnegrey · 11-06-2009, 12:16 PM

I was in the same dilemma as well, but decided to get 19. and it works for me. I know like it'll affect performance, but it looks far better than 18 IMO.

D.yi · 11-06-2009, 12:23 PM

as far as chance of damaging a tire 18 vs 19 usually the wheel will be damage before the tire... tires can take a beating normally you will bend your 19's before the tire is damaged.

cost... well obviously a 19 is going to cost more and the tire mounted on the 19 will cost more...

i went from a 17in NRFT on my 330ci to a 19in NRFT and i could hardly notice any power loss... if you want all out performace get a super light and wide 17in... if you want better looks with minimal sacrifice get the 19 (and be careful of road conditions). if you want somewhere in the middle get the 18's.

just my .02

Bulldog 6 · 11-06-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neve24

I am having a hard time making a decision, please help with facts & differences.

19" will look better but I'm maily concerned about the following:

1. Greater tyre wear on 19"
2. Uncomfortable rigid ride
3. Car was not designed for 19", strain on suspension, etc.
4. Weight of bigger wheel, power loss (320i)

Please give me a point blank analysis.

1. My set up is staggered so I can't rotate the tires, my rears went out first so I replaced both, it didn't seem premature to me compared to any other tires.
2. The ride is 1000 times better than RFTs so I was happy.
3. Eibach coilovers about 6 months later no issue either way.
4. I found that I have to shift about 500 RPMs higher than with the 16s. After a couple of days I didn't even notice.

catch · 11-06-2009, 04:23 PM

my car came with 19s... Id say a set of 19s with regualr rubber prob weigh as much as 17s with runflats.
grabbing a set of lightweight 19s will solve your weight problem if thats really a concern

AW335iCoupe · 11-08-2009, 07:26 PM

19 inch in my opinion.

WakkaWakka · 11-09-2009, 08:58 PM

i've been going through the same.. leaning towards the 19 though..

HapaVibe · 11-09-2009, 11:29 PM

Take a look at my thread, http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320013 It points to a couple of good posts about rotational inertia and unsprung weight.

3sheets · 11-10-2009, 01:51 AM

Hello, I'm a fellow 320i owner.
I was in the same dilema. 18's or 19's? As you can see from the great looking cars on this forum, 19's do look the business. I went with 18's (Neez, very lightweight forged wheels) and I do appreciate the increase in performance.
I have a feeling that with the 2.0 litre engine, most 19" wheels will negatively affect performance.
However, I didn't do enough research when buying my wheels and my offset is not aggressive enough (18x8.5, offset 40). However, I have since realized that if you get the right 18" wheels with the right offset (staggered, of course), they can look almost as good as 19's. I would site the Advan RS wheels as a good example. I have seen these in the flesh, and they do look large for 18's, and they come with the right offsets. Hope this helps.

John_01 · 11-10-2009, 02:32 AM

If you live in a country with roads that are less than perfect, I think 19" wheels is a poor choice. 18" wheels are going to be more comfortable and offer better performance. The only reason to go for 19" is for looks.

We have a lot of rough roads in my city, so I am actually using 17" wheels with conventional non-RFT tyres at the moment. I also have a set of Advan RS in 18". Pics are here. I find the 17" wheels more comfortable on our roads, which I prefer driving on. However I think the Advans are better for looking at. Also they are lighther than my M-sport 164M 17" rims, which are 12.8kg(F) and 13.1kg(R).

I found it is true that you can save some weight when changing from RFT to Non-RFT. I think the difference is around 2kg or 4lb per wheel.

3sheets · 11-10-2009, 02:52 AM

Thanks for the perfect follow up to my post, John. Your car looks great. I'm thinking about 18" gunmetal advans for my next wheels.

11-05-2009, 01:58 PM	#1
Neve24 Enlisted Member 13 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 320i E90 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: South Africa, Durban iTrader: (0)	18" vs 19" wheels I am having a hard time making a decision, please help with facts & differences. 19" will look better but I'm maily concerned about the following: 1. Greater tyre wear on 19" 2. Uncomfortable rigid ride 3. Car was not designed for 19", strain on suspension, etc. 4. Weight of bigger wheel, power loss (320i) Please give me a point blank analysis.
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11-05-2009, 07:38 PM	#5
skow First Lieutenant 17 Rep 310 Posts Drives: 2016 F36 Gran Coupe xDrive Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon iTrader: (1)	Not to thread hijack, but I'm contemplating the same dilemma. As i see it, it's a slight cosmetic improvement, with a performance downside (#4). Are there any side by side pictures of the same car/wheels with just 18" vs 19", is it that noticeable? Add to the above list: 5: Greater chance of damaging tires on potholes 6: Costs more for 19" tires
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11-05-2009, 07:45 PM	#6
Mr&Mrs323i Lieutenant 20 Rep 555 Posts Drives: 2007 323i TiAg Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada iTrader: (1)	I'm in the same dilemma as well.
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11-06-2009, 12:16 PM	#7
Dirnegrey Colonel 113 Rep 2,015 Posts Drives: F30 320i Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Indonesia iTrader: (8)	I was in the same dilemma as well, but decided to get 19. and it works for me. I know like it'll affect performance, but it looks far better than 18 IMO.
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11-06-2009, 12:23 PM	#8
D.yi Major 52 Rep 1,216 Posts Drives: SB e92 335i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SEATTLE iTrader: (0)	as far as chance of damaging a tire 18 vs 19 usually the wheel will be damage before the tire... tires can take a beating normally you will bend your 19's before the tire is damaged. cost... well obviously a 19 is going to cost more and the tire mounted on the 19 will cost more... i went from a 17in NRFT on my 330ci to a 19in NRFT and i could hardly notice any power loss... if you want all out performace get a super light and wide 17in... if you want better looks with minimal sacrifice get the 19 (and be careful of road conditions). if you want somewhere in the middle get the 18's. just my .02
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11-05-2009, 03:18 PM	#4
MassBimmer Major General 309 Rep 7,433 Posts Drives: 2023 i4 M50 Join Date: May 2009 Location: MA iTrader: (6) Garage List 2009 BMW [9.24]	What you have to remember is that the weight you gain by going to 19" wheels will be lost by changing from run-flats to non-run flats...it'll basically be an even switch. Tire wear should not differ dramatically between an 18" and 19" tire if maintained properly (tire pressure, rotating, etc..) The ride quality should actually be a little better than what you're used to with run-flats, non-run flats tend to ride a lot smoother even with the heightened wheel diameter. The main thing you want to consider is the quality of roads your driving on. If they have a lot of potholes or uneven surfaces, 18's would be better for you. However, if your roads are relatively smooth, 19's should be fine
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11-06-2009, 04:23 PM	#10
catch Major General 669 Rep 7,148 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Thornhill iTrader: (27)	my car came with 19s... Id say a set of 19s with regualr rubber prob weigh as much as 17s with runflats. grabbing a set of lightweight 19s will solve your weight problem if thats really a concern __________________ 2016 F80 M3 Mineral White/Sakhir Orange 2013 BMW S1000RR Flat Silver <stolen> 2007 BMW E92 335i Jet Black/Jade Grey <sold>
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11-08-2009, 07:26 PM	#11
AW335iCoupe Banned 2 Rep 266 Posts Drives: AW 335i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North & South iTrader: (0)	19 inch in my opinion.
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11-09-2009, 08:58 PM	#12
WakkaWakka Enlisted Member 12 Rep 49 Posts Drives: e90/325i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: FL iTrader: (1)	i've been going through the same.. leaning towards the 19 though.. __________________ ::matte black grill . blacklines . rear spoiler . ACS pedals . ACS roof spoiler . HID fogs . smoked side markers::
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11-09-2009, 11:29 PM	#13
HapaVibe Private 2 Rep 76 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Seoul iTrader: (0)	Take a look at my thread, http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320013 It points to a couple of good posts about rotational inertia and unsprung weight.
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11-10-2009, 01:51 AM	#14
3sheets Private 2 Rep 76 Posts Drives: 320i Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Korea iTrader: (0)	Hello, I'm a fellow 320i owner. I was in the same dilema. 18's or 19's? As you can see from the great looking cars on this forum, 19's do look the business. I went with 18's (Neez, very lightweight forged wheels) and I do appreciate the increase in performance. I have a feeling that with the 2.0 litre engine, most 19" wheels will negatively affect performance. However, I didn't do enough research when buying my wheels and my offset is not aggressive enough (18x8.5, offset 40). However, I have since realized that if you get the right 18" wheels with the right offset (staggered, of course), they can look almost as good as 19's. I would site the Advan RS wheels as a good example. I have seen these in the flesh, and they do look large for 18's, and they come with the right offsets. Hope this helps. __________________ Yes, I'm that one guy that actually bought a sonora e90...
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11-10-2009, 02:32 AM	#15
John_01 Colonel 234 Rep 2,643 Posts Drives: E90 325i, E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia iTrader: (0)	If you live in a country with roads that are less than perfect, I think 19" wheels is a poor choice. 18" wheels are going to be more comfortable and offer better performance. The only reason to go for 19" is for looks. We have a lot of rough roads in my city, so I am actually using 17" wheels with conventional non-RFT tyres at the moment. I also have a set of Advan RS in 18". Pics are here. I find the 17" wheels more comfortable on our roads, which I prefer driving on. However I think the Advans are better for looking at. Also they are lighther than my M-sport 164M 17" rims, which are 12.8kg(F) and 13.1kg(R). I found it is true that you can save some weight when changing from RFT to Non-RFT. I think the difference is around 2kg or 4lb per wheel.
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11-10-2009, 02:52 AM	#16
3sheets Private 2 Rep 76 Posts Drives: 320i Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Korea iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the perfect follow up to my post, John. Your car looks great. I'm thinking about 18" gunmetal advans for my next wheels. __________________ Yes, I'm that one guy that actually bought a sonora e90...
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