Ordering 2015 X5. 19" vs 20" rims ride quality

[BimmerGuyFL78]

So I am about to place an order for a 2015 BMW X5 sDrive35i luxury line. I am not sure what rim size I should settle on. I am also ordering the X5 with the Dynamic Damper Control option which will help a lot with the ride quality of the vehicle.

My concern is how different the ride quality will be between the 19" vs the 20" rims. Can anyone chime in and give me your opinion for those of you who have the 19" rims and or the 20" rims. Also, please take in consideration that it will not have the standard passive suspension as I am ordering the Dynamic Damper Control option.

Thanks in advance.

[GTAbimmerowner]

The ride quality between 19s and 20s is negligible. I test drove both several times and found the 20s felt just a little more firm, but never harsh. I think you'd have to get into 21s or 22s before the firmness might turn to harsh, particularly if you stuck with the run flats.

In the end I opted for the 20s with 469 rims. The ride felt sportier and it felt as though I had better control of the vehicle and better cornering abilities with the 20s....the latter might just be in my head but that's what I felt. The icing on the cake is that the 20s look significantly better than the 19s. I've got 19s for the winter and while they handle the ice and snow extremely well I can't wait to get the 20s back on.

I can't speak to dynamic damper control as neither the vehicles I tested nor the one I now own had that option. I test drove vehicles with and without the m sport package that had 19s and 20s. I opted for the m sport for looks and the firm ride.

[Barbja]

I've had 19" twice and 20" once all with the equivalent of DHP. Personally, I can't tell much difference between the 19s and 20s. I haven't noticed a handling difference at all. I do seem to get more road noise with the 20s, but only on certain roads. I've only had the 20s for a couple of weeks now though.

I got 20s because I like the look of the 20s better. I've spent 4y with wheel envy and I didn't want to do it any longer!

[turbotoy4me]

I have 20's for my summer set up and 19's for the winter. The only real difference for me is that the handling is a little better with my 20's because the are higher performance tires. Aesthetically I prefer the look of 20's or greater on the X5.

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by turbotoy4me

I have 20's for my summer set up and 19's for the winter. The only real difference for me is that the handling is a little better with my 20's because the are higher performance tires. Aesthetically I prefer the look of 20's or greater on the X5.

@turbotoy4me +1 correct on all counts!

PS Does anyone know why the'@name' has stopped working

[sssmokie]

I also have 20s for summer and 19s for winter and even though i only did 100km before switching to the latter, i can tell you that the 19ths are definitely quieter and ride better.
Of course, the ride might be due to the tire itself - one is a summer tire and the other is a proper winter tire, which in general should be softer.
As for the noise, the 20s are wider and i guess its normal that they are louder.

Cant say anything about handling, as i am still in break in period and, as noted before, have done only 100km with summers.

[Taran.J]

I stuck with the 19s. Just because I can wrap them in winter tires after I use up the stock tires in 10 months time. So after next winter I can toss in a summer set of 22's

[kanvas]

Interesting to hear that the difference between 19s and 20s is "negligible." I have the standard M-sport 19s and while ride quality is quite comfortable, cornering could be a tad bit better. And, aesthetically speaking, 19s don't make sense on an X5 :P

Thinking of either switching to M-sport 20s or 599m 21s (599m looks the nicest IMO but concerned about a harsh ride quality).

Opinions?

[troymi]

Originally Posted by kanvas

Interesting to hear that the difference between 19s and 20s is "negligible." I have the standard M-sport 19s and while ride quality is quite comfortable, cornering could be a tad bit better. And, aesthetically speaking, 19s don't make sense on an X5 :P

Thinking of either switching to M-sport 20s or 599m 21s (599m looks the nicest IMO but concerned about a harsh ride quality).

Opinions?

I have an e70, but having driven an f15 for a week with the 18" standard wheels I will say that the bigger wheels improve the drive/ride. The 20s with runflats are ok but with non-runflats the ride is much less harsh. Maybe not as crisp turn in but still acceptable.

As for the 599M wheels, I just got a set with the Pirelli runflats. I haven't mounted them yet, but I got a set of the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport (NON RUNFLAT) tires that are going to be on the new X5M/X6M. I am hoping that the combination of the 21" with non-runflat tires will be just that much better than the experience I had on the 20" set. Time will tell, but BMW must recognize that the runflats were a little too harsh on 21" wheels now that this new tire ditches the runflat.

[Carmo99]

I moved from 19" in an E70 to 20" in the F15. Ride is great and I guess even 21" would be fine. I have 19" for winter wheels only to give better snow grip.