18" wheels

[dpnguyen]

Anyone have 18" rims on their 3-series? If so, did it affect the driveability any? I have the Sports package which came with 17" wheels and sport-tuned suspension so I don't think 18's would make much of a difference from the status quo.

Also, any pictures out there with 18's? If so, please post. Do you guys think 18's would be too "pimping?"

The styles run the gamut so I wanted to be educated before I make my decision to go with 17's or 18's. BTW, my OEM 17" rims are being matched with snow tires for winter use. I'm looking for the new tire/wheel combo for summer use only.

 

[olcrazy1]

in my opionion, I would stick with 17's.
With the bigger wheel you most likely have a smaller profile tire, then a greater chance of bending the wheels or blowing out a tire with every chuck whole. The 18" tire are more expensive, etc...

Again just my opionion, I don;t think it will change performance much, if at all.
If anythign it will probubly give a less smoth ride, you will feel the bumps and hear more noise.

 

[archang3l378]

Generally, larger rims makes for a bumpier ride, The 3 series with the sports package already offer a stiff ride as it is with the 17" rims. With larger rims, you have to take into consideration potholes, and the weather conditions that you'll be driving in. Last thing that you want after you get your rims, is to dent it on a pot hole. Don't know what the weather is like in colorado, but for the summer time, ie no snow, you'd be ok with the 18's.

Someone please verify this for me, but I heard that larger rims also affect the the overall handling and acceleration of the car.

My .005 cents.

 

[AWD330XI]

Larger wheels will make your car slower...

 

[longshanks]

i think it all depends on your preferences. I am a 25 yr old male and dont want a soft ride. i want pure performance and am willing to sacrifice the ride. I am not sure how much it is actually sacrificing either.

 

[bmwrocks]

Is there also a speedo or odometer calibration that will be off? It seems as if the entire drivetrain will be moving less at a given speed with the 18's vs. the 17's.......or am I hallucinating again?

 

[archang3l378]

I think the speed sensors have to be recalibrated to give out the correct speed and what not.

As far as pure performance, you actually get less performance with bigger wheels. The bigger rims has a larger rotational inertia, regardless of weight. Weight's also another thing you have to take into consideration. If you watch the setup for the 320i's that they race, those tires are only like 15" and the car is lowered.

Want the car for show, put the larger wheels on, want performance, stick to 17 or 16. IMO.

 

[Abdoman]

there's a good article in Motor Trend - Basicly they said 18s are the best compromise. PM me and I will email you the article.

 

[Zchild]

I recently changed my 16" wheels to 18" wheels on my 3 series with no adverse effects. My bimmer came with 16" wheels included in the Sports Package. My handling and cornering improved because I have more of the tire in contact with the road surface, a wider wheel gives you a wider tire. I have seen no drop off in top end speed nor any rouighness in the ride of my bimmer. I can corner at near top speed with no ill effects. My odometer reads are smack on because I researched tire wheels and tires to ensure I kept the same ratio of tire/wheel size with the 16" and 18" tires. Bonus, I love the look of the 18" tire on the 3 series bimmer. I'm running the 18" 7 series M-Parrell on my 323i. The look is awesome and turns heads whenever I drive it. That's my two cents... Happy Motoring.

 

[olcrazy1]

performance, speedometer accuracy etc... all depend on the over all profile of the tire.
If you go 18" wheel you have to go with a lower profile tire to keep the overall wheel&tire assembly diameter the same. If you have a larger over all diameter then the wheel has to turn less to make up more ground, your speedometer will be slow, it will show like 40 mph when your doing 50 mph. The larger the wheel the less it has to turn, as stated above the speedo is calibrated for the factory wheel diameter.

Unless, it is all computerized through the tranny now, and compensates on its own. Possible, but I doubt it.

 

[rjp325i]

My 2004 330i w/ZHP came with 18 in wheels and my son has the 2003 330ci with 18 wheels plus sport and premium pkg. We both like the the 18s but whether it is now worth the cost to go from 17 to 18 is debatable. Good 18 inchers are not cheap and neither are the tires especially the Michelin Pilot Sports that came on both our cars. One other thing, the 330 came with staggered tires and wheels the 325 did not so you may save a little there. The 330 has 225x40x18 front on 8 inch wheels and 255x35x18 rear on 8.5 inch wide wheels.

 

[TheBry]

I purposefully gave the selection of 18" wheels a pass when I bought my car. I test drove the car with the 18's / sports package, then drove mine (with 17's / sports package) and went for the 17's. The ride is still nice and stiff, but it's not so uncomfortable that I feel every pock and divet in the road. The extra wall height on the tires (riding on 17's) makes all the difference in the world.

 

[rjp325i]

I have not found the 18s to be anything but comfortable but that is subjective and what is comfortable to one is harsh to another. Your convertible is a little heavier and has more body flex than either a sedan or coupe. That will also affect ride. My ZHP is an M suspension and is different again from your and my son's 330ci sport suspension. In fact, this car is softer than my former 1989 325i with H&Rs, Bilsteins, Eibach sway and stress bars etc. It all boils down to personal taste, that is why there are options. For the street, unless I had to change the wheels because of damage etc I personally would stay with the 17s on the original posters 325i on a cost basis alone. If money is no object go with the 18s. If ultimate performance is your primary goal or intend to do driving schools go with the 18s. Convertibles do not have to contend with high speed driving schools in the BMW CCA because they are essentially not allowed on the track unless extensive modifications are done ie: an approved full roll cage.

 

[TheBry]

I have not found the 18s to be anything but comfortable but that is subjective and what is comfortable to one is harsh to another. Your convertible is a little heavier and has more body flex than either a sedan or coupe. That will also affect ride. My ZHP is an M suspension and is different again from your and my son's 330ci sport suspension. In fact, this car is softer than my former 1989 325i with H&Rs, Bilsteins, Eibach sway and stress bars etc. It all boils down to personal taste, that is why there are options. For the street, unless I had to change the wheels because of damage etc I personally would stay with the 17s on the original posters 325i on a cost basis alone. If money is no object go with the 18s. If ultimate performance is your primary goal or intend to do driving schools go with the 18s. Convertibles do not have to contend with high speed driving schools in the BMW CCA because they are essentially not allowed on the track unless extensive modifications are done ie: an approved full roll cage.

Although I agree with you, I don't think ultimate performance, high-speed driving schools or BMW CCA were the crux of the original posters question. I believe it was comfort. That's what I was responding to.

 

[rjp325i]

That is what options are for. Driveabilty takes many forms. Many on this forum and others have gone to 19s like on the M3. If a blvd ride is what one wants then go for it. It is difficult to answer a question when the response is very subjective. I happen to like the M suspensions as on the ZHP and the M3. So do the magazine tests but it does not mean it is right for everyone. Another concern always has to be what type of roads one will be driving on. Road conditions vary widely and since everything is usually a compromise of one sort or another you have to decide which way you want the pendulum to swing and how far. Here in NV we enjoy our driving schools and favor more spirited driving along with the higher speed limits that are here as opposed to other parts of the country. City streets especially older ones are not as conducive to stiffer sport suspensions and larger wheels as freeways and newer paved streets. There are many bent rims to verify that. I bent a 14 inch rim back in NY when I had my first E30. Only the driver can decide how far to push the issue based on how and where most of the driving will be done. I think we all can agree on that point.

 

[Tworude]

Same Diameter!

Larger wheels + lower profile tires = original diameter. Or do the wheel wells just get bigger to accomodate a larger diameter??? You will get better performance at the price of a harsher ride. You will have a greater chance of bending a rim if you hit a hole or other obstruction. Rubber will cost you more.

In my opinion the 18 wheel is awesome looking and my car has them, unfortunately I don't get the car until Tuesday.

Good luck.

 

[Section_8]

Well.. No one actually posted a pic for you so here's an 18" wheel (M3 wheel at that).

I had 15" wheels (ugh) w/ 195x65x15's on it. OMG, I felt like I was in some sort of buick luxury car with all that rubber on the wheel(One on steroids I suppose..). Luckily I knew I could overcome that..

Slid into 225x40x18's. Slightly 'bumpier', but what that means is you 'feel' the road a great deal more. The car handles excessively better, there's more tire patch on the pavement, more steering control, more turning control and less slip sliding around. Bigger wheels (not monsterous) with wider tires = increased performance. You might suffer small losses in accelleration *IF* your rims are heavy, or cheaper aftermarket 'style' rims, or the like. These stock M3 18's are 24 lbs each, I swear they weigh slightly more than the 15's did (I have one of them left as my spare).

No change to the odometer, Even with my 18's, with the lower profile tire, I have the same wheel ratio/diameter as before.

And personally I think a BMW (since it *is* a sports sedan/coupe), deserves and should have good shoes. You wouldn't get dressed up in your best tux/suit for a special evening out and wear you favorite 8 yr old sneakers???

[driving2]

 

[Pacho]

I have a 1999 328i with 18" rims it drives great yes you feel more bumps but there is no loss of speed and the look is awesome.

 

[dpnguyen]

Got them in yesterday. I'm really happy with these 18s. No issues with ride quality and the look is clean and sleek.

 

[Blue]

I'm dealing with the same issue. I just picked up a 2001 325 with sport package & 17x8" type 44 rims and 225/45/17 tires. There is curb rash on 3 rims and the quote for rim repair is more expensive than new rims. Unfortunately, the new rims I like are only available in 17x7 or 18x8. I'd rather not go to 18 for a lot of reasons already specified above...namely the pothole/rim damage issue. Handling is already tight with the sport package & 17's, so I don't see any realistic handling performance gains there. As far as ride quality goes, 17" is perfect for me...18's will be marginally worse, but that's shouldn't be a deal killer. If you do go up to 18's, just get a 225/40/18 tire and you should be fine as far as speed goes.