18" vs. 19" wheel on 335is
 

I am contemplating to buy a 2013 335is. I am actually surprised that the discount on the car isn't very good.

Anyhow, at least on the pictures, 19" wheel on 335is (313 style, I believe) seems a bit too much (too empty?) and 18" version looks more stable. I love the M3 19" wheels, and I always felt that 18" wheels don't do the justice for M3s...

What do you guys think?

My 335is was one of the first to be delivered to the US and came with M style wheels before they started putting on the dedicated "is" wheels. I agree that the "is" wheels are are too open when BMW does not have finished/painted brake calipers. The 19" wheels, IMO, do fill the wheel wells like a glove, but are best if you primarily drive in an area with decent roads.

Ho boys, here we go....

The E9x has much larger issues at the wheels than 'how it looks.' What I mean is, really, given oil filled rubber bushings, inferior dampers + springs, wimped subframe bushings; spaghetti thin rear sway, who cares if wheels're styled this way or that?

Focus, laddie. Car comes from the factory with real problems to address. Wheels work just fine - don't worry yourself about that.

Meditate on this: The perception of 'how the wheels look' is as nothing compared to the power of the Limited Slip Differential. Hint: 335is has no LSD. You have much to learn, young Padawan.


http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__...-Yoda_SWSB.jpg

The old "beauty is only skin deep" argument? I don't track my 335is convertible, and it is now pretty much a boulevard cruiser in S. Florida these days since I drove it down from PA this summer. So, it has to look the part to keep up with those who drive their Mercedes with 22" flashy chromed rims. I have to maintain some self esteem. :)

Are you for real?

You can get $500 over invoice at any dealer for 2013 335is plus holiday cash credit til end of Jan 13.The difference between 335i and 335is is about $4K and you get the 7spd DCT plus 19" wheels. I said go with 335is.

Yup. Have done that work.

You?

Be nice Cal:thumbup:

Right. True. My response much too short.

OP & Avocet, the E9x stands ready for real improvement, none of it cosmetic - the way is paved by M div. As E9x is the core of the M3, we need only R&R with M3 parts to raise the bar.

I've done much of that here. One can do as much or little as one pleases, provided M3 rear sway is not added before LSD. Wheel hop + poor result can result if not.

Have no reservations about improving your suspension & drive train first - you'll be MUCH happier with your ride, and discover you have much better power than you thought.

Tally ho!


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Back to the wheels. The 19" really suck on impact shock with stock RFT, you will feel & hear evey expansion joint road irregularity you come across. I got real good at spotting & avoiding pebbles down the road is daylight but it was much harder at night.

A switch @ about 4K miles to Conti DW 245X35X91 / 265X30X19 solve all the thump & crash issues from mile one. As for the open wheels & ugly calipers my solution (some love & some say RICE) was to cover them with metal covers. I have sprayed them heat resistant flat black with no silver trim. They just disappear into the background & IMHO are not at all offensive.

Meh. Don't need to jump on a soapbox and tell anyone who might listen when no one is asking

Back on topic...

19's look just fine without making the wheelwell look empty.

You will quickly learn that CALWATERBOY has a huge hard on for LSDs and will quickly jump in on a thread where he thinks he can do his evangelical work. He has extensively modified the suspension on his heavy 335i convertible, including some M3 bits, and also runs a JB4 with meth and all kinds of other engine mods. A new BMW is just a clean slate to him and he will quickly sing the praises of his modifications to anyone who will listen.

He also affects a certain writing style which can be a bit, ummm, odd to those unaccustomed to his musings.

Nice job on the brake calipers. I still can't figure out why BMW does not provide finished calipers aside from their cost savings/increased profits. The salespeople keep saying that the brakes get too hot for covers. I ask them that if this is true, then how did my ZO6 have them, and my Carrera GTS has them? I would think their brakes get at least as hot as those on my 335is, to say the least!

I have not found my 19" wheels to be bad at all with the stock RFTs on the majority of road surfaces where I have traveled in PA & FL. They don't like sunken manhole covers and some nasty pot holes, but are compliant other than those situations.

Heh heh heh....seriously though, how you like your M?

Late to this thread... aren't those upsized from stock 19s? (225 and 255 respectively).

Not much of a tire expert (read not at all).... what does this do to speedo/odo and/or other things?

That tire size at the rear (265/30 vs. 255/30) has a slight increased rear tire diameter and will actually improve speedometer error from the typical BMW +3 mph over actual to about +1 over actual. Stock size with 225/255 setup has a bit more propensity to understeer due to 30mm tread width difference from front to rear. Less understeer is accomplished by closing that 30mm gap to 20mm with a 245/265 setup. Even more neutral handling with a Stage 3 Dinan setup (their rims) with a 265/30 + 275/30 setup, with spot-on accurate speedometer.

Oh, and the obvious when going with wider tread: more grip!

I think that you should ignore anything Cal says.

Also, it hasn't been mentioned, but M3 wheels don't fit on "regular" 3-series cars, due to different offsets and widths, and require the M3's bigger fenders. In case you were thinking of getting some. (There are replicas that do fit.)

Mine on 19" looks much better (with Carbon Mirror... got BM X111 plate for a BMW X1 but didn't end up buying an X1)

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...91047293_n.jpg

this is my other BM

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...59906788_n.jpg

For whatever its worth:

I have 235/35/19 front and 275/30/19 rear tires on my 335is, absolutely no rubing. In fact the front and rear from measurement clearance show our 19" rims can max out at 245/35/19 front and 285/30/19 rear with no rubing.

Now it may depending on the type of tires though. I have Nitto NT 555.

After reading this, I'll stick with the smaller options:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...d-tires-tested

Our roads are bad enough around here, and I'm more likely to use the acceleration and braking than at-the-limit-cornering. So, smaller is much better for me.