Calling out "IS" drivers one last time!!

18's or 19's?? N.East driver so there is a concern...Opinions??While I have your attention I have also narrowed down color choice as following Sapphire Black/Crimson Red thoughts??Thanks guys order goes down on Friday.

19's" definitely, especially if you prefer a more concaved appearance. I love mine.


I have BSM, and swore I would never get another blk car! If you don't mind the upkeep then go for it. My neighbor has a CR 335is and it looks good as well, but it doesn't compare to black, especially with all the other black bits.

BTW, I have since deleted the orange reflectors...much better

I have BSM with manual tranny and 19" wheels. I would not change a thing if I had to do it all over.

Chop,

I think you probably already know what my opinion is.
19s in the Northeast are an accident (or at least a bent rim) waiting to happen.

CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

Chop,

I think you probably already know what my opinion is.
19s in the Northeast are an accident (or at least a bent rim) waiting to happen.

CA

Once again my eyes overruled my thought process thanks for the assist Captain!!

Originally Posted by Chop362

Once again my eyes overruled my thought process thanks for the assist Captain!!

The problem isn't the size of the wheels. It's the size of the wheels combine with the suspension and RFT. I had 19" on my RS4 and had zero issues. Car road great, even on bad surfaces. Much better than my BMW with 18" on the same roads. If you like the look of the 19", go for it, but get some non RFT and Koni FSD dampers while you're at it. This will not turn your car into a floaty Lexus ride. On the contrary, it will actually improve your handling, while providing a much quieter, more compliant ride at the same time.

If your main concern is ride comfort don't buy a performance coupe

Originally Posted by Yeoman

If your main concern is ride comfort don't buy a performance coupe

Not the point...Bending rims on Run flat rubber not a favorite pass time of mine,this post has nothing to do with ride comfort.

Originally Posted by Yeoman

If your main concern is ride comfort don't buy a performance coupe

A lot of people on here share your idea. When I first got my 330i, I was unhappy with the ride quality. I was told that was the price to pay for having large rims and a firm, sport-oriented ride.

After my 330i, I got my RS4 and dispelled that myth. Large rims and a firm, responsive suspension don't necessarily lead to a choppy/harsh ride. CA was able to achieve a better balance with non RFT and Koni FSD. So it CAN be done.

Even with stock tires and shocks, my 2009 335 is better than my 2006 330 was. It's only an issue on really bad city roads, so I'm not sure I'll bother with the Koni FSD this time around, but it's nice to know it's an option.

CA is right. 17 or 18" rims actually perform better than 19" rims (according to a rather extensive C&D test a few years back). But if you like the look, get the 19". If you drive on bad roads, you can take steps to improve the ride, if necessary. And I doubt you'll push the car hard enough to see a noticeable drop off in performance.

Originally Posted by Yeoman

If your main concern is ride comfort don't buy a performance coupe

If your main concern is performance don't get 19s.

CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

If your main concern is performance don't get 19s.

CA

Tell that to Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, etc.. Good luck finding a wheel smaller than 19" on those..

Originally Posted by Yeoman

Tell that to Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, etc.. Good luck finding a wheel smaller than 19" on those..

CA has a point. 18" is the magic number. At least, that's what one of the M specialists at work tells me. The bigger wheels that everyone is offering are only because the people that can afford high end cars like that end up putting them on dubs and completely ruining the car.

If you get 19" quickly get non-runflats for 100% improvement in ride comfort & noise suppression.

Originally Posted by bear-avhistory

If you get 19" quickly get non-runflats for 100% improvement in ride comfort & noise suppression.

Thanks Bear...A logical solution. Any problems with your 19's?? I'm assuming you drove with the run flats at some point.

Originally Posted by Chop362

Thanks Bear...A logical solution. Any problems with your 19's?? I'm assuming you drove with the run flats at some point.

No, all is well with the 19". Have about 12K miles on the non-runflats & 2K on the factory original runflats. I run Conti Summer DW 245X35X19 + 265X30X19.

The main driving coach at The Lime Rock Drivers Club has told me that the fastest laps he has gotten in the Club's M3 has been with 18" rims and the second hardest suspension setting.


CA

Originally Posted by Yeoman

Tell that to Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, etc.. Good luck finding a wheel smaller than 19" on those..

The 19s on Ferrari, Porsche, etc. have larger sidewalls than the 19s on BMWs because the overall diameter of the tire is larger. The issue is aspect ratio not the diameter of the rims.

CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

The 19s on Ferrari, Porsche, etc. have larger sidewalls than the 19s on BMWs because the overall diameter of the tire is larger. The issue is aspect ratio not the diameter of the rims.

CA

What does that have to do with performance? You implied large wheels and performance are mutually exclusive.

Originally Posted by Chop362

18's or 19's?? N.East driver so there is a concern...Opinions??While I have your attention I have also narrowed down color choice as following Sapphire Black/Crimson Red thoughts??Thanks guys order goes down on Friday.

19s no doubt, if you were sticking with the orignal 313 style M rims you can go 275 on the rear, no rub. You maybe able to go 285 max with no rub also but not confirmed.

Also, not all RFT are created equal. My 335 was pretty loud going over bumps with the stock Bridgestone RFT. My winter tires are Pirelli Sottozero RFT. They are a good 30-40% quieter going over bumps. I imagine a soft non RFT (like Conti DWS) would be even quieter yet, even with 19" rims.

Originally Posted by Yeoman

What does that have to do with performance? You implied large wheels and performance are mutually exclusive.

My point was that after a point larger rims and lower profile tires hurt performance. From my experience the sweet spot on a 3 Series is 18".

And as Spagolli stated a well sorted out performance suspension does not need to be harsh. A problem with the 3 Series sport suspension is that due it stiffness it is difficult to keep the car settled (and the contact patches on the road) on poor road surfaces.

In any case Chop was asking about a BMW 335is, not a Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari.

CA

I had 18s on my 335is. My M3 has 19s but they are not runflats. Both cars are E92s. I would get 18s for sure on a 335is but on an M3 I would get the comp package with the gorgeous 19" forged style 359M wheels. BTW, there are great lease deals on 2013 M3s right now.

The M3 and the 335i do not use the same size tires although the rim diameters may be the same.

M3 Front: 245/35-19
M3 Rear: 265/35-19

335is Front 225/35-19
335is Rear 255/30-19

The M3 19" tires have a wider sidewall as can be seen when you plug the numbers into this tire size calculator:

http://www.tirestoday.com/tire_size_...alculator.html

Originally Posted by mclaren

I had 18s on my 335is. My M3 has 19s but they are not runflats. Both cars are E92s. I would get 18s for sure on a 335is but on an M3 I would get the comp package with the gorgeous 19" forged style 359M wheels. BTW, there are great lease deals on 2013 M3s right now.

Damn run flats will drive me towards 18's for sure as life is too short to be stressing over every bump in the road..Deals are awesome right now on the 335is & M3 unlike 3 years ago when I seriously considered the "M" Back then they were terrible but then again what i don't need is higher insurance rates plus paying a Guzzle tax. Thanks for the reply Stlli have till 1/2/13 to decide so who knows.

Originally Posted by mclaren

I had 18s on my 335is. My M3 has 19s but they are not runflats. Both cars are E92s. I would get 18s for sure on a 335is but on an M3 I would get the comp package with the gorgeous 19" forged style 359M wheels. BTW, there are great lease deals on 2013 M3s right now.

How are you liking your M3 as compared to the 335is? I remember you were excited about getting the M3.