12-07-2019, 01:09 PM | #1 |
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21" all seasons on M50i - Downside?
Yesterday I test drove an X7 M50i with DHP and was delighted with nearly everything. The only quibble was it being a bit to choppy on rough pavement at lower speeds and a touch too much tire noice on the highway. The tester had 22" performance tires and I was thinking I could mitigate both issues by going with the 21" all seasons.
Other than aesthetics, is there any downside to going with the 21" all seasons? Thanks, Ken |
12-07-2019, 02:34 PM | #2 |
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I am very happy with my 21" all seasons. Very quiet on highways and in the City. We do a lot of road trips, as well.
Also depending on where you live, snow tires and wheels may become lesser challenge and cost compare to 22". Just to make sure mine is X7 40i and not M50i |
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12-07-2019, 05:36 PM | #3 |
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Well, if you want to get all numerical, on the M50i, the 21" set have a 5" sidewall. The 22" set have a 4.3" sidewall... so about 16% lower profile on that rubber.
The pros and cons of lower profile tires are well documented (i.e. better cornering and braking... noisier, harsher ride and more prone to damage). Completely setting aside the aesthetics of 21" vs 22" for a moment, on the X7 my personal take is that the 22" wheels are less compelling — the M50i is relatively quick, but it's not a made-for-the-track sports car, which makes the performance benefits of the lower profile less noteworthy. And it sounds like you're already aware of the extra cost/hassle built in to the 22s when you live in a snowy climate. So, from a purely pragmatic standpoint, the 21" wheels are probably the smarter choice (and the one I'm going with). That said, even I'll admit I like the look of the 22" wheels a little more. Just not enough to sway me. On my 5er (which has 3.9" sidewalls) I've had to replace five tires within the last 12 months... heck, it's been annoying enough that I'd probably order 20" wheels on the X7 if they offered them from the factory. |
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12-07-2019, 05:49 PM | #4 |
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M50i with 21' will have a lower top speed of 130 mph compare to 22's 155 mph.
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12-07-2019, 05:56 PM | #5 |
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12-07-2019, 06:38 PM | #6 |
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If I would do many long trips and/or some trips where the weather is bad (or I would have to deal with street conditions like Detroit), I would opt for 21" wheels as well.
For me doing less than 10k miles here in Florida where roads are generally in good shape, The 22" work in combination with a wheel & tire insurance. |
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12-07-2019, 10:56 PM | #7 |
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I ordered my wife's X7 M50i with the 21in all season tire mainly because I don't want to order another set of wheels/tires should we decide to drive up to Mammoth during the winter seasons (it's only a 6hr drive from LA).
My dealer was really surprised that I didn't go with the 22" because every single one of his customers chose to go with the bigger wheel, lol.
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12-08-2019, 12:06 AM | #8 | |
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12-08-2019, 01:27 PM | #9 |
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BMW NA told me at the X7 launch in 2018 at the LA Autoshow, that they expected a low take rate for 22s in the Northeast because no all season tires are available in the factory size. Of course some idiots at the dealers, don't pay attention to these details.
If I'm getting an M50i, for sure I'd get the 22s on summer tires. By going M50i, it means you care about performance, and you are a more "hard core" driver and you have the money to pay up for M50i, extra fuel costs, the money to wear out expensive summer tires and have a set of winter tires. with the extra power and weight of the M50i, the larger contact patch and stickier tires will improve performance in the dry for sure. |
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12-08-2019, 01:41 PM | #10 | |
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Actually, I bought my wife' the M50i version because it is the only version of the X7 that felt adequate. Her 2019 Cayenne Turbo with 550hp was barely cutting the mustard in terms of performance (I also specced the 21in all season on the Cayenne as well) but we needed a bigger car that can seat 7.
The X7 M50i is grocery getter, pick up our sons from baseball and basketball games and a car we take trips in, nothing more. My wife ain't no hardcore driver and I don't have the money to pay for another set of wheels/tires, lol! Quote:
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12-08-2019, 01:55 PM | #11 | ||
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12-08-2019, 06:16 PM | #12 | |||
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12-08-2019, 06:36 PM | #13 | |
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12-08-2019, 11:52 PM | #14 |
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Close. In my case, it's the X7 M50i for the wife and a Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid for me as a daily. My weekend cars are ranges from 500-887hp
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12-09-2019, 08:17 AM | #15 | ||||||||||
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Bmw uses a an I-6 turbo..not a v6 |
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12-09-2019, 08:20 AM | #16 | |||||||
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Horsepower freak!! Nice!!! |
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12-09-2019, 08:23 AM | #17 | ||||||||
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12-09-2019, 09:15 AM | #18 | |||||||||||
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12-09-2019, 10:12 AM | #19 |
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If they did, I wouldn't even look at the BMW
P.S. I'm a blue collar kind of a guy, so I have a Ford as well
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12-09-2019, 10:19 AM | #20 | ||
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When I met Audi in Stuttgart corporate last year, they think the Q7 is the biggest thing ever. lol. |
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12-09-2019, 11:47 AM | #21 |
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12-09-2019, 01:26 PM | #22 |
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So, reading the specs between the two engines it appears that the V8 is only 6 tenths of second faster from 0 - 60 MPH. The V8 has 121 more horse power as well.
Based on the horsepower and speed specifications it appears to me that the V8 is under powered considering it's significantly larger engine. I considered the V8 when making my purchase but when I saw the specs I decided I wasn't going to pay the outrageous premium just to get a bigger engine with minimal performance increases, worse gas mileage, and only 6 tenths of second faster from 0 - 60 MPH. I have no problem getting around those freaking left lane campers and traffic impeders in my 6 cylinder X7. I think the weight of the larger V8 engine negates a good percentage of the performance gains it should have over the inline 6. |
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