Wheels, wheels, wheels

J

Jules

Member
Hi everyone.

I've been lurking here for a few weeks while I decided what my next car was going to be. Finally took the plunge over the weekend and ordered my new sdrive 35i M Sport after the dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse :D

The car is going to be "spec amendable" for another few days and I'd really appreciate some feedback from you guys on wheel choice. The test drive I had at the weekend was on the 325M wheels which come as standard on my spec, and the ride was on the firm side but perfectly fine for me. The dealer strongly encouraged me to go for the 19" 326M ones which look fantastic but I'm concerned about the impact on ride quality/handling with the RFTs and I've also seen a few horror stories here about them being susceptible to pothole damage.

I'm a keen driver that does a lot of miles (some of them on poorly surfaced B roads) and much more concerned about how the car goes/handles than how it looks (not that the 325Ms are exactly ugly!).

Can anyone offer any advice or experiences either way?

Thanks in advance,

Jules
 
Welcome!

IMO all 19's look great and really set the car off, but its a case of weighing up ride quality and comfort and risk of cracking against the looks. The standard 18's on the M sport models look great also.
 
Thanks guys.

What I think I'm hearing so far is that even if there is no issue with potholes etc, the 19's will compromise handling/ride quality to some extent in exchange for looking better. If that's a fair summary I'll be going back to the standard 325Ms and use the money elsewhere in my spec...
 
Jules said:
Thanks guys.

What I think I'm hearing so far is that even if there is no issue with potholes etc, the 19's will compromise handling/ride quality to some extent in exchange for looking better. If that's a fair summary I'll be going back to the standard 325Ms and use the money elsewhere in my spec...
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:)
 
I would add a few things
1) stay well clear of the 296's
2) get wheel & tyre insurance as part of the deal (just spent nearly 1.5 K on a wheel & two tyres and tracking)
3) accept 19" wheels & run flats really look great on the E89 but that they will give you a much firmer ride and you DO NOT want to hit potholes, they do put lots & lots of rubber on the road though (-; and E89 on 19's will still be far more comfortable than E85 anyway (IMHO)
4) if you do the above you won't have to worry about any issues & get the wheels you prefer the look of :wink: and the protection if anything goes wrong

Good luck, you must be excited :thumbsup:
 
The first E89 that I drove had 296's and coming from an A4 cab the road noise was horrendous and nearly put me off the car. If you have an E85/86 then as kryton has stated the ride is noticeably better.
 
Very few AUC E89 have 19" 313 Performance wheels, and I think they look very similar to 326M. :thumbsup: I really like them.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. You wouldn't believe the grief I've got from my wife/kids while I've been agonising over this during the past few days. For some reason they think it's sad to think so much about an important decision like this :wink:

Anyway, given the state of many of the roads I drive on and my "enthusiastic" driving style I've finally decided to go with the 325Ms and spend the money elsewhere on the spec, which is now finalised and about to go into build. Here's what I ended up with:

35i M Sport
Melbourne Red Metallic
Blank Kansas leather
Connectivity Package with Professional Multimedia
Electric folding mirrors
Wind Deflector
PDC
Adaptive Headlights
Cruise Control
Extended Storage
Heated Seats

Delivery promised by beginning of July but I probably won't take it until August as my PCH contract on my old car (Nissan 350z) doesn't run out until then. Hope the bloody sun isn't out too much in July as it will be agony knowing I have a convertible sitting at the dealer unused :wink:
 
325M wheels are easy to clean - not double-spoke. :thumbsup: Is it now too late to add loudspeaker system? It is much better than standard.
 
Is it now too late to add loudspeaker system? It is much better than standard.
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+1 - I got the professional loudspeaker upgrade which I felt was barely sufficient to hear the sound well. I would have preferred the individual audio upgrade you can get on 3,5 and 7 series. I assume there is no room in Z4?
-1 - I do often have radio off and just enjoy the engine noise. It is a gorgeous sound without being too show offy. Not sure how 35i compares to 35is though ...I think there is a modified exhaust note in the iS

=0 - ultimately you get the car that suits you.
 
Is it now too late to add loudspeaker system? It is much better than standard.
Click to expand...

Yes, car is now in build so too late to change. I did read comments here recommending the loudspeaker upgrade but decided it wasn't worth the money for me - I'm not a music buff and for me there seemed to be better options to tick elsewhere. I suppose I can always get something done about it afterwards if it's too awful (my brother-in-law works at a local ICE emporium).

Anyway, after listening to my 350z's rough growl for the past 3 years I'm looking forward to hearing something more cultured from the engine :)
 
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