330i sport: 18 inch versus 17 inch wheels

[aswissbanker]

My wife is complaining about the ride of my 330i sport touring, which rides on 18 inch MV wheels. Has anyone got experience of changing from 17 to 18 inch wheels? I'm wondering whether I can keep her happy by simply switching wheels back from 18 to 17 inch.

We're driving on suburban roads around London. There's no problem on smooth motorways. It's not a problem of age: the car has only done 13k miles, and the tyres are in excellent condition (6 mm tread)

She's comparing the 330i to our 530d Sport touring (E39) which rides much more smoothly on 17inch motorsport wheels.

And, yes, I know that bigger wheels look better than smaller wheels! I'm just trying to keep her happy.

[MarvelPhx]

17s will usually ride a little better than 18s since there is more sidewall to absorb shock from the road.

[Adham]

17s should also give you a tiny bit more acceleration as well since the overall diameter is smaller. thats always a plus.

[z]

don't forget that the 17's are lighter weight. If money is no object, consider aftermarket shocks. Despite being "sportier" most tests and reviews demonstrate a more comfortable and quieter ride. Most importantly it's probably not fair to compare the luxury tuned 5 serries car to the sport intended 3 serries.

I would also consider having her drive more, then she might appreciate the more connected feel and control that is much more noticable as a driver... unless she's like my wife that would only be unhappy that I asked her to drive and wouldn't care about the difference.

[bruno]

Hi,

I have a 330 CI E46 with 17inch with an M II suspension and spoiler package and sports seats. I mainly use the car on Portuguese roads. If the road is smooth there is no problem but my butt is does hurt after a few hundred km on bumpy roads and I must admit that the ride is not aways pleasant on such bumpy roads. I have been thinking of swithing to 16 inch wheels but the car is quite new. Some advice which helps for me is checking on the tyre pressure every time you take the car for a spin. It does make a big difference. I put 2.7 in front and 3.2 in the back (as recommended for 17 inch wheels) and I have noticed that I need to add a little bit of air every week and that very little makes a big difference in comfort. Hope it helps. For the time being I stick to 17 inch as it was part and parcel of the car with the M II suspension package.

[m.c..]

I realize that this tire comparison is apples to oranges, but I swap from 18" summers to 17" winters and the difference in ride compliance and comfort is significant.

I also realize that this thread is almost as old as the milk in my refridgerator, but I figured there's no harm in contributing.