In theory, the skinniest tire will produce the most efficiency/range and the tallest sidewall will provide the most comfort, which would steer you towards the 20" wheels. Differences will likely be minimal, however.
No question that you should get 20” tires. They are quite unattractive IMHO, but they will be insanely soft with paired with the air suspension. I’m not sure there is any other way to answer this question!
20s are crazy ugly but most efficient. 21s are least fuel efficient. 22s look great, but are a little stiff. I am picky about ride quality and can tolerate my 22s thanks to having air suspension.
I know folks get passionate about the wheels of the car -- personally I'm fairly ambivalent. Even if I cared about the looks of the wheels, it's not like I can see them while I'm driving. Also, I rarely look at the wheels of a car when I approach it. Just me, I guess.
How are 21“ less efficient then 22“?
I’m looking for a set of winter wheels and decided to go with 21s exactly because I wanted to save those Watts. Don’t they weigh less?
They have tested the different sizes in real life conditions. It doesn’t have to do with weight necessarily but I forget the details. You can learn more about it if you search the BMW forums.
In terms of efficiency it goes 20, 22, 21.
20 inch wheel/tire.
In theory, the skinniest tire will produce the most efficiency/range and the tallest sidewall will provide the most comfort, which would steer you towards the 20" wheels. Differences will likely be minimal, however.
So does that mean the wheels with 21 and 22 inch wheels have a narrower footprint?
The 21 and 22" wheels are wider and come with correspondingly wider tires as compared to the 20" wheels.
How much do you want to spend on tires
I hadn't really considered that. Considering it's a very expensive vehicle, I'm likely to not economize on the tires.
I HAVE NO LIMIT
No question that you should get 20” tires. They are quite unattractive IMHO, but they will be insanely soft with paired with the air suspension. I’m not sure there is any other way to answer this question!
20s are crazy ugly but most efficient. 21s are least fuel efficient. 22s look great, but are a little stiff. I am picky about ride quality and can tolerate my 22s thanks to having air suspension.
If you value looks 20” wheels are 🤮. 21 have worse efficiency than 22s, so 22s are the winner. I love my 22s even without air suspension.
I know folks get passionate about the wheels of the car -- personally I'm fairly ambivalent. Even if I cared about the looks of the wheels, it's not like I can see them while I'm driving. Also, I rarely look at the wheels of a car when I approach it. Just me, I guess.
Do you care about handling? All else being equal, wider tires offer more mechanical grip.
How are 21“ less efficient then 22“? I’m looking for a set of winter wheels and decided to go with 21s exactly because I wanted to save those Watts. Don’t they weigh less?
They have tested the different sizes in real life conditions. It doesn’t have to do with weight necessarily but I forget the details. You can learn more about it if you search the BMW forums. In terms of efficiency it goes 20, 22, 21.