The 530xi arrived today, picking it up in a couple of weeks. I've got a problem - so I'm told. I labored over the 17" vs 18" (123). Big mistake I was told - BMW is strict on allowing a change of wheels once the car reaches a dealer. I want the 18"'s . I had the double spoke 18" (71) on a convertible and loved em' , therefore I'm spoiled. Although the BMW choices are limited for the xi - the 18"'s will do. Furthermore, I perfer more wheel/less tire and feel that I can just purchase winter tires in October. What should I do? Love the car, but the wheels are OK. I?m paying a lot of money for not getting what I want. Anyone had a similar experience?

 

No, but I have the 123's on my car and love them. Sure, they're not 19 166's or 20 RAD's, but they're great on the car. I've officially made them my winter wheels, now that I mounted my Blizzak LM-25's on them. I'm doing 18" 124's staggered for my summer wheels. Go with these wheels. They fill the arches much better than 17's. 17's were fine for the E39, but look terrible for the E60.

PS - Congrats on the car! You will love it not only all year round, but the thing is a beast in the snow! With good winter tires, the thing handles better in snow than on dry pavement (Not exaggerating).

 

I'm thinking the 123's. The 71 looks too small

 

Carlton, aren't there other options in the aftermarket? I forget the inside diameter for the xi, and I know that the setup is different than for the i model.

I too hated the 17" look and the OEM wheels look like the blades on the bottom of a kitchen mixer.

3threesfirst5er, congrats on your new purchase. Sorry to hear about the problem. There are also many people who dump their 18" wheels for upgrades, so stay tuned on this site and others (including ebay) for someone else's 18" wheels for sale.

They are not that expensive (relatively speaking), and you should stay persistent with the dealer to see if they will let you change.

Best,

 

Yes, custom-made, aftermarket that is. If he want's to spend $5K, he can get a really nice set. The key for us are correct offsets. No real, already made aftermarket wheels comes in our proper offsets.

Personally though, I don't think the 123 wheels are so bad. They fill the car's arches well. Sure, 19 166's would be better, but with the headaches we have due to our offsets, I think these sit will with the car, especially as a winter wheel.

 

Thanks! The pressure (diplomatic of course to a point) is on beginning tomorrow! I want my wheels! Thanks for the winter wheel advice. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

 

Good luck man and keep us posted of the outcome!

 

not sure what's up with your dealer but switching wheels isn't a factory option, its a dealer installed accessory.
for example, if you build a car on bmwusa.com and look at the optional wheels, those are installed after the car reaches the dealer from the factory.

 

Are you sure of that? It looks to me like you order the wheels when you buy the car.
Some wheels come with sports suspension and others do not. It would be pretty hard for the dealer to install a sport suspension on a BMW. Right?

 

Are you sure? I ordered my 123 wheels when I placed the order with the dealer. If you get the 530xi with Sport Package, the 18" 123 wheels are considered "another" option. Had I not done this, I would have received the car with shadowline trim and the sport wheel, but would have had the 17" wheels. This is not the case if you ordered a 530i with sport, as the 123 wheels come with this package. I think the wheels come from the factory.