Stock Wheels 20s vs 19s
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15 GL550
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15 GL550
I'll add to the post referenced above, that I now have had the chance to drive in snowy/icy conditions with the 20" Pirelli Ice and Snow tires. I'm not sure how much of my experience is due to the tires but I can say that the X166 is dramatically better than my 09 X164 was on snow covered roads with the Goodyear Runflats. The X164 had a scary amount of understeer. The X166 has a tendency toward understeer however with just a small amount of throttle application, the front tires will pull you where they are pointed.
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2014 GL450
I'll add that the 20s on my 2014 have never managed to run without small amounts of vibration at hwy speeds. Part of it is the lower profile tires suffer a bit more temporary flat spotting if you park the car for seemingly even short times like an hour. That goes away after driving a few miles at hwy speeds, but after that there is still some vibration. I've had the shop work on it endlessly, and they even went through 2.5 sets of tires for me and switched me to the more expensive Michelins. And they let me drive another set of 20 wheels on my car and let me drive a new 2015 with the 20s. In all cases similar vibration issues.
The 2013 I originally test drove had 19s and was smooth on the hwy. I might eventually switch down to the 19s.
The 2013 I originally test drove had 19s and was smooth on the hwy. I might eventually switch down to the 19s.
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From: Hermosa Beach, CA
21 G63, 21 GLS580, 16 GTS Ed. 1
Elric9, I think you experiencing the wider profile of the 20s and prefer the more cushion of the 19s. The wider 20s do follow the grooves of the road more and has more "vibration" or road feel as some of us call it. I don't think it has to do with flat spots unless it's sitting there for months without being driven. For the most comfortable ride I do think the 19s are the best options.
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From: New York
2025 Range Rover, 2022 BMW M850 , 2017 MB E400 Coupe
My previous 2 GL's had 20" wheels, but the last I bought with 19", because my wife does not like the current 20" wheel design. I have never experienced any vibration on 20's, but I have to admit - the car ride is much smoother with 19" wheels.
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15 GL550
That's funny. I personally like the look of the fatter 19" tire better on an SUV but don't like the current 19" wheel design as much as the 20" design. Having said that, just like the Motor Trend article says, I think the ride issue has more to do with the Pirelli 20" all season tires being garbage. The Continental tires have a completely different ride. I was stunned at how much smoother they were.
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'13 GL450
I almost bought a 2013 GL450 w/ 30k miles 19" rims and no running boards.
To me, the 20's and running boards are a must to remove the minivan look.
So, I ended up buying a 2013 with 20's and running boards with 16k miles.
It's got a ton of other options too, but the 20's and running boards were the key.
Just drove it home from NY to Boston today.
I honestly don't know how the ride could be any smoother.
These GL's are exceptional machines.
To me, the 20's and running boards are a must to remove the minivan look.
So, I ended up buying a 2013 with 20's and running boards with 16k miles.
It's got a ton of other options too, but the 20's and running boards were the key.
Just drove it home from NY to Boston today.
I honestly don't know how the ride could be any smoother.
These GL's are exceptional machines.
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GLS450
That's funny. I personally like the look of the fatter 19" tire better on an SUV but don't like the current 19" wheel design as much as the 20" design. Having said that, just like the Motor Trend article says, I think the ride issue has more to do with the Pirelli 20" all season tires being garbage. The Continental tires have a completely different ride. I was stunned at how much smoother they were.
Funny you say this. My E350 has Pirelli's and they are very noisy. My previous E350 had Continental's that were much better.
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15 GL550
Perhaps Pirelli is spending all their money on Formula 1 sponsorship and not putting it into their product. I know my dealership doesn't like dealing with their tires. I had the same experience with the dealership not being able to balance multiple sets of Pirelli's like Elric99. They didn't even want to try a second set because they knew they wouldn't be smooth.
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2025 Range Rover, 2022 BMW M850 , 2017 MB E400 Coupe
BTW..congrats and enjoy your GL. I'm sure you love it.
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From: Minnesota
2015 Ram 2500, former 2013 GL350, 2007 GL450
I had 19's on my 2007, 20's on my 2013. If I had to choose I'd pick 19's on the next one, I'd even go with 18's. I like the ride better and I'm weird in that I like the look of rubber on an SUV.
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From: Huntington NY
S560
I have 20's and their is no vibration whatsoever. The truck is also extremely smooth. A little too much so- it tends to float a little on the highway. I couldn't possibly go 19's- I don't see any way the truck could get smoother but it certainly would lose performance...
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From: SoCal
'15 GL450
I've worked at a tire shop and held just about every position while going to college. I'm not trying to be arrogant or a know-all; that's what I did to get through college.
It's a fact that low profile tires provide better performance (ie. cornering and speed). IMHO, there is very little "ride quality" or for that matter, performance difference between the 19" and the 20" tires on the GL. Please note that I'm only talking about the GL and big SUVs in general. When you start getting into 21" and greater tires for the GL, you begin to notice the difference somewhat but the slight gain in performance is not worth the sacrifice of the ride quality. Again, it's JMHO. Let's face it, the GL is a big SUV. No matter how you configure it, it's not going to be a track star. The remapped V8 twin turbo is respectable in a straight line but a Toyota Camry will out corner it.
So..... I'd stick with which rims appease the buyer.
As for me, I always preferred the bigger rims so when we couldn't find one on the dealer lot with the appearance package, I was a little bummed. The other options were more important to me since it was going to be our "soccer mom mobile". At least we found one with the running boards.
The 19" rims have grown on me so we've decided to stick with them.
In regards to Pirellis, they are good performing tires but they are noisy IMO. I have them on my Audi and I can't wait until they wear out so that I can replace them!
It's a fact that low profile tires provide better performance (ie. cornering and speed). IMHO, there is very little "ride quality" or for that matter, performance difference between the 19" and the 20" tires on the GL. Please note that I'm only talking about the GL and big SUVs in general. When you start getting into 21" and greater tires for the GL, you begin to notice the difference somewhat but the slight gain in performance is not worth the sacrifice of the ride quality. Again, it's JMHO. Let's face it, the GL is a big SUV. No matter how you configure it, it's not going to be a track star. The remapped V8 twin turbo is respectable in a straight line but a Toyota Camry will out corner it.
So..... I'd stick with which rims appease the buyer.
As for me, I always preferred the bigger rims so when we couldn't find one on the dealer lot with the appearance package, I was a little bummed. The other options were more important to me since it was going to be our "soccer mom mobile". At least we found one with the running boards. The 19" rims have grown on me so we've decided to stick with them.In regards to Pirellis, they are good performing tires but they are noisy IMO. I have them on my Audi and I can't wait until they wear out so that I can replace them!
Last edited by luv2sleep; Jan 9, 2015 at 02:27 AM.
