wheel size & handling

[muhally]

Hi, I'm about to take the plunge and get my first ever BMW. I'm looking at a 330d sport touring because I tow a Caterham from time to time.

I've heard that the wheel size can make quite a difference to the handling. Can anyone offer any advice as to what I should be looking for to get the best balance?

Cheers,

[StuB]

I went from Bridgestone SO3's on 17's to Eagle F1's on 18's. Ride comfort & stability was much better on the lower profile Eagle's than on the very stiff SO3's of higher profile, so for me, it depends a lot on the carcass construction rather than just the profile. Eagle F1's tramline half as much as well, but the SO3's had the edge for grip & handling IMHO. I also noticed a reduced rotational inertia from the 18" alpina's compared to the BMW 17's, which was nice.

You can go too far with wheel size though, but there's loads of choice for E46's up to 18. 19 might be a step too far but fill the arches V nicely.