BlackAce

Interested in gathering some opinions here on wheels with the same design, just different sizes. Would you rather go with:

A) 19x8.5 ET32 (more concave)
B) 20x8.5 ET37 (fill more wheel well)

Stock is 19x8 ET39.

I like the more concave look, but I do think the Q5/SQ5 looks better on bigger wheels. Anyone know the difference in ride quality going bigger? Stock tire is 235/55/19, 20s run 255/45/20.

koobah

21

BlackAce

I knew that was coming, but I can't get the wheels I want in 21s, and I don't think my wife will support me changing the harshness of the ride that much.

Highpark

I like the 19's on mine, I like the look of rubber, a proper sidewall, and the comfort and fuel economy that goes along with it.

abegwit

I went with the 20s myself, though the 19s look good too. I agree that the car calls for a bigger wheel, but the amount of space in the wheel well won't change much. As you increase the diameter of the wheel you decrease the profile of the tire, so that space stays the same. You just see more wheel and less rubber. To counter the ride issue I ordered the adaptive suspension...hopefully that gives me the best of both worlds.

MP4.2+6.0

Ride quality will drop from 19 to 20. BTDT when I went from factory 19's to factory 20's. I'm not a "comfort" type guy and have used larger (OE) tires and wheels on last several Audi's, and also modded sway bars when available. I now quasi have to run 20's since I fit RS5 brakes that are hard to use with most 19" wheel choices. But in retrospect they just aren't as smooth. My A8 W12 on 20's in 35 is a good amount smoother--air ride vs. steel springs. And it is not like some night and day handling increase either on the Q5. In the end it's a tall ride and the tires are not the limiting factor. Q5 wheels weigh a ton too--another not so performance aspect of them--and taking up the wheel size typically makes that somewhat worse at the margin.

You also have another choice. Just increase the width. You can go to 255's even on the 8" factory wheels in 19, let alone an 8 ½. Thus 255/50-19. 255's on the 8 will reduce some curbing damage too. BTDT too with the wife. The 8 1/2s at 255 are fairly vulnerable. If I had to do it again and I didn't have the RS5 brake clearance issue, I would run 19s (comparatively easily available in OE) in 255 and cash out on my 20's.

Yoshimura

I really liked my 255/50R19... Wheels were 19x8.5 ET35.

ex-quattro PETE

Yoshimura, that setup looks great. Which tires were you running?

Yoshimura

They were Dueler H/P Sport and much larger than other 255.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...equal-2854507/