Pros and cons on OEM 18 vs 20 wheels- please share your thoughts

[Winchester44]

Hi All,

I’m between two Landcruisers. One is available now and one is arriving in 8 days. Both are exact same except the wheels, one having 18 in and other the 20in. I plan to immediately upgrade to 275 BFG KO3 tires regardless of wheel. I’m m still debating between the two. Will be 90% highway driving, but do plan to take into true off road situations like passes in Colorado in summer and 4WD only trails here in Texas.
Here are my pros and cons for each. Wondering if anyone would agree/disagree or point out something I’m missing, or just generally wanted to help me decide. Many thanks in advance!

PRO 18 inch Wheel
-$1,200 cheaper, pays for new set of tires
-Cheaper and more replacement tire options
-Taller and maybe fatter sidewall, more protection for wheel
-Softer ride off road
-13 pound unsprung weight saving. (27vs 40 pounds) Probably closer to 10-11 pounds after accounting for increased tire weight on a smaller wheel

• Increased MPG due to significant weight and rolling resistance savings
• Spare is an 18in wheel, can buy a 5th 275 KO3 tire to fit for full size spare

PRO 20 in Wheel
-Will have a firmer highway ride highway to help mitigate the “floaty” ride on the highway many don’t like myself included
-Slightly better cornering and handling especially under emergency situations.
-Aesthetically better looking vs 18”. Personal taste and not just because it’s bigger. I think the 18” GX550 Overtrail wheels look amazing. Wish we could get those. Would even love a 17” steel wheel option. Just don’t find the 18” to be great looking wheel.
- Stronger wheel choice. Would have to be weighing that much more right?

 

[TakaraLC]

I am a bit skeptical of wheel/tire weights influence on MPG of a hybrid. On a hybrid, additional energy put to rotate a heavier wheel/tire combo should be recovered during slowdown. Yes, the recovery is not 100% efficient (close to 80%), but weight difference is also only 40lbs in total if we assume 10lbs per tire. Narrower tires also have a small MPG benefit due being more rigid and allow less rubber flexing.

Using aggressive tire thread patterns is another story. In that case energy is lost to road friction and cannot be rec.

 

[NoMe cruiser]

Your pro/con is well thought out. I like the look of the 18” better but if you like the look of the 20” and mostly doing highway miles you should probably go for the 20”. To save 1200 on a 65k vehicle and then have the rim you don’t particularly care for the looks… you’ll see one in town with the 20’s and think man I should’ve got those. I don’t think the rim weights are official yet. I weighed an 18” from a fe and it weighed 31#.

 

[Winchester44]

Any of y’all driven 18 versus 20 and felt much difference in the ride on the highway?

 

[Winchester44]

Oh wow , that’s 4 pounds more than that spreadsheet for the 18 inch rim

 

[Markarian421]

Oh wow , that’s 4 pounds more than that spreadsheet for the 18 inch rim

I’ve since updated it. There’s a 3-4 lb spread in weights different folks are reporting, which I suspect is due to variation in different home scales.

Overall the 20” wheel looks to be around 10 lbs heavier than the 18” wheel, which was surprising to me. Personally I’d rather have the extra money to spend on different 18” wheels, or better rock rails, etc. But if you like the 20” wheels, don’t let us talk you out of it!

 

[BoredomFestival]

Your pro/con is well thought out. I like the look of the 18” better but if you like the look of the 20” and mostly doing highway miles you should probably go for the 20”. To save 1200 on a 65k vehicle and then have the rim you don’t particularly care for the looks… you’ll see one in town with the 20’s and think man I should’ve got those. I don’t think the rim weights are official yet. I weighed an 18” from a fe and it weighed 31#.

This is the right answer. The cost difference is a drop in the bucket so don't let that decide it for you.