Advice/Opinions wanted! 20" vs 21" OE wheels for summer driving

[Shane_SLC]

Hello forum friends!

I was hoping to get some input from fellow owners that have experience with the OE 20" or 21" wheels (ideally both). Currently I'm driving on the OE 20" wheels, initially with the OE Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires, and now Michelin X-Ice Snow tires. As spring is approaching I'm trying to decide if I want to continue using my 20" wheels and swap back to the summer tires, or buy a set of 21" wheels to use as my summer set and keep the 20" wheels as my winter set.

Other than the aesthetics I really have no complaints about the 20" wheels. I've had no issues with either set of tires and have been satisfied with the handling, noise, etc. In retrospect, I'm wondering if I should have just ordered my car with 21" wheels and then bought a set of 19" wheels for the wintertime. At the time I thought it seemed most practical to just have the 20" wheels and swap tires as needed.

My question for you is which wheel size would you prefer? During the warm months I plan on even more long road trips and as much spirited driving or track days that I can find the time and energy for. I've heard conflicting opinions about whether the 20" or 21" wheels handle better, and maybe it's just too close to really tell. Based on appearances I definitely prefer the 21" wheels, but if I had just removed the aero inserts on day 1 on my 20's I maybe wouldn't even be posting this.

Your thoughts and opinions would be welcomed! Especially if you've had experience with both sets of wheels. It's been a challenge for me to decide between the practicality, anesthetics, and usability of each set of wheels. Thank you in advance for your feedback! All the best.

 

[scal_air]

Good question. You already have 20" wheels (which is what I have too). I would think for longer road trips, most people would prefer the 19" for comfort and range. Not sure how much more performance you'll get with everyday driving by switching to 21" but you did mention tracking, so maybe?
They were a rash of 21" blowouts awhile ago but haven't heard many recently...

 

[traumaflo]

I had ordered my Touring Stealth with 20" rims and it was delivered with 21" setup in 06/2023 - I love the appearance, the handling, comfort and very little road noise. The many early reports about Pirelly 21" blow-outs certainly caused initial anxiety and I have been super-diligent about avoiding potholes etc.. Despite occassional travel on the crater-roads of D.C., Philly and Baltimore I have fortunately not had any tire damage in 10K miles. On longer drives up to 7 hrs I always found the ride comfortable.

Since June I have been (unsuccessfully) trying to get Lucid to swap my wheels to 20", since I live in the Northeast and would like to depend on the car as my daily. Without certified winter or all-year alternative tires, I've had to to drive my old car for the past two weeks in order to not damage the 21" tires in sub-45 degree temps.

IF all stars align, LUCID mobile service will swap the wheels this coming Monday, I will then have allround tires mounted for the remaining cold season and will report back w/ comparison.
I plan on keeping the 21" set because I like them. Dependent on the cost of a seasonal tire/wheel swap and how much of a PITA it is to recalibrate the TPMS every time, I will have to decide if it might just be easier to use the 20's w/ allround tires year around...

 

[Neurio]

Hello forum friends!

I was hoping to get some input from fellow owners that have experience with the OE 20" or 21" wheels (ideally both). Currently I'm driving on the OE 20" wheels, initially with the OE Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires, and now Michelin X-Ice Snow tires. As spring is approaching I'm trying to decide if I want to continue using my 20" wheels and swap back to the summer tires, or buy a set of 21" wheels to use as my summer set and keep the 20" wheels as my winter set.

Other than the aesthetics I really have no complaints about the 20" wheels. I've had no issues with either set of tires and have been satisfied with the handling, noise, etc. In retrospect, I'm wondering if I should have just ordered my car with 21" wheels and then bought a set of 19" wheels for the wintertime. At the time I thought it seemed most practical to just have the 20" wheels and swap tires as needed.

My question for you is which wheel size would you prefer? During the warm months I plan on even more long road trips and as much spirited driving or track days that I can find the time and energy for. I've heard conflicting opinions about whether the 20" or 21" wheels handle better, and maybe it's just too close to really tell. Based on appearances I definitely prefer the 21" wheels, but if I had just removed the aero inserts on day 1 on my 20's I maybe wouldn't even be posting this.

Your thoughts and opinions would be welcomed! Especially if you've had experience with both sets of wheels. It's been a challenge for me to decide between the practicality, anesthetics, and usability of each set of wheels. Thank you in advance for your feedback! All the best.

I think I may be the only person with extensive experience on both the 20s and 21s. I've been meaning to write up my opinions of both, but was figuring I'd wait until I had over 10k miles on the 20s to give a long-term opinion of both. But, since you asked, here goes:

I got 21s on my GT to start with and put over 15k miles on them. I had originally wanted the 20s, but they would have delayed my delivery by many months and I had already waited so long for my car that I just went with the 21s instead. i had a blowout after 700ish miles, but had no issues with the tires thereafter. I will, however, say that I became hyper vigilant to avoid any significant road imperfections, which may have helped prevent another blowout. Some have said that putting the tire pressure up to 45 psi will decrease the risk too, but I never tried.

While I was happy enough with the 21s, I still really wanted the 20s for 3 reasons - I still thought they look better, I wanted a higher sidewall to not have to worry about blowouts as much (plus having Michelin rather than Pirelli was appealing for the same reason), and to potentially have more options to switch to all season tires at some point (to improve range slightly and to not have to worry about cold temps as much because it does occasionally go below 40 here overnight in the winter [I know, ]). I found another user on the forum selling his low mile 20s for a reasonable price and bought them this past August.

Having now racked up 7k miles on the 20s, here are my non scientific thoughts/comparisons:
- I personally like the look of the 20s better than the 21s, but this is obviously subjective. The 21s are definitely more menacing, but I kind of feel the 21" wheels fill up too much of the wheel well and don't look right proportionally. I had considered leaving the inserts out, but I like the look of them with the inserts just fine and have better aerodynamics with them in, so I've just left them as is.
- The ride is slightly softer and quieter on the 20s when compared to the 21s. I definitely felt bumps slightly more in the 21s. I've never driven the 19s to compare to them, so can't say how much of a difference it truly is.
- I'm getting minimally better efficiency on the 20s (like 0.1 mi/kWh), which isn't surprising given that they have the same EPA mileage.
- I haven't stressed the 20s with driving as much as the 21s (@AirDoll can attest to the canyon carving we did in northern SLO county when I was still on the 21s), but I feel like the handling is just as good. Again, not surprising given they're both summer performance tires with the same tread widths.
- I'm still careful when driving to avoid bigger road ruts and potholes, but I'm definitely not as hyper vigilant as I was with the 21s, which has made for more relaxed driving.

All in all, I'd say I'm happier with the 20s because of the piece of mind regarding the sidewalls and Michelin rubber. I also personally like the look better, but again, that's subjective. I may eventually change to an EV all season tire if one becomes available, but I've been happy enough with the Michelin summer tires that I'm going to keep them at least until they have to be replaced. Overall, I feel the 20s are the best balance between comfort and performance compared to the 19s and 21s.

Hope this helps!

 

[AirDoll]

I think I may be the only person with extensive experience on both the 20s and 21s. I've been meaning to write up my opinions of both, but was figuring I'd wait until I had over 10k miles on the 20s to give a long-term opinion of both. But, since you asked, here goes:

I got 21s on my GT to start with and put over 15k miles on them. I had originally wanted the 20s, but they would have delayed my delivery by many months and I had already waited so long for my car that I just went with the 21s instead. i had a blowout after 700ish miles, but had no issues with the tires thereafter. I will, however, say that I became hyper vigilant to avoid any significant road imperfections, which may have helped prevent another blowout. Some have said that putting the tire pressure up to 45 psi will decrease the risk too, but I never tried.

While I was happy enough with the 21s, I still really wanted the 20s for 3 reasons - I still thought they look better, I wanted a higher sidewall to not have to worry about blowouts as much (plus having Michelin rather than Pirelli was appealing for the same reason), and to potentially have more options to switch to all season tires at some point (to improve range slightly and to not have to worry about cold temps as much because it does occasionally go below 40 here overnight in the winter [I know, ]). I found another user on the forum selling his low mile 20s for a reasonable price and bought them this past August.

Having now racked up 7k miles on the 20s, here are my non scientific thoughts/comparisons:
- I personally like the look of the 20s better than the 21s, but this is obviously subjective. The 21s are definitely more menacing, but I kind of feel the 21" wheels fill up too much of the wheel well and don't look right proportionally. I had considered leaving the inserts out, but I like the look of them with the inserts just fine and have better aerodynamics with them in, so I've just left them as is.
- The ride is slightly softer and quieter on the 20s when compared to the 21s. I definitely felt bumps slightly more in the 21s. I've never driven the 19s to compare to them, so can't say how much of a difference it truly is.
- I'm getting minimally better efficiency on the 20s (like 0.1 mi/kWh), which isn't surprising given that they have the same EPA mileage.
- I haven't stressed the 20s with driving as much as the 21s (@AirDoll can attest to the canyon carving we did in northern SLO county when I was still on the 21s), but I feel like the handling is just as good. Again, not surprising given they're both summer performance tires with the same tread widths.
- I'm still careful when driving to avoid bigger road ruts and potholes, but I'm definitely not as hyper vigilant as I was with the 21s, which has made for more relaxed driving.

All in all, I'd say I'm happier with the 20s because of the piece of mind regarding the sidewalls and Michelin rubber. I also personally like the look better, but again, that's subjective. I may eventually change to an EV all season tire if one becomes available, but I've been happy enough with the Michelin summer tires that I'm going to keep them at least until they have to be replaced. Overall, I feel the 20s are the best balance between comfort and performance compared to the 19s and 21s.

Hope this helps!

Pretty sure I have video of those canyon runs!

 

[blueice89]

I ride in 20s most the time and when the tread is done I switching back to 19s then after that I will need to figure out what to do. Will need a plan in about 60-70k miles

 

[Shane_SLC]

I had ordered my Touring Stealth with 20" rims and it was delivered with 21" setup in 06/2023 - I love the appearance, the handling, comfort and very little road noise. The many early reports about Pirelly 21" blow-outs certainly caused initial anxiety and I have been super-diligent about avoiding potholes etc.. Despite occassional travel on the crater-roads of D.C., Philly and Baltimore I have fortunately not had any tire damage in 10K miles. On longer drives up to 7 hrs I always found the ride comfortable.

Since June I have been (unsuccessfully) trying to get Lucid to swap my wheels to 20", since I live in the Northeast and would like to depend on the car as my daily. Without certified winter or all-year alternative tires, I've had to to drive my old car for the past two weeks in order to not damage the 21" tires in sub-45 degree temps.

IF all stars align, LUCID mobile service will swap the wheels this coming Monday, I will then have allround tires mounted for the remaining cold season and will report back w/ comparison.
I plan on keeping the 21" set because I like them. Dependent on the cost of a seasonal tire/wheel swap and how much of a PITA it is to recalibrate the TPMS every time, I will have to decide if it might just be easier to use the 20's w/ allround tires year around...View attachment 18254

Those Stealth 21's do look awesome! I bet the Stealth 20's without the aero inserts would look just as good. I'm hoping that the recent update will make the size swap easier for TPMS, but I'm worried that's still an extra headache as well.

 

[Shane_SLC]

I think I may be the only person with extensive experience on both the 20s and 21s. I've been meaning to write up my opinions of both, but was figuring I'd wait until I had over 10k miles on the 20s to give a long-term opinion of both. But, since you asked, here goes:

I got 21s on my GT to start with and put over 15k miles on them. I had originally wanted the 20s, but they would have delayed my delivery by many months and I had already waited so long for my car that I just went with the 21s instead. i had a blowout after 700ish miles, but had no issues with the tires thereafter. I will, however, say that I became hyper vigilant to avoid any significant road imperfections, which may have helped prevent another blowout. Some have said that putting the tire pressure up to 45 psi will decrease the risk too, but I never tried.

While I was happy enough with the 21s, I still really wanted the 20s for 3 reasons - I still thought they look better, I wanted a higher sidewall to not have to worry about blowouts as much (plus having Michelin rather than Pirelli was appealing for the same reason), and to potentially have more options to switch to all season tires at some point (to improve range slightly and to not have to worry about cold temps as much because it does occasionally go below 40 here overnight in the winter [I know, ]). I found another user on the forum selling his low mile 20s for a reasonable price and bought them this past August.

Having now racked up 7k miles on the 20s, here are my non scientific thoughts/comparisons:
- I personally like the look of the 20s better than the 21s, but this is obviously subjective. The 21s are definitely more menacing, but I kind of feel the 21" wheels fill up too much of the wheel well and don't look right proportionally. I had considered leaving the inserts out, but I like the look of them with the inserts just fine and have better aerodynamics with them in, so I've just left them as is.
- The ride is slightly softer and quieter on the 20s when compared to the 21s. I definitely felt bumps slightly more in the 21s. I've never driven the 19s to compare to them, so can't say how much of a difference it truly is.
- I'm getting minimally better efficiency on the 20s (like 0.1 mi/kWh), which isn't surprising given that they have the same EPA mileage.
- I haven't stressed the 20s with driving as much as the 21s (@AirDoll can attest to the canyon carving we did in northern SLO county when I was still on the 21s), but I feel like the handling is just as good. Again, not surprising given they're both summer performance tires with the same tread widths.
- I'm still careful when driving to avoid bigger road ruts and potholes, but I'm definitely not as hyper vigilant as I was with the 21s, which has made for more relaxed driving.

All in all, I'd say I'm happier with the 20s because of the piece of mind regarding the sidewalls and Michelin rubber. I also personally like the look better, but again, that's subjective. I may eventually change to an EV all season tire if one becomes available, but I've been happy enough with the Michelin summer tires that I'm going to keep them at least until they have to be replaced. Overall, I feel the 20s are the best balance between comfort and performance compared to the 19s and 21s.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I agree that sticking with Michelin branded tires has given me at least a little piece of mind. I've hit a couple of pretty big potholes and have had no issues. On paper the 20's seem to me like the most balanced set, and your experiences seem to reflect that. Maybe I've just got to remind myself how much I love the look of them, or reexplore keeping the aero inserts off for good. Thanks again!

 

[traumaflo]

Does anyone have comparison pictures of 20" stealth rims with and without inserts, please?

 

[DeaneG]

Are there all-season tires available for the 20's now?

 

[Shane_SLC]

Are there all-season tires available for the 20's now?

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+All+Season+4&frontTire=44YR0PSAS4XL&rearTire=64YR0PSAS4XL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Lucid&autoYear=2023&autoModel=Air&autoModClar=245%2F40-20F%20265%2F40-20R

 

[Shane_SLC]

Does anyone have comparison pictures of 20" stealth rims with and without inserts, please?

I know you're asking for the Stealth version, but in case no one has photos handy this is my own car with and without the inserts.

 

[traumaflo]

View attachment 18281View attachment 18282
I know you're asking for the Stealth version, but in case no one has photos handy this is my own car with and without the inserts.

That was quick! Thank you - both options look great - beautiful car!!

 

[Shane_SLC]

That was quick! Thank you - both options look great - beautiful car!!

You bet! I really like the look without the inserts, but obviously it's a bit tougher to keep looking nice and clean. If you do end up getting 20's just make sure you remove them immediately, or you'll end up with lots of unsightly scratches.

 

[Neurio]

I had originally wanted to buy the 20s, remove the inserts and paint the calipers a mid-tone blue color. I don't think there's anyone close to me that paints calipers and when I researched it more and found out that it's a multi day process, I said 'screw it' and just leave the inserts in all the time.