21" Inch 21 inch wheels with pirelli tires

[NorthVan57]

I have an opportunity to purchase a set of 4 21 inches OEM wheels with new pirelli stock tires, currently have the 20 inch wheels which I was going to set up with dedicated winters, so I will be able to just change the wheel set fall and spring and I will not have to take tires on and off the single wheel set. Do the 21 inch tires handle as well as the 20 inch tires? I like the performance of the 20 inch tires and the supple ride, I know the 21 inch wheels will have better range. I’ve never tried the 21 inch tires, will they still be capable of moderate off road driving (logging roads) or are they too wimpy?

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[Marchin_MTB]

I’ve done some light off-roading (forest roads) here in Colorado on the 21’s. They do OK if you’re careful and for brief stints off road. I think on -road they handle very well but some may not find them as comfy as the 20’s. Also the 21’s are quiet. My only experience with 20’s is on a loaner. I did like the ride comfort on road a little more with the 20’s, but boy were they loud with the AT tires.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Those Pirelli Verde AS tires are not well loved. Not as compliant as the 20” offerings nor as sporty as the 22” Sport (Scorpion Zero). Also not known to be long lasting, for a middle of the road tire. Lucky for you there are now 4 tire options in 275/55R21, including a AT. https://riviantrackr.com/rivian-tire-guide/

 

[Marchin_MTB]

Those Pirelli Verde AS tires are not well loved. Not as compliant as the 20” offerings nor as sporty as the 22” Sport (Scorpion Zero). Also not known to be long lasting, for a middle of the road tire. Lucky for you there are now 4 tire options in 275/55R21, including a AT. https://riviantrackr.com/rivian-tire-guide/

Until your post here I thought there were only two options for 21’s... and even that is much better than the one option we started with. I agree about these not being much loved (even by Rivian) and I’ve been considering a switch from my OEM 21” to a 20” AS myself.

 

[NorthVan57]

Thanks for input, they are being offered for 1500 Canadian for whole set, tires brand new, wheels about 1 yr old, maybe ok for that price, when they wear out, pick up a better set of 21 inch tires?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Thanks for input, they are being offered for 1500 Canadian for whole set, tires brand new, wheels about 1 yr old, maybe ok for that price, when they wear out, pick up a better set of 21 inch tires?

Yes. Because those Pirellis are also not cheap.

 

[NorthVan57]

Thanks for sharing the tire guide!! That is awesome!!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Thanks for sharing the tire guide!! That is awesome!!

In case you are not aware, this wheel has been discontinued by Rivian. Secondhand replacements are fairly easy to find now but that will change.

 

[Rivdog]

Pirelli 21’s were fine for light off roading in the PNW. They wear out fast though for a lot of people - like 15,000-20,000 miles. Defender LTX is a replacement option that’s nice though.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

I'm getting better mileage than I expected from my 21" OEM Pirellis -- still 7/32" tread at 19,869 miles. (That's just the miles on the OEM tires, which we use about 6 months a year. It's not the current odometer reading.) We like how the 21" tires handle, and we haven't found significant extra noise yet.

So I'm currently planning to keep the 21" rims and 275/55R21 tires through next summer and early fall.

I still want to sell the 21" rims and tires eventually, for this reason: I'm too old to muscle 85# of tire and rim in and out of the vehicle twice a year. So the winter tires on my R1S are 275/50R22, and eventually my summer tires will be too. If I sold them right now, which I'm not planning to, I'd likely ask $1600 USD for the four rims and four used tires. When the tread is further worn, I'll ask less than that.

***

Based on this information, and on reading in the Rivian forums, here's my conclusion:

If this set of OEM 21" tires is truly new, @NorthVan57, the asking price of $1500 CDN is about $1065 USD. That's buying the tires and rims for less than the tires would likely cost new without any rims.

If you want to keep your non-winter tires mounted year-round on their own set of wheels, my opinion is that you aren't likely to find a better deal than this.

Very best wishes!

 

[CrazyOne]

Pirelli 21 is a decent tire at cooler, but not cold temperatures. They are very sensitive to overheating. If they overheat, they wear out real fast. There are cases where they wore out in 6000 miles. Mine should last 25 -30k, except one which overheated and wore out on the outer edge.

 

[ttphhi]

Until your post here I thought there were only two options for 21’s... and even that is much better than the one option we started with. I agree about these not being much loved (even by Rivian) and I’ve been considering a switch from my OEM 21” to a 20” AS myself.

Same here, thought we were stuck with stock Pirelli's or Defender's. At least we have one AT option now. Yokohama is a decent brand too. Thanks for the info!!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Same here, thought we were stuck with stock Pirelli's or Defender's. At least we have one AT option now. Yokohama is a decent brand too. Thanks for the info!!

Michelin Defender XLT MS2 was the first alternative. The rest became known in like the past 60 days or so. There are folks rolling on the Hankook Ion HT already. https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/hankook-ion-ht-275-55r21-xl.50239/

 

[ttphhi]

Michelin Defender XLT MS2 was the first alternative. The rest became known in like the past 60 days or so. There are folks rolling on the Hankook Ion HT already. https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/hankook-ion-ht-275-55r21-xl.50239/

This is promising. The more options the better. Thanks for the heads up.

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