Struggling with wheel choice

[SRTConvert]

All the Rivian 20" wheels are forged if I remember correctly.

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[LeoH]

It depends, do you need the looks or he functionality? If you like the 20's for looks, get those, when the tires wear out, put regular tires. The range hit is a combination of the size and the material of the tire.

I am sticking with 21, but really like the 22, so I am thinking of that. I also read a lot that the 21 are going to be a pain to replace tires for, while the 22 and 20 are more conventional in size. ( I might be wrong, but I prefer a tire expert to clear it up a bit, the threads have 1000 conflicting comments lol )

 

[Guy]

Forged is the main reason I recently switched from the standard 21” wheels to the 20” All-Terrain wheels. I also think they look better, show off the yellow calipers because of the open design and replacement tires will be easier to get.

The aero inserts can be removed on the 21s to open them out and see the calipers more.

 

[sub]

I also read a lot that the 21 are going to be a pain to replace tires for, while the 22 and 20 are more conventional in size. ( I might be wrong, but I prefer a tire expert to clear it up a bit, the threads have 1000 conflicting comments lol )

It is unlikely to be a problem to buy replacement tires for any of the sizes. It is just timing. No tire shop is going to have 21-in tires that fit hanging out in the back ready to go. They will have to order the tires and you could end up waiting a few days.

If you have a spare tire, or if you are just looking to replace your tires when you have worn the first set out, waiting a few days is not a problem.

The consern is that if you are a thousand miles from home, you didn't purchase the spare tire, and have a blowout, then you could end up stranded for a few days waiting on the replacement to arrive. That would certainly be quite inconvenient. But how often does that actually happen?

There is also no snow tires for the 21-in size. So if you were hoping to mount snow tires in the winter and did not want to buy dedicated rims for the snow tires, you would want to avoid the 21 inch size.

 

[Erin]

One thing to note, the 20" wheels are forged -- stronger and lighter - $1800 is not a bad price for forged wheels. Aftermarket is likely to substantially more.

Interesting point- Thanks

 

[Erin]

It is unlikely to be a problem to buy replacement tires for any of the sizes. It is just timing. No tire shop is going to have 21-in tires that fit hanging out in the back ready to go. They will have to order the tires and you could end up waiting a few days.

If you have a spare tire, or if you are just looking to replace your tires when you have worn the first set out, waiting a few days is not a problem.

The consern is that if you are a thousand miles from home, you didn't purchase the spare tire, and have a blowout, then you could end up stranded for a few days waiting on the replacement to arrive. That would certainly be quite inconvenient. But how often does that actually happen?

There is also no snow tires for the 21-in size. So if you were hoping to mount snow tires in the winter and did not want to buy dedicated rims for the snow tires, you would want to avoid the 21 inch size.

Thanks for this post. The snow tire argument made my decision for me

 

[LeoH]

It is unlikely to be a problem to buy replacement tires for any of the sizes. It is just timing. No tire shop is going to have 21-in tires that fit hanging out in the back ready to go. They will have to order the tires and you could end up waiting a few days.

If you have a spare tire, or if you are just looking to replace your tires when you have worn the first set out, waiting a few days is not a problem.

The consern is that if you are a thousand miles from home, you didn't purchase the spare tire, and have a blowout, then you could end up stranded for a few days waiting on the replacement to arrive. That would certainly be quite inconvenient. But how often does that actually happen?

There is also no snow tires for the 21-in size. So if you were hoping to mount snow tires in the winter and did not want to buy dedicated rims for the snow tires, you would want to avoid the 21 inch size.

The 21 aren't common yet, and we never know if they will be. That is my issue, get a blowout, then you have to have a spare available, or just gamble and pump some fix a flat and throw away the tire afterwards.

What I really would like to know is that if the 20/22 rims have readily available All Season tires, and will that improve the range.

 

[the_mace]

I'm also bouncing back and forth between the 20" and the 21". I live in Massachusetts so we get decent snow. No real off-roading, but we have horses and need to tow ~8,000 lbs at times (not often). Distance isn't an issue, just expensive trips to a vet, relatively close horse shows etc.

I like the looks of the 20s, but don't like the range loss. I am hoping for the max pack so maybe that's fine. The 21's the biggest thing putting me off is the non-standard size when it comes time to replace them.

I have snow tires now for my Tesla Model S and would rather not go back to winter/summer swaps although I know its the best setup (I have 2 sets of wheels too for the Tesla).

 

[gsqrd]

All the Rivian 20" wheels are forged if I remember correctly.

untrue according to Rivian. The 21 and 22 are cast(albeit special casting)

 

[elektrode]

I fretted over this 21 vs 20 thing for months. When I searched for All Season tires online for the 20s, there we hardly any choices as well once you factored in the load requirements and none of them were marked as EV Eco. I didn’t want an AT tire ALL the time.

Came to my senses for my 95% use that 21s give me the range(and probably ride) for everyday and that I was choosing something wrong for me based on looks.

In the end, I decided 21” with a spare. I’ll have an extra while I wait for a replacement. In the future case that I can’t get 21s,the aftermarket for 20s will have caught up.

Defo preferred the look of the 20s over 21s, but posts here showing satin black powder coated 21s look pretty damn hot to me!

 

[140 degrees]

Another datapoint for us. It looks like the new Chevy Blazer EV will have an option for 21 inch wheels. That may be a reasonably high volume vehicle. I don't know what the weight rating on the tires will look like, though.
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The LT features a monochromatic appearance and standard 19-inch wheels, while the RS strikes a sportier presence with a black grille and other black accents, along with standard 21-inch wheels.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

Living up north and almost never going offroad myself, I viewed the options this way:

20s
+Best snow performance of OEM tires
+Only size you can currently get a real winter tire in that meets load and speed reqs
+Best ride comfort / most pothole proof
+Best aesthetics / wheel quality (forged)
+Likely best tread wear (due to depth)
-Biggest loss of range
-Worst road noise
-Worst on road performance
-Cost

21s
+Free (pays for half of second wheel/tire set)
+Best range by a considerable margin
+Best road noise
+Good on road performance
+Good tread wear
-Poor snow performance
-No other tires options currently
-Worst aesthetics / wheel quality (cast)

22s
+Best on road performance
+Good range
+Multiple replacement all season tires available, some with very good snow performance
+Good road noise and aesthetics
-Worst ride comfort
-Poor snow performance
-Still a cast wheel
-Worst tread wear
-Cost

For me, the 21s are a no-brainer if you live in a climate without snow. With snow in the picture and not wanting a second set, I see the options as either eating the efficiency cost of the ATs or putting a better AS tire on the 22s. Reason leans toward the 22s, but I'm going 20s because of how terrible our Model Y ride quality is. And because they look awesome.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I had a bunch of views, and recently got to see and drive each combination, and I highly recommend it. The car sounds, rides, and handles differently in a noticeable manner to me.

I was dead set of the 21s. They’re free, they look good in pictures with the aero covers removed, and they give the best range.

After I saw and drove on them, I decided the the 20s weren’t for me. The 21s were good but I absolutely hated the way they looked. Even with the covers off, they didn’t quite look right to me. I went and updated my order to 22” as that’s what spoke to me. Unfortunately I now need to figure outa winter solution. I had the same tires on my model x and they were Terible in the snow.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

I had a bunch of views, and recently got to see and drive each combination, and I highly recommend it. The car sounds, rides, and handles differently in a noticeable manner to me.

I was dead set of the 21s. They’re free, they look good in pictures with the aero covers removed, and they give the best range.

After I saw and drove on them, I decided the the 20s weren’t for me. The 21s were good but I absolutely hated the way they looked. Even with the covers off, they didn’t quite look right to me. I went and updated my order to 22” as that’s what spoke to me. Unfortunately I now need to figure outa winter solution. I had the same tires on my model x and they were Terible in the snow.

Interesting feedback. Any more detail on what specifically you didn't care for driving on the 20s?

Looking at the 22s, the Michelin Defender seems like a very well-rated AS tire for winter, as is the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3. I'm very curious what the range hit would end up being given that they're not EV-specific tires.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Interesting feedback. Any more detail on what specifically you didn't care for driving on the 20s?

Looking at the 22s, the Michelin Defender seems like a very well-rated AS tire for winter, as is the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3. I'm very curious what the range hit would end up being given that they're not EV-specific tires.

The Pirellis specifically I had on the Tesla. While a different width and ratio, it was enough to get you going but really struggled with lateral hold and braking distances in the snow & ice. It was a common complaint in the forums as to how terrible they are. I switched and many others did too to the DWS06 which was night and day. Unfortunately not available for the R1T sizes.

The 20s were significantly noisier to drive on. I noticed them immediately and disliked it. The steering was also noticeably numb to me as was the tip in. I also didn’t like the way the truck handled on them.

I will caveat that I’m picky and can be a tire snob. I notice things all the time on my existing cars that my wife doesn’t. I replace my tires early, usually have winters and summers, and it’s not uncommon for me to go through 3+ sets of tires within the 1st year of buying a new car to try to find the ones that fit me best.

That’s me, part of the reason I recommend driving and seeing for yourself. You might not like the harsher riding 22s, or the cartoon oversized look. Tighter steering to me is good. To my wife is annoying.

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