[dr.s]

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We have a M235i drive on order to replace our 06 330i. Alpine white with coral red interior. We went with the summer performance tire option as I have been running dedicated snow tires on our other cars. Also like the Michelin PSS tires as have been running them on our 535xi wagon.

The summer performance tires are staggered 225/40 18 front and 245/35 18 in the rear. I have also been running staggered tires in the summer on our 535xi wagon and have been careful in making sure that the front and rear have as close as possible the same diameter. From 1010tires.com, the 225/40 18 has a diameter of 25.09" and the 245/35 18 has a diameter of 24.75" or about a 1.35% different. I assume this works or they would not provide this set up for xdrive but was always under the impression to try to get the front and rear within 1% of each other. The 3 series provides the same size front but 255/35 18 in the rear in the staggered set up, which has a diameter of 25.03" or closer to the front diameter size or only .24% different.

I understand they use a 7 1/2" wide wheel in the front and a 8" wide wheel in the rear. I don't think a 255 wide tire will fit on a 8" wide wheel. I notice some others have pushed it as far as 8 1/2" wheels in the front and 9 1/2" wheels in the rear - so it is a little of a mystery to me why BMW could not provide the same 8" wide front and 8 1/2" wide rear as they do on the 3 series, and the same 225/40 and 255/35 18 tire sizes which would be closer to the same diameter.

Any xdrive 2 series owners running 255/35 in the rear (or the equivalent 19" wheels - 225/35 19, 255/30 19) and any issues? Likewise I expect a winter setup going with a square 225/40 18 (0% different) not to be an issue, despite the factory staggered set up being about 1.35% different.

Again, my question is coming from experience with the 5 series where a staggered 245/40 18 and 275/35 18 is a standard factory set up. I know a guy who placed 265/35 18 on the rear and had a immediate noise coming from the transfer case area that scared him on the whole staggered set up on xdrive. He went back to the square set up and no noise / issues. I mentioned that 275/35 is the standard size, so wonder if he used this size if he would of had the same issue?

I have talked to a local BMW genius on why the difference between xdrive set up on the 2 series and 3 series and he did not have an answer - but was going to look into it. BMW provides a staggered set up in quite a few xdrive vehicles, from the 2, 3, 4, 5, x1, x5, etc. Perhaps BMW's xdrive has a little more tolerance between front and rear tire diameter sizes than what I thought, despite from what I have learned or heard on the 5 series?

I would imagine that if someone were to go with 255/35 18 in the rear on the xdrive 2 series and where to develop some type of drive line issue - that BMW could possibly deny warranty work as the 255 is not the original standard 245 size, even though the 255/35 is a closer match to the front diameter.

Anyone have any thought or experience on this?