Forgot have another question about my new T5. I did not want the 17" low profile tires so part of my full vehicle order was that it must have the standard tires for a T5. Well the T5 standard rim/tire is the Metis with tire size 215/55/R16. However when I went to pick up the vehicle my husband was there for part of the transaction but left to get back to work. After he left we were going over the car and I noticed the wheels were that of the 2.4T (Mimas tire size 205/55/R16). I pointed to them and asked my salesman and he said I requested 16" tires and that 17" is standard on the T5. My reply was I requested what is standard on the T5 (which is not 17") and not to have the 17" rims. I pointed out that the 2.4T rims are cheaper and to get the standard T5 rims on a 2.4T that is a $212 invoice price option (I know some of you dislike the Metis rims but I just wanted the standard rim). So I said I would discuss this with my husband and see what we want to do. I am assuming since I said the color and packages I desired were not negotiable that they found a match but it had the 17" rims so they thought they should just swap tires with a 2.4T to get 16", but I am not sure what happened.

So my question is, would there be any risk (due to larger brakes or anything) to have the 2.4T rims and wheels on the T5? Aside from the price difference, a main concern of mine is that these rims/tires not cause some sort of problem down the road or in handling. Is there any noticable difference between the 215/55/R16 and the 205/55/R16.

Thanks for any advice,
dgriffith

what was wrong with the 17" wheels on the new v70 t5? the new structure is a lot stiffer, the wheel wells are larger, and the tires are a bit thicker, at 235-45-17. so none of the harshness compared to the older 850/70 platform. and, u definitely will feel the difference in grip compared to 215-55-16.

anyway, there would be some difference in the speedometer. in any case, u should the proper difference in money if they cannot supply u with the t5 16" rims with 215-55-16. u want to start off on the right foot with a new car.

Really I just felt the 17" might be a little harsher and I am not going to be driving it performance wise. I figured if it became a concern later I could then look to upgrade my rims and tires but just wanted to start off with the standard tires.

Not sure what you mean that there would be a difference in speedometer, that since the 2.4T tires are little more narrow that my speedometer reading would be wrong/off? To me that is not a good thing...

Well the salesman said he is going to look into it himself (I guess verify what I said) and he said he is sure we can work something out. I am trying to gather information on what the correct options should be for us to even consider, namely is there any reason why I need to go with the Metis wheels at a minimum, can I keep the 2.4T wheels on it now and just get the price difference, or if they can't get me the Metis wheels then go an pay the difference to have the 17" wheels.

Thanks,
dgrifith

I have a 2001 V70 T5 with the Metis wheels and have been very happy with the ride comfort. I have found that tire pressure makes a big difference. In my opinion, 30-32 psi provides a very soft ride with very little impact harshness and 37-38 psi is fairly firm with a notable increase in impact harshness. Since I like a fairly firm ride, I am currently keeping mine at 35 psi. A higher tire pressures should also protect against bent rims.

I would worry about having 2.4T wheels with the higher performance (larger) T5 brakes. Under heavy braking conditions, inadequate airflow could cause overheated (T5) rotors. The standard 2.4T wheels were not designed for T5 brakes. I would not accept these wheels.

In my opinion, 17-inch wheels with low profile tires are more subject to bent rims. I think they also require a different front-end wheel stop position (to prevent rubbing), which results in a larger turning radius. I think they look better than the Metis wheels but personally prefer the looks of some of the after-market wheels.

Thus, your final decision may involve many variables that only you can evaluate. Personally, I would prefer a better looking set of 16-inch wheels, but am satisfied with the Metis wheels. Good luck.

Thanks everyone, the dealer will be getting me the metis rims and tires this week. And after hearing about the speedometer being off I looked into it, and discussed the whole situation with another volvo dealer's service department. Yes the speedometer is off due to the 2.4T tires being on the car with no calibration (I tested this out with mile markers and a watch). So when I talked to the salesman and sales manager at the dealer I think I made them speechless when I pointed out all the wrong things they did to the car with their uninformed decision to just put the 2.4T tires on the car to save a buck (to get a car from the port and not do a dealer exchange for exactly what I wanted) thinking I would never know the difference. Also I informed the dealer I had already consulted VCNA and another volvo dealer's service department about it, neither approved of using the mimas wheels on a T5. Yes the steering stops are also a problem. At least I found out that there is a pretty knowledgeable and helpful service department out there, yes it is a little bit of a drive but if the current service department messes up the wheel swap, I will drive to this other dealer to have everything fixed.

Thanks for all the great information.
dgriffith

yeah, 16" will probably yield ar better ride...but just thought that the 235 width would provide better traction for putting down all that power in the t5. u should definitely obtain the price difference between the 17" and 16", whichever the 16" u finally get.

if u feel like knowing a little more about tires, u could look online at tirerack.com and their tire tech section in the tires page. btw, the 235-45-17 size is also the standard 17" tire size on the e-class.

The speedo can be off due to slight variations in the tires
diameter. The speedo counts the revolutions of the tire so it needs to
know the tire's circumfrence. (Yes, it varies a bit as tires wear
but a speedo is accurate to, say, 5% anyway). The dealer can reprogram
it via a software interface to compensate for any variation in tire size
over the tires it came with from the factory.

As far as the original question about problems: I'd say no. The
brake components should work with any tire/wheel Volvo sells.

The tires from a 2.4T might last longer. They are probably a "touring"
tire where as the 17" where probably a "performance" tire. My 98 T5
needed new tires at 24K miles; my wifes GLT wagon (with "touring"
type tires) made it to 33K miles. If you live where it snows, the
narrower tire will also work better in snow.

Since ultimate performance is not your goal I'd pick the wheels based
on what looks best and gives the ride you want. Sounds like you have
the correct choice.