BMW X5 tire size
Original tire sizes for the BMW X5, model years 2007 through 2024. Trim levels and wheel packages change the size within the same year, so confirm on the door-jamb sticker before ordering.
Check before you order. The surest answer is the tires on the car right now: the size is molded into the sidewall. The placard inside the driver's door tells you what the factory fitted, which can differ from what a previous owner put on. Our guide on reading a tire size shows exactly where to look.
Size by year and trim
| Model years | Trim or package | Tire size | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2024 | 20 in front | 275/45R20 | $128 |
| 2019-2024 | 20 in rear | 305/40R20 | $200 |
| 2019-2024 | 22 in rear | 315/35R22 | $270 |
| 2014-2018 | 19 in | 255/50R19 | $100 |
| 2014-2018 | 20 in front | 275/40R20 | $125 |
| 2007-2013 | Base | 255/55R18 | $115 |
Tire size by model year
| Model year | Tire size | Trim or package | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2023 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2022 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2021 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2020 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2019 BMW X5 | 275/45R20, 305/40R20, 315/35R22 | 20 in front, 20 in rear or 22 in rear | $128 |
| 2018 BMW X5 | 255/50R19, 275/40R20 | 19 in or 20 in front | $100 |
| 2017 BMW X5 | 255/50R19, 275/40R20 | 19 in or 20 in front | $100 |
| 2016 BMW X5 | 255/50R19, 275/40R20 | 19 in or 20 in front | $100 |
| 2015 BMW X5 | 255/50R19, 275/40R20 | 19 in or 20 in front | $100 |
| 2014 BMW X5 | 255/50R19, 275/40R20 | 19 in or 20 in front | $100 |
| 2013 BMW X5 | 255/55R18 | Base | $115 |
Show the remaining 6 model years
What BMW approves
BMW-approved tires carry a star on the sidewall.
The star means BMW signed off on that exact tire for that car. Many BMWs also leave the factory on run-flats, marked RSC or with the maker's own code such as ZP or MOE, and BMW's own advice is not to mix run-flat and standard tires on the same car.
Brands that carry the approval
Written on the sidewall as: Pirelli P Zero (★), Continental PremiumContact 6 (★).
The drawing carries the sizes we list for this car, so you know what you are looking for. The placard on the car is still the final word, and it is the only place that gives the cold pressures: the number molded into the sidewall is the maximum the tire can hold, not what your car wants.
What those tires cost
Buying wheels at the same time?
A staggered car is the one case where new wheels and new tires usually happen together, because a bent or corroded rear rim is what sends most people shopping in the first place. Four numbers have to match before the size does any good.
- Bolt pattern
- Number of studs and the circle they sit on, written as 5x114.3. It is not adjustable; adapters are a compromise.
- Offset
- How far the mounting face sits from the centre line. Wrong offset rubs the strut or the fender, even in the right size.
- Centre bore
- The hole in the middle must sit on the hub, not on the bolts. A hub-centric ring fills a bore that is too large.
- Load rating
- Each wheel must carry its share of the loaded car. This is what gets missed on trucks and on anything towing.
Wheels and complete wheel and tire packages, mounted and balanced.
About the BMW X5
The X5 is BMW's mid-size luxury SUV and the vehicle that created the segment when it arrived for 2000. It is built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and sold with six-cylinder, V-8 and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Tire buyers land here because the X5 offers wheels from 18 to 22 inches, many fitments are staggered, and most cars left the factory on star-marked run-flats.
Launched in 1999. Launched in 1999 for the 2000 model year, the first X5 was BMW's debut SUV, built on a car-like unibody rather than a truck frame and marketed as a Sports Activity Vehicle to distance it from the Jeeps and Land Rovers of the day.
How to tell the model years apart
Wheel and tire sizes follow the generation, not the badge, so identifying yours matters before you order.
2007-2013
E70
Larger than the original, with an optional third row for the first time and a much taller kidney grille. Look for the split tailgate with a separate glass hatch and, from the 2011 facelift, LED corona rings in the headlights. Base cars ran 18-inch wheels with 255/55R18 tires.
Tire sizes: 255/55R18
2014-2018
2019-2024
G05
Much larger grille, slimmer laser-optional headlights and a sharply creased hood. The big change for tire buyers is the widespread use of staggered fitments: 275/45R20 front with 305/40R20 rear on 20-inch wheels, and 275/40R22 front with 315/35R22 rear on the 22-inch option.
What the press said
The original X5 was praised for driving like a BMW sedan while offering SUV space, and that comparison has followed every generation. The E70 was seen as bigger and softer but still the driver's choice in the class. The F15 drew criticism for feeling more like a luxury cruiser than a sports SUV, and for run-flat ride quality. The G05 was widely regarded as a return to form, with reviewers singling out the inline-six powertrain and the chassis while complaining about option pricing and an increasingly screen-dependent interior.
The 2019 BMW X5 is all new, replacing the aging 2018 model with a more modern package.
Car and Driver, 2019
| Model year | Units sold in the US |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 54,997 |
| 2016 | 47,641 |
| 2017 | 50,815 |
| 2018 | 45,013 |
| 2019 | 54,595 |
| 2020 | 50,513 |
| 2021 | 60,724 |
| 2022 | 82,373 |
| 2023 | 72,574 |
| 2024 | 72,349 |
| 2025 | 75,657 |
US sales have climbed from around 45,000 in 2018 to a peak of 82,373 in 2022 and have stayed above 70,000 since, making the X5 one of BMW's two best-selling models in the country.
Was it a success?
The X5 is a commercial success by any measure and remains the benchmark other mid-size luxury SUVs are measured against. Resale is solid on six-cylinder xDrive40i models and weaker on V-8 and plug-in hybrid versions, which carry high running costs out of warranty. Reliability is average for a German luxury SUV: the drivetrains are generally durable, but cooling systems, air suspension and electronics are the usual sources of expensive post-warranty bills.
Did you know?
- The X5 has been built in Spartanburg, South Carolina since 1999, and BMW says the Spartanburg plant is the largest automotive exporter from the United States by value.
- BMW invented the term Sports Activity Vehicle for the X5 specifically to avoid calling it an SUV.
- The 22-inch fitment on the G05 is staggered, so the front and rear tires are different sizes and cannot be rotated.
Tire options on the BMW X5
Sizes run from 255/55R18 on the E70 through 255/50R19 and 275/40R20 on the F15 to staggered 275/45R20 with 305/40R20 rear, or 275/40R22 with 315/35R22 rear, on the G05. Any 20- or 22-inch M Sport fitment is staggered and must be bought in axle pairs; 18- and 19-inch setups are square and can be rotated normally. Most X5s left the factory on star-marked run-flats, which is why so many have no spare wheel and only a compressor, and the star matters: BMW homologates the casing and the unmarked version of the same tire is built to the maker's own spec. Star-marked run-flats in the large sizes cost noticeably more than plain tires, and plenty of owners switch to conventional tires for ride comfort, accepting that they then need a plug kit or roadside cover. Winter tires are widely available in 18-, 19- and 20-inch sizes, and dropping to the 19-inch wheel for winter is the standard advice for cars that came on 22s.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, caranddriver.com, goodcarbadcar.net.
BMW X5 tires: common questions
What size tires does a BMW X5 take?
The most common original size is 275/45R20. Other model years and trims use different sizes, so check the list on this page and confirm against the sticker inside your driver's door.
Can I fit a different size on my BMW X5?
You can, within limits: the overall diameter should stay within about 3 percent of the original, and the load index and speed rating must meet or exceed the door placard. Anything further changes your speedometer reading and can rub at full lock.
Where is the tire size on a BMW X5?
Open the driver's door and look at the white and yellow placard on the door jamb or the B-pillar. The same size is also molded into the sidewall of the tires currently on the car, unless someone changed them.
What size tires does a 2024 BMW X5 take?
The 2024 BMW X5 came from the factory on 275/45R20 and 305/40R20 and 315/35R22. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2023 BMW X5 take?
The 2023 BMW X5 came from the factory on 275/45R20 and 305/40R20 and 315/35R22. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2022 BMW X5 take?
The 2022 BMW X5 came from the factory on 275/45R20 and 305/40R20 and 315/35R22. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.