Those Michelins are space-aged looking but pricey. You're right about the 18' wheels. I guess this is the price we pay for cool.

I am going to try the Goodyear Wilderness ATs with Kevlar. They have to hold up better than the Pirellis.

 

So continuing down this rabbit hole: are the 19" wheels the issue? Are you better off with 20" or bigger wheels given the weight of the vehicle and the types of tires available for the 20" (or bigger) wheels?

 

just IMO, it's a combo of the rim size and tire makers. i don't think there's is anything prohibiting a KO2 from fitting a 20" rim with a big sidewall - it's more that the market has more offerings at the 18" rim. I'm def. not saying 18" is better than 19" or 20" - it's more that if you choose an 18" rim, your selection of tires that can fit that rim goes up. Some of those tires are designed with enhanced durability (kevlar, greater sidewall protection, perhaps higher load rating), and some of those choices may appeal to some buyers. Some of the tires that are less durable may sound bad, but then again, maybe a softer comp. without aggressive raised treads offer increased on road traction & stability (important for non-aerodynamic high center of gravity SUV traveling at 80 mph on the highway). The "problem" of bigger rims only shows up if you've selected a larger rim (like a 20" or 21"), and then you want an equally large sidewall as your neighbor's 18" rimed Rubicon; that's going to be a HUGE wheel overall, and the wheel arch would likely need to have been bigger at the production level (to avoid rubbing the tire). To give a visual, look at a Wrangler. Just in case a buyer wants an aftermarket tire/rim set up that was not the original build, some of the Wranglers have extra room. Same for some Bronco trims. The Defender doesn't really offer that (yet). If you look at the RR, it's tough to fit a quarter between the wheel arch and the tire, so from the JLR perspective, the Defender is clearly the best in the JLR lineup. But it doesn't allow configurations like Bronco or Wrangler. If you visit tiresize.com you can see how the sidewall & circumference changes when you pick different rim sizes. If you've seen a G wagon, it's clear the rim size may be the same as Defender, but the tires are noticeably wider. The tire/rim set up affects driving quality from a few different angles, and thus there's some general trade off with off road vs. on road. (Picture that Porsche Cayenne GTS with low profiles, but probably corners amazing). No tire is perfect everywhere, and no tire/rim set is ideal. But an 18" rim vs. a 21" rim is going to offer more tire choices, and this is likely what you're finding? Wildpeak, KO2s, and some Detestation series treads are popular choices for many, but to get them on Defender it's not great if you can't put the 18" rim to the the stronger engine. Tires can even impact the unexpected, like roof load capacity. So although JLR has the awesome steel wheels out there on the 2.0L engine, there must be some concern about pairing the smaller rim to the stronger engine. Sure, maybe you get a thicker sidewall. But maybe there's some concern with the driving dynamics and stability? You can imagine the JLR folks do worry about that, as the V8 is listed with zero lbs of dynamic roof rack capacity. Gee, if you've got a rocket engine for a motor, don't go and put 100 lbs on the roof - it may be unstable under some conditions?? Who knows... If you go with a bigger rim, you can see how that reduces a tire's sidewall. A low profile tire is common on Porsches and RRs, but personally, for me, I'd rather not have that on a Defender. If you hit rocks, curbs, and potholes, a sidewall is prudent protection. Long story short, the tire/rim set up is important to get right, not only to get the performance you expect, but to get the safety as well. Find a local expert, talk to your dealer, and get a few opinions. GL!