Car Tires

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JOhnH

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Right Seater
It's time to put new tires on my wife's 2011 BMW 328i.

Are there any real differences between brands as long as you buy one of their best/better tires?

She doesn't have a spare because the car came with run-flat tires, so I suppose I should stick to run-flats.

Her biggest demand from her tires is that she loves to take tight corners, so she needs a tire with good cornering ability.

What advice does the collective offer?
 
I ditched the runflats in my vette for the better ride and performance, figure if I get a flat anywhere I’d be driving that car I have AAA and access to their flatbeds anyway.

I put the top performance BFGs on that, forgot the model, but I’ve been happy with them.

Just got some goodyear all seasons on my daily driver, they are made with soy based rubber so they don’t get hard in the cold weather, actually pretty stoked with those tires too.
 
Performance and longevity tend to be inversely correlated.

I have had an inordinate number of vehicles and have never been afraid to try a tire outside of the big brands. Have had mixes successes and failures; same could be said about my purchases from the bigger brands.

Fleet currently has: Falken directionals on the wife's car (ziex, I think is model), Toyo AT's with 121 load range on f350, Michelin 19.5's on the f550, Falken AT's on our beach rig and a mixed bag of used rollers on my old c10. Pleased with all current shoes... Except the c10, but given it doesn't move under it's own power, so I think freebies from behind my buddy's shop are the only choice.

Recently sold Civic wore knock off/off-brand tires that did everything we asked of a backup/beater.

Something else to look into, some brands and/or some stores offer 500 miles test drives on tires. Should be enough to get a good feel for whether she'll hate them.
 
In current times I lean Pirelli for car tires. I’ve also backed off from thise that may wear longest, hardest rubber.

I don't see reason to get the cheapest tires either, often a ‘false economy’.
 
There are a lot of variables. Best to map them out and decide which corner of the performance envelope you want to live.
 
sourdough44 said:
In current times I lean Pirelli for car tires. I’ve also backed off from thise that may wear longest, hardest rubber.

I don't see reason to get the cheapest tires either, often a ‘false economy’.
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I gotta disagree, I got convinced into getting Kellies (or something) on my daily driver last time, they are made by Goodyear, same thing just less money, blah blah blah
Yeah NOPE!

Those tires sucked hard core, didn’t handle or ride as well, not as good in snow, and even though I didn’t have them long they already were getting weather cracks, when compared to my real good years assurances I have now, night and day.


When it comes to tires I just don’t like to mess around, it is the only part of your car touching the road after all.
 
I too ditched the runflats on my BMW 328d for Michelin Pilot Sports AS3. The Continental runflats were hard, transferred a lot of road irregularities to the cabin (especially since I have the sport suspension) and weren’t as sticky as I would have expected. In turn, the Michelins are not only vastly stickier in the dry, but handle wet tarmac much better, ride better (smoother, quieter). I carry a can of “fix a flat” in the trunk and a portable air compressor and call it “done.”
 
Another vote for Michelin. Feel the sidewall of a Michelin and one of a competitor; the difference is noticeable. The Michelins we have had hold up better and grip better even when they are nearing replacement. It's worth the extra cost for us.
 
Both my X3’s run on Pirelli Scorpions. The 2005’s are regular and the 2016’s are run flat that came with the car. The 2016 version is much better handling and ride than earlier versions of run flats but they have lousy wear. I’ll use regular Scorpion non run flats as soon as they need replacing.

I recommend Tire Rack as a good source for info.

Cheers
 
I thought the tires wearing out on a BMW was the sign you needed to sell it, because the expensive repair bills start right after that? :)
 
denverpilot said:
I thought the tires wearing out on a BMW was the sign you needed to sell it, because the expensive repair bills start right after that? :)
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There is a lot of truth to that, but I have a shop about a half mile from me that is owned by a friend (actually a client of my former business). He is great, and cheap. Parts are still expensive, but his skill is worth much more than I pay him. My car is 7 years old and has needed very little maintenance. At one point it wouldn't shift into "sport mode". BMW said $600 for a new control module. He fixed a broken wire and charged me $40. It's been working fine ever since.
NAPA was going to sell me a battery for a high number. I forget how much, but they couldn't install it for me because it was some weird BMW thing that needed professional installation. MY guy sold me a better battery and installed it for about $50 less than NAPA was going to charge. I gave him a $50 tip to make up the difference.
 
JOhnH said:
.....the car came with run-flat tires, so I suppose I should stick to run-flats.

.........................she loves to take tight corners, so she needs a tire with good cornering ability.
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Those two quotes are mutually exclusive.
 
kgruber said:
Those two quotes are mutually exclusive.
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That’s why I’m asking. It I don’t think they are exclusive, But they maybe less than optimal.
If it were my car I’d do as previously suggested and ditch the run flats. But I don’t want her stuck somewhere
 
denverpilot said:
I thought the tires wearing out on a BMW was the sign you needed to sell it, because the expensive repair bills start right after that? :)
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So far, so good. The 2005 X3 has two oil leaks, fixed with gaskets. Other than that just routine stuff like tires, brakes, oil change, etc in 149000 miles. Still on the original clutch as well:cool:. Did have the full instrument cluster replaced under warranty. It was airfreighted from Germany.

Cheers
 
JOhnH said:
Are there any real differences between brands as long as you buy one of their best/better tires?
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In terms of price, the most expensive tires tend to be the make+model+sizes that were used as factory tires on popular make/model cars.

As for run-flats vs conventional, how often does she get a flat tire? If she were to get one, how likely would it be in a remote area with no cell coverage? Does she know how to change a tire? Does she know how to use a can of Fix-A-Flat (or other emergency inflation tool of your choice)?

Edit: Just noticed that you are in Florida. I suppose that means you can use summer tires year round instead of choosing all-season. That will help narrow things down a bit.
 
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Like the Conti Extreme Contact DWS for the cornering ability.

Like Pirelli P6 for cornering and grip.

Like Michelin MXM4 HX for longevity.

Hate Michelin MXM4 Primacy for being pieces of garbage that fall apart from 2 years of ozone and sun exposure.
 
My brother used to own a tire business. Hopefully, I learned a little from him. All the sales buzz words, cornering, grip, performance, touring, all-season, traction, harder, softer, on and on. Sad fact is, most of these expensive tires, just like the high performance, high priced machines they're installed on, spend the majority of their time in traffic, rarely having the opportunity to do what they were designed to do. What a waste.

The technology and materials have been around for decades to make much better and reliable consumer grade tires, but they don't. It's simple economics. Where's the profit in one set of tires outlasting the vehicle they're installed on?

Me, I sit in traffic just like everybody else, and I use the cheapest, highest customer rated tires I can find for my vehicles. Gasoline is a fuel, a car is a tool, and a tire is a round thing that goes round and round, no matter the sales hype. Nitrogen in your car tires, what a hoot. Hilarious how many bought into that one.

Oh, and, I don't tie up 50 or 80, or a hundred thousand of my hard on earned bucks on a performance, or luxury car either. A work vehicle that earns its keep, sure, that's another story, but it doesn't care about brands either.
 
weilke said:
Like the Conti Extreme Contact DWS for the cornering ability.

Like Pirelli P6 for cornering and grip.

Like Michelin MXM4 HX for longevity.

Hate Michelin MXM4 Primacy for being pieces of garbage that fall apart from 2 years of ozone and sun exposure.
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For a Bmw 3 series get the dws. There is no need for this thread to go any farther
 
James331 said:
I gotta disagree, I got convinced into getting Kellies (or something) on my daily driver last time, they are made by Goodyear, same thing just less money, blah blah blah
Yeah NOPE!

Those tires sucked hard core, didn’t handle or ride as well, not as good in snow, and even though I didn’t have them long they already were getting weather cracks, when compared to my real good years assurances I have now, night and day.


When it comes to tires I just don’t like to mess around, it is the only part of your car touching the road after all.
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Well ya, you took a **** tire then bought the cheaper verison of that tire. You know what they say Goodyear... good for a year
 
Criitter7 said:
For a Bmw 3 series get the dws. There is no need for this thread to go any farther
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Negative.
DWS is all-season.
OP is in Florida.
Get the Continental Extremecontact Sport.
 
Mike Smith said:
I run a shop. I sell tires. This thread is gold.
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I'd love to hear your opinion.
Bear in mind:
I live in Florida. If we ever have to go anywhere that it is cold, we take the Bonanza.

My wife is 62 and has never changed a tire. She does very little highway driving. I do most of that, and when she does drive alone, she pretty much sticks to within 10 mph of the limit. But she does like quick acceleration and tight cornering. She loves a good long curvy road and often thinks back to her motorcycle days.

She does a fair amount of volunteer work and does drive is some less desirable areas. That worries me more than it worries her.

I know I am probably over-thinking this. There are probably only a few ways I can make a real mistake and lots of tires that would make a good choice. If it were for my truck, I would just drive into the tire store and say put 4 good ones on it. But this is for her.
 
JOhnH said:
She does a fair amount of volunteer work and does drive is some less desirable areas. That worries me more than it worries her.
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Then stick with the run-flats.

Or get her something less flashy than a BMW.
 
I suggest Maypops..... they are really good tires. Thy only have one problem though.......
 
Agreed with Weilke... if you’re concerned about your wife having to wait by the road to wait for AAA or other roadside service to come and help change a tire, then just go with the runflats. It’s the path with the least variables.
 
asicer said:
Negative.
DWS is all-season.
OP is in Florida.
Get the Continental Extremecontact Sport.
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I have found those to wear down quickly. I used to switch between summer and snow tires and went through a set of Extreme contact sport in a single season and only about 20k miles.

While I dont live in Florida, whenever I am there it seems to rain and the rutted roads are flooded. While you are not likely to encounter the 'S' portion of the specs, the extra profile depth may come in handy with the local road conditions.
 
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I had something (I really don't remember) run-flat tires on my Mini Cooper S. Noisy and wore fast, though they did corner very well. Replaced them with Bridgestone Potenza(?) run-flats for less than $15/tire difference (run flats are eye-waveringly expensive. The Mini tires, which are small, though low profile were $225/tire!) and they were 1) quieter, 2) cornered better than the "cheap" tires they replaced. YMMV.
 
I've never owned a "bad" set of tires. Some wear a little faster, some seem to be better in mud or wet conditions, but none were just terrible. I've had Goodyear, Nitto, and Dunlop for my trucks; Pirelli, Michellin, and Falken on the sports cars. While I am no stranger to "spirited" driving in the sports cars, I can't say I've ever put on a new set of shoes and thought there was a paradigm-shift in traction or performance. I generally stay away from the cheap no-name brands, but I'm currently happy with the Pathfinder branded tires on the 1/2 ton GMC truck which have the same tread as a Hankook A/T. In the end, just find something that suits your budget and fits the car as it's not like one tire is going to have a noticeably better warranty than another, and your wife isn't likely driving at the edge of the Bimmer's performance envelope anyway.
 
Most tires are very dependable, even the ones made in china. Most manufacturers make a quality tire and economy tires. Tires are like airplanes, find the one that fits your mission and buy it. Remember the old saying, "there are three variables in a product/service, Good, Fast, Cheap, you get to pick two" tires are no different. If you want a good mud tire, its gonna be loud and wont ride as good. You want a tire with good traction, it isnt going to last as long because it needs to be softer, it also wont ride as well because it needs a stiffer sidewall. These are just a couple of examples. Contrary to popular opinion, all the top manufacturers make good tires, and no, I dont care about any one persons n/1 study. So, I, like everyone else here, can only give a personal (n/1) opinion. With that said, if I woke up in your shoes, I would buy a quality run-flat tire. My wife and daughters-in-law have instructions that wheels and fenders cost less than replacing THEM, so never park on the side of the interstate or in risky areas or most anywhere if it is late at night. Ride the rim till you get to someplace safe, I'll fix the damn car. John, if you really want to get into the weeds, send me a PM.
 
Mike Smith said:
Most tires are very dependable, even the ones made in china. Most manufacturers make a quality tire and economy tires. Tires are like airplanes, find the one that fits your mission and buy it. Remember the old saying, "there are three variables in a product/service, Good, Fast, Cheap, you get to pick two" tires are no different. If you want a good mud tire, its gonna be loud and wont ride as good. You want a tire with good traction, it isnt going to last as long because it needs to be softer, it also wont ride as well because it needs a stiffer sidewall. These are just a couple of examples. Contrary to popular opinion, all the top manufacturers make good tires, and no, I dont care about any one persons n/1 study. So, I, like everyone else here, can only give a personal (n/1) opinion. With that said, if I woke up in your shoes, I would buy a quality run-flat tire. My wife and daughters-in-law have instructions that wheels and fenders cost less than replacing THEM, so never park on the side of the interstate or in risky areas or most anywhere if it is late at night. Ride the rim till you get to someplace safe, I'll fix the damn car. John, if you really want to get into the weeds, send me a PM.
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Appreciate the offer to PM you, but I think you covered most of the bases, and made a lot of sense.
 
JOhnH said:
My wife is 62 and has never changed a tire.
...
She does a fair amount of volunteer work and does drive is some less desirable areas. That worries me more than it worries her.
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So that brings us back to run-flats. We've now come full circle (see what I did there?)

Since run-flats are now in the "must have" column that should narrow your choices quite a bit.
 
You live in florida. I have no idea where you find curves in Florida :), but I highly suggest summer performance tires. Superior dry and wet performance and stability to anything all-season. And yes, which tire matters a lot. And it's more than just tire A is better than tire B. Tire has to actually "match" the car and the driving style. Cars have different characteristics and tires either enhance the good or the bad behavior. Different sizes of the same tire behave differently as well.

I just recently changed from Bridgestones to Continentals - both in the high performance summer category - on my car and it's a huge difference. Bridgestones(Pole Position) had great grip and handling, but the ride was awful to the point that i thought something was wrong with my car. Any uneven surface would send the car to a fairly violent side to side rocking motion. Yet, the same tire on my previous car was just fine. Contis (DW) have nearly the same performance, but considerably better ride. I'm assuming because of the softer sidewall. Both are not runflats(which as was pointed out are terrible in general).

Tires are really very subjective thing. If you think people argue about what plane is the best or what car is the best, you should start one about the tires. It's all very subjective and there is really no way for one person to test more than 1 or 2 tire combinations. So, in the end it's trial and error at its worst. However, tirerack.com does better than others in trying to help.
 
genna said:
You live in florida. I have no idea where you find curves in Florida :),
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We actually have quite a few curvy roads. No hills, but plenty of curves to avoid sink holes and gopher turtle nests.
 
JOhnH said:
We actually have quite a few curvy roads. No hills, but plenty of curves to avoid sink holes and gopher turtle nests.
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In my experience, "every time" i see a FL tag in the mountains the "spirited" driving/riding amounts to a drag race on the straight and a walking pace on the curve ;)
 
genna said:
In my experience, "every time" i see a FL tag in the mountains the "spirited" driving/riding amounts to a drag race on the straight and a walking pace on the curve ;)
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You haven't seen Leslie then. She is native born and bred in Florida and she kills those curves.
 
JOhnH said:
You haven't seen Leslie then. She is native born and bred in Florida and she kills those curves.
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Those curves are slippery when wet........
 
James331 said:
So did the guy who I foolishly let sell me those kellies
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James, you have forgotten more about flying than I will probably ever know, I don’t argue flying with you, it’s what you do. You bought a set of “Kelly” tires. Did you not do your research? Did this guy portray them as high performance tires? Because Kelly’s are Goodyear’s economy brand. They are fantastic tires for their mission. If you believe the guy was less than honest, I wonder what you meant by your quote? Are you suggesting that if I sell Kelly tires I am dishonest? Is that what you mean? Like I said in my first post, this thread is solid gold.

Good luck John.
 
Mike Smith said:
James, you have forgotten more about flying than I will probably ever know, I don’t argue flying with you, it’s what you do. You bought a set of “Kelly” tires. Did you not do your research? Did this guy portray them as high performance tires? Because Kelly’s are Goodyear’s economy brand. They are fantastic tires for their mission. If you believe the guy was less than honest, I wonder what you meant by your quote? Are you suggesting that if I sell Kelly tires I am dishonest? Is that what you mean? Like I said in my first post, this thread is solid gold.

Good luck John.
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For sure I screwed up, he sold it to me as someone who was looking for the best all season I could mount on that rim, turns out it was the only tire that size he had in stock and I NEEDED new tires as I had to replace one tire out of my 60% tread 4 tires on my AWD.

I himhawded about it, he assured me it was a great goodyear, just with a different name on it, I was in a bad position and just pulled the trigger on it.

Hindsight I should have went and had lunch and looked up the tire and just gotten by for a few more days waiting for a nice tire to get shipped in.

That said, with how he tried to sell me on that tire, I don’t give that shop business anymore.

I went to a corporate goodyear for my new assurances, tried to get some warranty credit out of the kellies the Corp shop called the sketchy shop that sold them to me, they were told over the phone the mileage my car had and other details when I got the tires, but when asked to fax the data over for the warranty, all of a sudden they didn’t have anything to fax, the Corp shop still gave me a discount and were not impressed with the other place.
 
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