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BMW 3-Series Tires and Wheels
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Comments
205/55 R16 --- 24.88" ----- 25.00" ---- Softest ride, worst grip, slow steering response
225/50 R16 --- 24.86" ----- 25.00" ---- Soft ride, better grip, slow steering response
225/45 R17 --- 24.97" ----- 25.00" ---- Stiffer ride, better grip, faster steering response
Hope that helps.
Best Regards,
Shipo
BMW was probably trying to pick up a few tenths of a mile per gallon for CAFE purposes. My Club Sport came fitted with 225/50-16 tires but I switched to the 205/55-16 size after track experience showed that the 205/55 tires were actually faster. Note however, that my car is relatively light and doesn't possess bags of horsepower and torque. That said, if your 3 series sees only street use there is little to be gained by going to a plus-zero or plus-one tire.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Interesting that you switched from 225 down to 205, skinnier, for track use. I would have thought the opposite. I don't track my car, and won't. Can you notice a difference in high speed highway cruising; steering feel, or a more stable and planted feeling on the road? Were these two sizes in the same tire model?
I question the importance of grip, never having noticed lack of grip even in relatively aggressive driving.
Both the 205/55/16 and the 225/50/16 have about the same sidewall height, so I don't see why there should be a difference in the softness of the ride.
When you say grip, do you mean at the limit? In ordinary, even spirited, driving I don't exceed the grip of the std 205/55/16 currently on my car. So grip may not be significant to me.
What most interests me is stability, a certain 'planted' feeling and steering precision at fast cruising, along with no wandering or skittering on poorer surfaces. I am not sure what fast or slow steering response means. Does it apply only to track events?
Jerry
When I discuss grip, yes, that is grip at the limit.
Regarding steering feel, as a general statement, the wider the tire, the heavier the steering will feel, unfortunately, wider tires also contribute to a vague on-center feeling. Personally I'll trade the heavier steering feel for the on-center feeling.
Best Regards,
Shipo
The only thing I noticed was that the steering felt a bit lighter, but that may have been a placebo effect.
Were these two sizes in the same tire model?
Yes.
I question the importance of grip, never having noticed lack of grip even in relatively aggressive driving.
It all depends on the car as well as how hard you are going to push it. In my case, the 205/55 tires have more than ample grip on the street as well as on the track. From the way you describe your driving habits, I'd suggest sticking with the 205/55-16 tires.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Occasional spirited driving. Located in Wisconsin, snowing as I write.
If too complicated, I'm actually considering the 335xi although I haven't driven one yet. One tire size. What a concept.
Although I'm told I'll appreciate the summer set-up come April, May.....
Any help very much appreciated.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I'm actually considering the 335xi although I haven't driven one yet. One tire size.
The 335xi Sport package is essentially cosmetic, and a 335i with the proper tires will get around just fine in the white stuff.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Regards,
OW
Easy fix- dedicated winter tires and wheels. Check out Tire Rack. As I mentioned earlier, swap them over in late fall and early spring. It takes me all of 30-45 minutes.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
You MUST fit the winter tires to all four corners! Othewrwise the car will exhibit dangerous handling characteristics. I like the Michelin and Pirelli performance winter tires, and either would be a good choice for your car.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
That's what I would do. However, I don't know if you can turn off the tire pressure light in the cluster. And the one of 17" packages would be best, in my opinion.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I was running 225/45's on all corners of my 330Ci for the 1st three winters of it's life. The snow traction wasn't terrible, but I thought I'd give narrower a try when I bought my second set. I put 205/50s on all corners. They are indeed noticably better in the snow but much worse when the roads are dry. Considering the amount of snow we get around here (S.E. PA), I'm pretty sure I'll be going back to 225s when I wear this set out.
FWIW, the 225's were Dunlop WinterSport M2s and the 205s are WinterSport M3s.
Best Regards
Shipo
I'm apprehensive of the 19" tires. I don't use the car on the track. I'm concerned about damaging the rims or the underside of the car on gravel washboard camp roads and potholes on North Eastern US roads. Also, I'm leaning toward ride quality but don't want to sacrifice much steering feel. I have a E36 325I which I have heard steering feel is hard to beat (it is truly wonderful) so I expect a new car to equally amazing.
I
'm also concerned that the front and back are a different size. For an all around switch, can you switch to 225/45 17" (std 335I) on the rear of a sport package car that's equiped with the 255/35 18's or does some modifcation have to be made to the rear end?
I
f I were to get a sport package car, could I put a spare in the trunk of the 225/40 18" size (SP front) that could be used front or rear in an emergency. Obviously, I would want to have to have two spare tires, one front and one rear.
Are the summer tires safe in the rain. There's plenty of around here.
I have heard great things about the sport package seats. But not much about the suspension calibration difference.
Do most buyers of this car expect the sport package?
Any assistence with the decision and or possible modifications would be greatly appreciated. Regards
Uhhh, what did I miss? Last time I checked, the 335i SP came with 18" wheels.
"I'm also concerned that the front and back are a different size. For an all around switch, can you switch to 225/45 17" (std 335I) on the rear of a sport package car that's equiped with the 255/35 18's or does some modifcation have to be made to the rear end?"
Yes, 17" wheels can be fitted to a 335i SP with no changes to anything.
"Are the summer tires safe in the rain. There's plenty of around here. "
Yes, summer tires do just fine in the rain.
"I have heard great things about the sport package seats. But not much about the suspension calibration difference."
BMW has a reputation for building sport suspensions that while improving the handling of the car, doesn't make the ride bone-jarringly harsh.
"Do most buyers of this car expect the sport package?"
You mean, "Do they opt for the SP?" If that's what you're asking, my gut guess (with no numbers to back it up) is "no".
Best Regards,
Shipo
I'm apprehensive of the 19" tires. I don't use the car on the track. I'm concerned about damaging the rims or the underside of the car on gravel washboard camp roads and potholes on North Eastern US roads. Also, I'm leaning toward ride quality but don't want to sacrifice much steering feel. I have a E36 325I which I have heard steering feel is hard to beat (it is truly wonderful) so I expect a new car to equally amazing.
I
'm also concerned that the front and back are a different size. For an all around switch, can you switch to 225/45 17" (std 335I) on the rear of a sport package car that's equiped with the 255/35 18's or does some modifcation have to be made to the rear end?
I
f I were to get a sport package car, could I put a spare in the trunk of the 225/40 18" size (SP front) that could be used front or rear in an emergency. Obviously, I would want to have to have two spare tires, one front and one rear.
Are the summer tires safe in the rain. There's plenty of around here.
I have heard great things about the sport package seats. But not much about the suspension calibration difference.
Do most buyers of this car expect the sport package?
Any assistence with the decision and or possible modifications would be greatly appreciated. Regards
Is there a run-flat all season 18" for the BMW? I found a few high-perf all seasons on tire rack.. I was thinking of the Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season 18". Should I just mount these on the rims and take off the OEM tires? What about the tire sensors.. will they just stay on?.. also.. now I need to get a spare with a extra rim to leave in the trunk incase of a flat. Is there a easy solution here??... or do I just go with the ugly 17" all seasons with the SP...? =T I really hate those 17" rims.. eh..
Any suggestions?
I just purchased the above but have not picked it up as yet. I want to get wheels/snow tires and prefer a 17" set-up rather than 18". However, Tirerack (and many others) are short on 17" wheels (at least those that are reasonably priced) as well as tires.
Anyway, they are recommending either a set up with a (a) 17" Kosei K1 Racing with the Blizzak WS 60 (225/45/17) or (b) an 18" Rial Como with Pirelli's Winter 240 Sotto Zero (215/45/18 - custom fit). I live in Toronto Canada where roads are usually plowed (I say 70-80% of the time), but we can have periods of light to heavier snowfalls (usually light to medium), as well as slushy or icy conditions every so often (this assumes that I will be caught in such conditions before the plows can get things cleared).
I'd appreciate any suggestions or guidance on which combination would be better.
Thanks....
Let us know how you make out.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Thanks again, It might seem silly but I am still learning about the RFT system and replacing/swapping tires. Any info I could get would be greatly appreciated!
I have the 330xi and the AW contis which are good in the snow but not ultimate.
If you go for snows, you will need to get rims and tires which are packaged together on tirerack to eliminate mounting back/forth of the original wheels.
I believe they come mounted but check that.
Regards,
OW
I'm trying to replace my performance tires on my 18' rims that came with the SP. I''ve been doing a lot of research to find a good-to high performance all seasson tire to put on but have yet to find anything. As I live in Ohio I cannot keep these tires on the car. I would like to replace the tires with another set of 4 RFT's.
The sizes are 225/40 18 front, and 255/35 18 rear. Searching through Tirerack has been little help. I have only found the Goodyear Eagle F1 Ultra High Prfrmnc all season. It says it has reinforced sidewalls but I take it that it is not a RFT? I am not sure if I want to switch to GFT because of not being able to carry a spare with me? Your help would be really appreciated!
Thanks again hope someone can shed some light on my serious concern
http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/conticomfortkit/index.jsp
From TireRack, the four tires that match your OEM sizes and the inflation kit comes out to $933.00 plus shipping an taxes. Not too shabby.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Looked at the tires and I was just wondering..when your on tirerack and it says the tire Serv.Desc and Load Rating is this anything I need to look at when picking a tire?
The ContiComforKit looks like it will do the job just fine, and have read many good things about the product on here. Why the Yokohama's vs. any other?
The Yokohamas on the other hand get great reviews; the ones that I've driven have performed admirably and aged very well. So, the long and short of it is that my personal opinions (completely worthless to one and all, save me of course), would lead me to choose the Yokohamas over the other two. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35
See this forum link:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124744
These tires are not sold at the Tire Rack but check out their site for local retailers.
http://www.nokiantyres.com/
Shipo, maybe you can help. I have a 2004 330i w/performance package. I need some new tires. I still live in the heart of South Texas; where it is HOT; so no need for an all season. However, I do have a little one in the back seat now, so I do have to be more careful. When it does rain down here it gets slicker than snot... I'm not looking to spend an arm and a leg, but need a good set of tires for my second baby (the car)...
Opinions wanted...
Thanks,
Stacy :shades:
Regarding your situation, given the extreme competence of the Performance Package on your car, a good set of all-season tires will allow you to stay well glued to the road when conditions are dry, and substantially out-perform go-fast rubber when the rain comes. That said, there are only a few All-Season tires that have sizes that fit both the front and rear of your car, and they aren't exactly cheap (although less expensive than typical summer rubber):
Goodyear Eagle F1 All-Seasons -- $698
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S -- $720
Yokohama ADVAN S.4. -- $862
FWIW, I'm personally am no fan of Pirelli tires and would chuck them off the list without a second thought. I'm luke warm about these Goodyears, however, they do get pretty good reviews. That leaves the Yokos, tires that I happen to like quite a bit and which are very well received by folks who need sporty all-season rubber. So, were I in your shoes, I'd opt to spend the extra money and go for the Yokos. ;-)
As a point of reference, a set of OEM Michelin Pilot Sports will run you $1,016, so even the expensive Yokos are a relative bargain, especially so as they should last roughly twice as long as the Michelins.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
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Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
A high performance summer tire will grip a wet road just as well as it's all-season counterpart.
Like Roadburner, I am also a Pirelli PZero Nero believer. I have the all-season version on my M3 and they are terrific wet or dry, hot or cold. Pirelli makes a summer-only version that I think would be perfect - though I've also heard great things about the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 - which comes with a $50 rebate off a set of 4 right now...
Not the tread??? Uhhh, maybe I'm missing something (highly possible), but as a general rule, All-Season tires have tread patterns that have greater voids, smaller tread blocks and more siping than summer performance tires. The only exception to that rule that I can think of is the Pirelli PZero Neros.
I'm thinking that I'd be far more comfortable driving on rain slicked roads with All-Season tires than summer rubber.
Best Regards,
Shipo
No other tire manufacturer that I can think of has "comparable" all-season and summer tires. So yes, in most cases, the tread pattern will be different. And with that in mind, it's up to each tire manufacturer to decide how to cater the performance of their tires for each road condition.
That being said, summer tires like the Eagle F1 GS-D3 are supposedly very good at evacuating water. Heck, even my Toyo RA-1's do well in the rain (when they're brand new, anyways ).
What a lively little message board we have here regarding tires.
Yes, it has been a long time. I have a little critter in the back seat now, but I still have a BMW. I'm now on my 5th one; which I am very happy with, (I had the 2005 330ci w/performance package but when I found out I was pregnant I realized a 2-door wouldn't do, so I had to sell that and the Porsche and go get a couple of "grocery getters"... I was able to find the exact same 330 but with 4 doors and a year older...
I'll have to look into the tires... I've been putting off getting a new set, but Pig Pen (car) is starting to slip and slide all over the place...
If anyone else has some thoughts on tires, please feel free to chime in...
Stacy
My intention is to track (but not race) the car in the summer. I'm thinking of getting a summer tire. What size should I get-- or maybe I should ask what wheel size I should work with, and what size tire should I get? I have heard driving 17 in on track goes pretty good... but I dont know what tire size is actually used for best results. I frequent the Mid Ohio track when I can. It's also important that my summer tire be capable in rain conditions...tho not snow/ice. And I hope to purchase a moderate priced tire r/t an expensive one... of course
Thanks for your recs re tire sizes.
When I first started attending HPDE's, I used high performance street tires and very quickly came to the conclusion that they were inadequate for lapping, and lapping tore them up too much to really use them on the street. A lose, lose situation.
What works for me is to keep my street tires on the car year-round, and have a set of dedicated wheels/tires for the track. I picked up an inexpensive set of "previously loved" wheels and mounted a set of Toyo RA-1's. If you cruise your local chapter boards (and maybe Craigslist and e-bay), you may be able to find some SCAA racers left-over used RA-1's too.
Don't forget your brakes - they're more important than your tires. Flush your brake fluid and check (or better yet, upgrade) your pads/rotors. Most of all though, have fun.
I guess there are a lot of potential sellers, or "deals" , and I don't know the particulars of what to buy yet....
If I didn't buy wheels til later , say at end of season , what 17 tire size would work well with my stock 17" wheels (4) ?
Altho I'm not quite a novice, I feel like one as I have yet to learn to drive the car comfortably and smoothly - I miss downshifts as I'm not used to the 6 spd layout yet! So I'm not ready for prime time track anyway! So I'm very willing to compromise this season on wheels / tires and improve components later.
Wheels - 16" Kosei K1Racing (affordable and lightweight)
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initial- - PartNumber=KR700S&wheelMake=Kosei&wheelModel=K1+Racing&wheelFinish=Silver+Painte- - d&showRear=no&autoMake=BMW&autoModel=323i&autoYear=2000&autoModClar=&filterSize=- - 16&filterFinish=All&filterSpecial=false&filterBrand=All&filterNew=All&sort=Brand- -
As for tires, I wouldn't invest in "competition tires" until you have mastered the basics of car control and are ready for the next level of grip. I'd go for a good set of grippy, forgiving, and inexpensive summer street tires. Unfortunately my old favorite, the Yokohama ES100, is no longer available in your size. Too bad. Here's what I'd choose instead:
Kumho Ecsta MX
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+MX&partnu- - m=25WR6EMX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=4
Hankook Ventus R-S2
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Ventus+R-S2&v- - ehicleSearch=false&partnum=25WR6Z212&fromCompare1=yes&place=3
Or right now, I see the Bridgestone Potenza RE050 is on special right now...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+R- - E050A+Pole+Position&partnum=25WR6RE050APP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&p- - lace=5