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BMW 3-Series Tires and Wheels
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Comments
Best Regards,
Shipo
My advice is to either buy a set of aftermarket 17X8 wheels like Shipo suggests, or stick with OE sized tires (225 in front and 255 in back) and bite the bullet on the pricier Pirelli's.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=eufori%40&ind- ex=0&vehicleSearch=true&frontTire=245WR7EUFORI&rearTire=54WR7EUFORI&place=0&minS- peedRating=H&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&minLoad=S
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That having been said, I do my best to avoid asymmetrical tire setups and as such my tires are good on all four corners. Relative to your question, I doubt that you will be able to use your RR tire as a front spare, however, since that seems to be the tire you like puncturing ;-) , you might want to have it plugged and stash it up in your attic or something, just in case.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Regards,
OW
It would also help to know that I do not push these tires to their limit. Superb wet traction and low cabin noise in my experience.
Unless the Michelin tire you are considering is a run-flat tire, or has a lower speed rating, there should be no issues. It is possible that your dealer is just trying to sell you what they have access to.
regards,
kyfdx
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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
Were I in your shoes I'd probably chuck the Summer RFTs and go with a relatively inexpensive set of All-Season GFTs. A set of four Kumho Ecsta ASX (225/40 R18 front, 255/35 R18 rear) will cost $516 from TireRack.
Another option would be to pick up a couple of extra wheels from the front of another 330i SP via E-Bay or some such and use those for the rear of your car thus allowing you to run the 225/40 R18s at all four corners (which also allows you to rotate the tires, further extending their useful life). If you go that route, you could buy a set of four Yokohama AVID W4S tires for $470 (also from TireRack).
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
I live in the mountains of Tennessee and do drive up and down a mountain everyday. I am not a performance purist by any stretch, but I do not want to put a set of tires on that I will be immediately frustrated with. I am definetly going to keep the wheel configuration as is. I realize this will eliminate the ability to rotate, but I will just have to live with the increased wear and reduced milage from the tire. thanks again.
Keep us posted.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Should I buy GFTs, join AAA and take my chances - or ante up and replace with RFTs?
Replace with original sizes (larger in rear) or all four at same size so they can rotate?
I plan to keep the car for a few years, and likely never drive in winter weather. Thanks!
Go-flat tires will give you a better selection to match to your driving style. You could go with sticky summer tires that won't last long, or you could sacrifice some grip and choose a longer lasting (and quieter) touring type tire. Or you could choose a tire with a little bit of both.
If you can you describe your performance priorities, I might be able to make some suggestions. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being most important to you), rate the following qualities: high grip, low noise, wet traction, long tread life, smooth ride. You can rate multiple qualities with the same number if you want.
high grip = 3
low noise = 5
wet trac = 1
long life = 2
smooth ride = 4
I assume there is no way to fit a spare if I replace with GFTs, right?
The tire you're looking for is going to be either a "premium passenger tire" (ultimate comfort) or a "all-season high performance tire" (good mix of comfort and sport).
On the comfort side, I can personally recommend the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred as a very smooth riding and quiet tire. I put a set on my 2004 Volvo V70 and am thrilled with the way it transformed the car into a true luxury ride. Grip was also significantly improved over the original Michelin MXV tires that the Volvo came with. I was so impressed with them that I put a set on my company car - a 1999 Ford Taurus. You'd never guess it was the same car!
Other smooth/quiet tires comparable to the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred (in my opinion - based on research/friends comments, not first hand experience) are the Bridgestone Turanza with Serenity, Michelin Harmony, and Toyo Versado LX.
If you would sacrifice some quiet and smooth qualities for a sportier tire, I can also personally recommend the all-season Pirelli PZero Nero M+S. I have these tires on my BMW M3 street wheels and am very pleased with their balance of comfort and performance. Ultimate grip is somewhat lower than a max performance summer-only sport tire, but at anything below crazy speeds, these tires perform exactly like a sport tire should - razor sharp turn in and great road feel.
Other sport/comfort tires comparable to the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S (again based on research/friends comments, not personal experience) are the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position and the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.
You'll be truly amazed at how much a set of tires can transform the ride/handling of your car. whatever your choice, if you choose the tire that fits your goals, I'm sure you'll be surprised and pleased with the results.
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
The current tires on your BMW are Extra Load for a reason, so you need to match the load carrying capacity.
I just renewed my maintenance program for my 2003 BMW. Last time, when I took it to the dealer to check why the car is steering away, he advised to replace the tires and do an alignment. I have around 39K miles on it.
He gave a quote of $1200 for this job and will probably put the low end tires.
I am just wondering if I can take this to some local shop and replace the tires?
Any advice?
Thanks.
http://www.tirerack.com
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
I think I have decided with Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S as I want more all season and ride comfort all for $506.32. I guess, I have to put additional $200 for mounting and alignment. Also, I have a $50 Mail in rebate making it around $600 which is way less than the dealer quote of $1200.
According to reviews, this tire looks like a good one.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Exalto- +A%2FS&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=055HR6EXAS&fromCompare1=yes&place=75&speed_rat- ing=H&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(- Y)&minSpeedRating=H
Thanks again.
Sorry I couldn't help you with the two tires that you're considering.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I don't live in NH but I live in the mountains of central Pennsylvania.
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
1) If you do in fact have a 2003 330xi SP, your car DOES NOT have a true Sport Package, you have essentially the non-SP suspension adapted for the AWD system.
2) If you do in fact have a 2003 330xi SP, your car DOES NOT have RFTs (or if it does it is an illegal installation as the 2003 330xi did not come with a TPMS).
3) If you do in fact have a 2003 330xi SP, your car has the same sized tires on the front as on the rear.
4) Kumho does not make any RFTs, however, that isn't an issue as by law you must keep GFTs on your car.
Best Regards,
Shipo
http://www.new-cars.com/2003/bmw/bmw-330xi-sedan-specs.html
I'm curious to find out exactly what make and model tire you have on your car (TireRack says it came with a set of rather pricy Goodyear Eagle RS-A EMTs)? Yes, no? If yes, geez, at $248 per tire, those suckers are expensive.
With the above in mind, your "xi" doesn't truly have a Sport Package as what comes on the "xi" models is just trim items and not the suspension and better wheels and tires. Said another way, unless you had non-standard wheels and tires put on your car, it came with 205/50 R17 tires all of the way around and as such you don't have to worry about different front versus rear tire sizes.
Best Regards,
Shipo
But, they were using them on the Z4 as far back as the '03 models... so, offering them on the E46 wouldn't have been much of a stretch, I don't guess...
You've got room for a spare, buy another wheel, and ditch those runflats...
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I whole-heartedly agree. Lose those RFTs, the savings will more than pay for a full-sized spare.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Not sure what you mean by "go with 17s." If you mean your car currently has 18" wheels and you're thinking about moving down to 17's, then the answer is yes, it will probably smooth out the ride without a noticeable decrease in handling. Of course, it will cost a lot more money to replace both the wheels and tires.
FWIW, I think that after driving on 18" RFTs for this long, going with an 18" Grand Touring GFT tire will improve the ride considerably - probably enough that you won't need to go with 17s.
If the RFT and GFT are the same size, eg. 225/40R-18, then they are the same size (sidewalls included).
If your car doesn't have a spacesaver spare, I'd buy one, though... It should fit in any E46 model trunk.
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I understand that all 3 sizes have the same diameter. What is gained and lost by changing the section width between 205 or 225? What compromises were BMW engineers trying to achieve in choosing the 205/55/16 as original equipment rather than either of the other sizes?