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      11-19-2011, 12:04 PM   #1
jlehrer
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Drives: 2011 BMW M3
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Miami, Florida

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Ideal Tires and Sizes for 2011 135i M Sport - 261M

Hello everyone! I am new here (and relatively new to BMW) but I am loving my 2011 135i M Sport with DCT. Car is totally stock with 261M rims and Bridgestone RFT tires, 215/40/18 front and 245/35/18 rear. It's come time for me to get new tires...and I really do not like the hard ride and noise of the RFT's.

I have read through this entire Wheel and Tire forum trying to determine what the next move should be, and I am left with lots of questions. The first being a general one...it appears that some people are dissatisfied when moving to non-RFT's because of the softer sidewall, which reduces steering quickness and feel. Is this solely because they do not have enough pressure in their new tires, or will I have to live with that "floaty" feeling? I am aware that the general consensus is RFT's are awful. I do not take my car to the track but enjoy frequent spirited driving around South Florida where I live, with bi-yearly trips to the mountains of North Carolina.

The other issue is size. The car stock of course is 215 front 245 rear, however there are only limited options for that size. Cost is not a factor here. The Continental ExtremeContact DW tires seem perfect, however the front 215's are back ordered for a very long time, and I want to get all 4 tires replaced at once. The other option is the Hankook V12, which seem well regarded here as a good value but inferior to the Michelin PSS and PS2. Michelin makes PSS in the rear 245 but will not be releasing the 215/40/18 until May of 2012 at the earliest.

The other option is moving up one size and going to 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear. Anytime someone asks about this on the forum these days it appears the answer is that many, many people use this setup. I am fine with larger sizes, but it does appear that using slightly larger tire sizes contributes to that "floaty" feeling. Am I missing something here? I do not want to compromise if I don't have to. If going one size up IS in fact the perfect setup (and the floaty feel is simply due to under-inflation) then it seems like going with the PSS (as it is available in those sizes) is clearly the best option, with the Continentals being second-best.

Sorry to be so long winded! Any input, experience, photos, etc is greatly appreciated.
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