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[msunshine]

Hi-

I'm in need of new tires as the stock RFTs have worn out. I haven't minded the Bridgestones and am looking for something similar, but I'd like more traction. I live in the Pacific Northwest and I haven't liked the performance of the tires on the wet roads. I don't mind switching away from RFTs so I'm open to anything.

I like the ride of the stock tires but don't want anything harsher/firmer. I also don't plan on getting new wheels so I'm limited to the Star Spoke (264) rims.

I've looked at Tire Rack and they recommend the Yokohama S Drive, but I've never had Yokohamas before. I had Michelin Pilot Sports on a 2001 Z3 that I used to drive and they were a bit firm.

What do you recommend? Help me choose some new tires!

[BrokenVert]

I have heard very good things about Conti Sport Contact 3s in the wet. Check tirerack about them.

I have Pilot Sport PS2s on my 135i vert and they are very well behaved in the rain and the car resists hydroplaning even with 18K miles worth of wear on them. But they are a bit expensive for most people.

[BMW86]

I just got my Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's fitted. I notice a huge difference from ditching the run-flats. So far I'm pretty happy but I really need to break-in the tyres.

225/40 18
255/35 18

[fourtailpipes]

Originally Posted by BMW86

I just got my Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's fitted. I notice a huge difference from ditching the run-flats. So far I'm pretty happy but I really need to break-in the tyres.

225/40 18
255/35 18

great tire, but a step in the wrong direction for someone who wants better wet performance than stock.

[Project1]

I have bfg kdw2's...let's just say...AWESOME!

[WhiteOne]

I am having Hankook V12 put on my car today.(225/255)
Anybody need my stock tires? Less than 15K on them.
I just can't take another day of RFT's.....

[Jaguar66]

!

[993 911]

Have set of Kuhmo Ecsta XS being delivered today, they will be used for track days and spirited driving trips during the summer (aka when I take my 19's off). Decided to go with them because of their low cost and high remarks for dry weather grip and balance.

[fourtailpipes]

Originally Posted by RobMason

Tire Rack liked these tires in the rain.

quote..."The Potenza RE-11 is tuned for dry and wet conditions, but like all summer tires is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice."

It scored first in the Extreme Performance Summer Tire category.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...tirePageLocQty=

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=Potenza+RE-11

i have these tires. they may be among the best in the extreme category for wet performance, but the stock tires are in a different category, and noticeably more stable in wet highway conditions, especially with standing water. if he's not satisfied with the stock tires in the wet, he shouldn't be looking at "extreme performance" tires at all.

if you look at the "max performance" results in the same survey, you'll see that the stock tires rank 15th out of 28 tires tested. there are numerous that outperform the stock tires in the wet, and this list is where you'd find them. many also outperform in the dry too.

max performance category tire test results

[yourfriend]

the yoko s. drives are great tires for a good price, i've been running them for about 6 months and have been extremely happy!

[Jaguar66]

!

[WhiteOne]

Have you read the 9 tire comparison test done by Car & Driver?
They tested wet and dry performance of affordable tires.
(I wish I knew how to add a link)

[atr_hugo]

WhiteOne - here's the linkee dinkee: C&D Tire Test

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by fourtailpipes

great tire, but a step in the wrong direction for someone who wants better wet performance than stock.

I drove around on damp and wet roads yesterday and the tyres performed very well. I was very impressed. The tyres still managed to grip very well in my opinion.

[randomquickness]

I have the star specs on my stock wheels and they really are great...I have the invos on my 19's and can't believe how low they ranked them in that C&D tire test. They are NOT one step above the Ling Long. Anyone else notice the 3 lowest ranked tires happen to be the only ones in the test you cannot buy from tirerack? biased much? I can understand if the Ling Long and Falken didn't make the cut (even though the RT615 is not a bad tire) I can't see the Invo being that low.

[mineo77]

I am looking for some new shoes for my car as well. I am also in the pacific northwest, where the rain likes to fall throughout the winter. I hate the RFT..they suck, no grip, floating feeling, horrible perf at higher speeds, loose traction when traveling over 60mph and hit any bump in the road. I will be mod'n my suspension too, but wanted to find a good perf tire that doesnt suck in the rain, cause unfortunately where i live...that is a normal occurance - RAIN. (freezing fog sucks too)

[fourtailpipes]

Originally Posted by RobMason

Actually, if you sort the tires according to wet traction, the stock tires are next to last in its category. Hard to imagine the Potenza RE-11 being worse than the stock RFTs (Bridgestone Potenza RE050 RFT) in wet traction. Hydroplane resistence, different story.

on damp roads, the re-11 is easily better than stock. as soon as you bring standing water into the equation, though, the re11 begins to suffer. it just can't displace that much water. they can be pretty sketchy with standing water, even at full tread. i actually thought the previous version, the re01r, resisted hydroplaning better than the re11, but still didn't do a great job of it.

as boring as the oem tires may be in most conditions, on a rainy commute, i'd take the stock tires over any "extreme" tire i've ever had, and i've had a bunch of them (re11, re01r, ecsta mx, ecsta xs, rt615, ad08, star spec, and r1r that i can think of...)

that said, i've driven on many other "max performance" tires that resisted hydroplaning way better than the stock tires.

[msunshine]

Thanks to all for the feedback.

At this point I'm leaning towards the PS2s, but I haven't fully made up my mind. The roads here are wet for months at a time and we get the occasional snow (but I'm not too worried about the snow as I can bus it to work if necessary). The temps are usually fairly cold in the morning, anywhere from low 30s to high 30s, and I'm concerned I'll lose traction just due to the cold temps in general if I don't go with all season tires.

I'm planning on getting new tires by this weekend so I need to choose relatively quickly. The short list now are the PS2s, the RE11s, or an all-season set.

Although I'm glad to be moving away from RFTs I'm kind of torn about it. I'm not sure how a non-RFT will affect the suspension/ride on the 135i.

[ESC OFF]

Originally Posted by msunshine

Thanks to all for the feedback.

At this point I'm leaning towards the PS2s, but I haven't fully made up my mind. The roads here are wet for months at a time and we get the occasional snow (but I'm not too worried about the snow as I can bus it to work if necessary). The temps are usually fairly cold in the morning, anywhere from low 30s to high 30s, and I'm concerned I'll lose traction just due to the cold temps in general if I don't go with all season tires.

I'm planning on getting new tires by this weekend so I need to choose relatively quickly. The short list now are the PS2s, the RE11s, or an all-season set.

Although I'm glad to be moving away from RFTs I'm kind of torn about it. I'm not sure how a non-RFT will affect the suspension/ride on the 135i.

I've got PS2's on my CaymanS and they are very slippery if it's below 40 degrees.....I have had GS-D3's on my other cars are they performed good in the cold and great in the rain....You'll probably have a difficult time finding MAX Performance all-seasons...Check with Gill I'm sure he can help you

[stevenc]

Look at the general exclaim tires. They are excellent in the wet and very well priced. I am very happy with mine.

[Formel1]

Best bang for the buck:

225/40/18 and 255/35/18 Nitto Invo's...probably can get the on the car and out the door for around $8-900.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by ESC OFF

I've got PS2's on my CaymanS and they are very slippery if it's below 40 degrees.....I have had GS-D3's on my other cars are they performed good in the cold and great in the rain....You'll probably have a difficult time finding MAX Performance all-seasons...Check with Gill I'm sure he can help you

I think it should be noted that All Summer Tires are not meant to driven below about 45 degrees. They will all suffer massive looses in grip.