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[kobechrome]

I did a search and couldn't find anything regarding this but I think its a legitimate question. The maintenance plan does not cover tires so I think it would be helpful for owners to know how often they need to be replaced or what the mileage is when they are replaced. I've heard many differing opinions. They are expensive so it may be a valid concern.

All feedback welcome.

[NaTuReB0Y]

just look at the treadwear life of the tires...it should give you a good idea

[ben1364]

Tire life, as has been discussed here before is a very individual thing. Factors include in no particular order, road surfaces, load, temperature, inflation pressure maintenance, driving style, ad infinitum.

[wac77]

It depends strongly on driving style, and city/hwy mix.

As a baseline I would take 100 x treadwear# :
30000 for the "normal" all seasons tires
14000 for the performance tires that come with ZSP

If you drive non-aggressively, or mostly on flat, straight, not very abrasive highways, you should be able to get more, perhaps even twice those numbers.

On the other hand, if you just autocross your car, you could get as little as 50-100 miles (this is from the Pro drivers at the Ultimate Driving event)

[Libartsguy]

I asked a BMW sales rep. this question last week (during a test drive of a 325xi) and was told that -- all things considered -- the run flats installed on the 3 series should last a long as conventional radials, i.e., 40-50k miles

[voltron1011]

Originally Posted by wac77

As a baseline I would take 100 x treadwear# :
30000 for the "normal" all seasons tires
14000 for the performance tires that come with ZSP

Wow, that's some good info there. I was always confused with those darn treadwear #'s.

[voltron1011]

My car currently has 11000 miles on the clock and the tires still look really good (325 standard 156's)

[Ghunger]

Originally Posted by Libartsguy

I asked a BMW sales rep. this question last week (during a test drive of a 325xi) and was told that -- all things considered -- the run flats installed on the 3 series should last a long as conventional radials, i.e., 40-50k miles

That's what I would expect from an all season tire. I would expect 15k-20k for the summer tires though, maybe more, maybe less for reasons posted above.

[RGRAY]

Well, the car warranty is 4/50,000 so I would hope half of that; 25,000.

[longtran]

i just looked at my tires and the treadlife is 140, thats only about 14k miles.....holy shiznit....at the rate i'm driving, i would have to change tire twice a year.....

[ben1364]

The treadware # on the sidewall is a comparison with that tire maker's baseline tire under the same conditions. Some tire manufacturers/marketers are more conservative than others.

[JackMac]

Treadware ratings and salesmen claims aside for a moment - BMW's have very aggresive camber in the rear. This setup, coupled with soft compound performance tires produces great handling at the expense of higher wear rates.

Like they say, "your mileage may vary". If you have a high proportion of miles driven on a smooth highway commute, you may expect a longer tire life. However, if you primarily are driving in the twisties, back roads and such, then buyer beware. In this case, you may only see 15K miles on the rear and perhaps 25-30K on the front.

Best to ask this question again in about 6 months for a better sampling from owners who have run through a set of run flats.

[marcg]

Has anyone seen any "feathering" on the tread on the front tires? This would be on 330i w/sport pkg 162's. I noticed on mine the edge of the tread on the front tires seem to be feathering slightly and I only have 3k miles on them.


Marc

[shragon]

the thread rear rating on my bridgestone rft's is around 140 i believe, so i don't expect them to last very long at all.

[voltron1011]

It really sucks that there is no other choices as far as RFT tires go and different treads. That was one of my reason why I didn't go for the sport package... It's just too expensive to be changing those tires every year.

[JackMac]

Originally Posted by marcg

Has anyone seen any "feathering" on the tread on the front tires? This would be on 330i w/sport pkg 162's. I noticed on mine the edge of the tread on the front tires seem to be feathering slightly and I only have 3k miles on them.


Marc

Do you mean cupping - where there are alternating bands of areas that are more worn around the edge of the tire? If so, it is probably out of alignment. Suggest an alignment check ASAP, or it may only get worse (and noisy).

[ward]

the rear camber is not a problem as long as you take a corner aggressively every once in a while.

I used to work at an idependant shop, and we would see lowered cars driven by old people with bald tread in the inside, brand new on the outside

I've never had a problem with the inside wearing quicker

[marcg]

It's not really cupping...it is more of a straight feathering on the outside edge only. I will have the alignment checked though just in case.

Thanks

Marc