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[Athos]

I'm in the market for a new set of tires. I've done a thread search and I've looked over Tire Rack's site and yet it's not really clear to me which tire represents the best value/tradeoff for my needs. I would love a recommendation.

Car: 2006 330i with sport suspension (man. tran.) Have the 18" 162s.

Roads and Weather: I live in San Francisco and I rarely if ever go to the snow. The streets aren't always well-maintained here and a few times a month I hit a depression that jars the car.

Balance: Basically, I'm looking for overall balance in tire characteristics with improved handling still being important. I'm a relatively fast driver but I know I'm in the real world and not on the track. A smooth ride is important day to day. I'm somewhat sensitive to road noise. Reasonable treadwear is also a good thing.

Runflats: The current Bridgestone Potenza's are a bit loud for my taste and not very smooth. I've decided to move away from the runflats based on much of the discussion on the site.

Summary: I'm looking for the best tradeoff between balanced tire performance and cost. I was considering the Michelin PS2's but they seem a bit pricey. Some members of the site seem to like the Goodyear F1s seem like an option and I'm wondering if there are other good choices and how all of these stack up. Your thoughts/experiences greatly appreciated.

[dme330i]

Great price and good reviews - General Exclaim Ultra High Performance

[ahnh77]

i live in sf city...and i did my fair share of research....and decided on the bridgestone potenza re960a/s pole position....why?...all season wet, dry or snow...extremely quiet....one of the longest lasting....and price...not as high as michellins...but still one of the more pricier...

[Hunter399]

EAGLESSS

[ATG]

+1 for the bridgestone potenza re960a/s pole position. I had them on my Legacy GT and they handled great with a very nice steering response. They are #1 rated at tirerack among UHPAS tires. I only wish they would be available in 255/18/35 (to replace the rear tires on my 335i).

[picus]

Here are a couple to consider:

Falken 452's - awesome price for a good tire. Good dry grip, ok wet grip, not a lot of road noise, about average weight.

Yokohama Advan Sport: A little more expensive, slightly better dry grip (imo), similar wet grip to 452, a little lighter (not much), similar road noise. Slightly better treadwear.

These would be my two top options if I was looking to skip PS2's because of price. I will probably go with Yoko Advans on my car.

Oh,
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 are pretty popular too. My dad has them on his car and they are nice (great dry/wet traction, low road noise, ok treadware), but the sidewall seems sort of mushy to me; there is some sway imo.

[unxdawg]

Originally Posted by Athos

I'm in the market for a new set of tires. I've done a thread search and I've looked over Tire Rack's site and yet it's not really clear to me which tire represents the best value/tradeoff for my needs. I would love a recommendation.

Car: 2006 330i with sport suspension (man. tran.) Have the 18" 162s.

Roads and Weather: I live in San Francisco and I rarely if ever go to the snow. The streets aren't always well-maintained here and a few times a month I hit a depression that jars the car.

Balance: Basically, I'm looking for overall balance in tire characteristics with improved handling still being important. I'm a relatively fast driver but I know I'm in the real world and not on the track. A smooth ride is important day to day. I'm somewhat sensitive to road noise. Reasonable treadwear is also a good thing.

Runflats: The current Bridgestone Potenza's are a bit loud for my taste and not very smooth. I've decided to move away from the runflats based on much of the discussion on the site.

Summary: I'm looking for the best tradeoff between balanced tire performance and cost. I was considering the Michelin PS2's but they seem a bit pricey. Some members of the site seem to like the Goodyear F1s seem like an option and I'm wondering if there are other good choices and how all of these stack up. Your thoughts/experiences greatly appreciated.

Athos,

I've got the same car, live in the same city, and have the same dilemma as you. Based on my research on and off this board, the Goodyear F1s seem like the best overall option. I'm hoping to pull the trigger in the next week or two.

[CirrusSR22]

I've found the Fuzion ZRi to be a great tire for the price. It's a summer ONLY tire, and not run-flat. Fuzion is a brand name created by Bridgestone to reach the sport-compact market. So, they are Bridgestones.

[shipill]

Best tires are : TOYO , GOODYEAR , MICHELIN

dont go with Falken and Yokohama !!!

[NFS13]

Originally Posted by shipill

Best tires are : TOYO , GOODYEAR , MICHELIN

dont go with Falken and Yokohama !!!

Whats wrong with Falken?

[picus]

Originally Posted by shipill

Best tires are : TOYO , GOODYEAR , MICHELIN

dont go with Falken and Yokohama !!!

Based on what? I've had two sets of Toyo in the last 3 years, I hated them both.

Sometimes I read the wackiest things in forums. I mean seriously, what are you even basing this statement on?

[AM335]

Originally Posted by shipill

Best tires are : TOYO , GOODYEAR , MICHELIN

dont go with Falken and Yokohama !!!

I had the Falken FK451 on my G35, great tire.

[spacedogg]

Kumho SPT also get their share of followers.

Car and Driver did a review of a lot of these popular tire...do a search...there was much discussion of them. But these seem to be the most popular tires on this forum (from most expensive to cheapest):

Michelin PS2, Goodyear F1 Eagle, Toyo TR1, Kumho SPT and General UHP

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by dme330i

Great price and good reviews - General Exclaim Ultra High Performance

+1 without a doubt.
For cost, performance, weight, etc this tire is basically impossible to beat.
I have them on my PROceded 335i and the grip is excellent.
The cost is LOW (less than 1/2 the cost of many of the other tires)
The weight is low.
They are quiet and smooth too.
No weaving or following grooves.

There is a reason they are rated #1 on the Tirerack's UHP tire section.

[rotaz]

Originally Posted by Driver72

+1 without a doubt.
For cost, performance, weight, etc this tire is basically impossible to beat.
I have them on my PROceded 335i and the grip is excellent.
The cost is LOW (less than 1/2 the cost of many of the other tires)
The weight is low.
They are quiet and smooth too.
No weaving or following grooves.

There is a reason they are rated #1 on the Tirerack's UHP tire section.

+1 I bought these over PS2 and did my share of research and seems these tires are unbeatble for the price.

[AM335]

Originally Posted by Driver72

+1 without a doubt.
For cost, performance, weight, etc this tire is basically impossible to beat.
I have them on my PROceded 335i and the grip is excellent.
The cost is LOW (less than 1/2 the cost of many of the other tires)
The weight is low.
They are quiet and smooth too.
No weaving or following grooves.

There is a reason they are rated #1 on the Tirerack's UHP tire section.

How many miles have you put on your UHPs? Any change in sound? Thanks.

[HRC]

I wont ever buy GY EAGLE F1 GS D3's again. I'm not the only current E9X owner who feels this way. They were excellent on my Honda, on my 330.

Danny

[FotiosF90M5]

Originally Posted by Driver72

+1 without a doubt.
For cost, performance, weight, etc this tire is basically impossible to beat.
I have them on my PROceded 335i and the grip is excellent.
The cost is LOW (less than 1/2 the cost of many of the other tires)
The weight is low.
They are quiet and smooth too.
No weaving or following grooves.

There is a reason they are rated #1 on the Tirerack's UHP tire section.

I have them and they are a perfect balance (performance/value/longevity) Why spend more? btw they look really good too (tread & sidewall)

[sinnet112]

Originally Posted by HRC

I wont ever buy GY EAGLE F1 GS D3's again. I'm not the only current E9X owner who feels this way. They were excellent on my Honda, on my 330.

Danny

What's wrong with them? I just sprung for a set

[AM335]

Originally Posted by HRC

I wont ever buy GY EAGLE F1 GS D3's again. I'm not the only current E9X owner who feels this way. They were excellent on my Honda, on my 330.

Danny

HRC, what are the reasons for disliking the Eagle F1 GS-D3? Thanks.

[HRC]

Flat spots!! All four of my tires developed this after about 5K miles. I never locked up any of my wheels, let alone all four. I was told that I am not the first to experience this type of problem. On top of that, when parked for a while, I get even more vibration from "temporary" flat spots from sitting! Those go away after driving it out.

Danny

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by AM335

How many miles have you put on your UHPs? Any change in sound? Thanks.

About 2800 miles so far.
Still sound great, still grip great...actually even better.

At $129 per tire for rear 265/30/19's you don't feel bad
beating on them once in awhile either.