Best Bag 4 The Buck Tires???

[BMW4LIFE]

hey whats up guys i have did a search on tires and i had like 5 trillion results so im just gonna take the risk of getting flamed and ask you guys what ya'll think. i have a 1993 525i auto :( ...j/k...that is going to need tires pretty soon i checked out a lot reviews on a lot of tires and came up with these...

Sumitomo HTR H4 400 A A $49.00
Bridgestone Potenza G009 460 A A $66.00
Goodyear Assurance TripleTred 740 A B $88.00
any other options?????

now i love to take the corners hard (or as hard as the car can take) but at the same time i dont have the money for PZERO nor the need for them, i also would like to get good mileage of of the tire as i commute to school 100 miles a day... i was wondering which tire would you guys think would be the best

ps when i went to go get my suspension checked out the guy said that my lower control arm bushing was out and that when i braked the front tire would shift forward like 2 inch...is that true or is he trying to make some extra dough????

[jhsmd666]

Quiet, good tread wear, and excellent traction.

[smcgowan]

I'm getting rdy also to get a set..

I'd love to get a set of Toyo Proxes4, but only comes in the TPT style in my rim size. I've got Kumho's ( only$42 each) on there now that lasted 65k, but since I upgraded Sways I needed a stiffer sidewalls. Are you running 225/60R15's? If I could get a set of nice 16" rims to replace my 15" baskets perhaps I'll go with the Toyo Proxes4. Perhaps RigMaster has a set for trade?

Those Bridgestone Turanza LS-H run over $118 each, but I heard they are great.

Bridgestone Potenza G009 these are only $75 a pop..

Anyone from the peanut gallery wish to chime in?

[uscharalph]

hey whats up guys i have did a search on tires and i had like 5 trillion results so im just gonna take the risk of getting flamed and ask you guys what ya'll think. i have a 1993 525i auto :( ...j/k...that is going to need tires pretty soon i checked out a lot reviews on a lot of tires and came up with these...

Sumitomo HTR H4 400 A A $49.00
Bridgestone Potenza G009 460 A A $66.00
Goodyear Assurance TripleTred 740 A B $88.00
any other options?????

now i love to take the corners hard (or as hard as the car can take) but at the same time i dont have the money for PZERO nor the need for them, i also would like to get good mileage of of the tire as i commute to school 100 miles a day... i was wondering which tire would you guys think would be the best

ps when i went to go get my suspension checked out the guy said that my lower control arm bushing was out and that when i braked the front tire would shift forward like 2 inch...is that true or is he trying to make some extra dough????
Falken Ziex ZE512

[Eric Clark]

I have had Potenzas on my car since July and have been very happy. I bought the car in December and they had the Turanzas on. My mechanic told me to stick with the Turanzas for handeling but the Potenzas will last long and be a bit better in the wet. They were also $50 less per a tire so the decision was very easy for me.

A retired BMW mechanic I know has been running Firestone Affinity LH30 on his sons E34 and has been happy with them. He says he can't find any tire that will last longer.

[DanDombrowski]

yeah, I'm going to agree with this one. I paid $50 a tyre for 205/60/15s, a 60,000 mile warranty, and speed rating up to 130 or so. Rides just fine, and I'm into the twisties as well. The tread feels pretty soft, but at $50 a tire, you can replace them twice as often as a $100 tire, and have more fun doing it.

Now, if you want the best BANG for your buck, go get some firestones.

[Tiger]

Avon if you have 16" or higher wheels.

[Gooch]

Had them a year, hardly worn. Good traction for the miles you get out of them.

[helm]

If you would like a little more sport and trackion, I am happy with the BFG g Force tires from Tirerack.com
Helm

[Lennyz525i]

If you would like a little more sport and trackion, I am happy with the BFG g Force tires from Tirerack.com
Helm

I've read good reviews about those

[liquidtiger720]

Dunlop sport a2 or something like that. I love them- they are on my moms 740i.

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

What about these:
Fuzion HRi - Price: $48.00

I don't know anything about them. They're made by Bridgestone/Firestone and have some of their technologies. And they are dirt cheap.

As far as long lasting tires, I always say, the shorter the better. That way you know there's always lots of "rubber meeting the road", and not hard rubber/plastic sliders!

[uscharalph]

yeah, I'm going to agree with this one. I paid $50 a tyre for 205/60/15s, a 60,000 mile warranty, and speed rating up to 130 or so. Rides just fine, and I'm into the twisties as well. The tread feels pretty soft, but at $50 a tire, you can replace them twice as often as a $100 tire, and have more fun doing it.

Now, if you want the best BANG for your buck, go get some firestones.
That's what I thought BMW4LIFE meant BANG not BAG

[BMW4LIFE]

That's what I thought BMW4LIFE meant BANG no BAG

;) my bad...DAMNE AMARECAN EDUCASION CYCTEME!!!! j/k god bless this wonderful country!!!!!!!!!! :)

[Russell]

I like Bridgestone Turanza tires. 35,000 miles and might be 1/2 worn. Wet traction still seems excellent.

[632 Regal]

I have the Falken ZIEX 512s, so far they are impressive. Dont remember off hand how many miles I have on them, maybe 10k? Went to tirerack for oppinions on them and id say about 90% of the reviews said they would purchase again.

[rockyfeller]

I am very knowledgable on tires (used to sell em) so trust me on this one! I was never a huge fan of BF Goodrich, I'm more of a Michelin man. But when BF came out with the Traction T/As they were revolutionary. Check out tirerack.com if you don't believe me. My opinion is based not just on the numbers but by customer feedback. I got only the ocassional complaint of a little road noise but besides that I've never heard such exuburant praise for any other tire.

In it's class it's got some of the best treadwear, traction and temperature ratings. It comes in our size (hard to find a 225/60/15 nowadays and it comes V-rated. (never underestimate the upgrade from a trash H-rated tire. Our cars just like every German car, should have V-rated rubber or better) And get this! Hardly any V-rated tire carries a treadwear warranty. At most it may have 25k. These have 60k!! Beat that!

The block pattern is excellent for snow. I live in a hilly CT area and I don't have to switch to snow tires! Hydroplane resistance is excellent and wet grip even better! Very solid, stable handling, I can pull sharp turns at silly speeds even when wet. Dry grip so sticky, I have NEVER heard these tires squeal on high speed turns. I have yet to reach the outer envelope of the capabilities of these tires. :D I'd truly have to do something stupid to smack it out of line. My initial dream tires were the Michelin XGT-VR4s. Awesome tread pattern but no warranty and high price ($125ea.) A little known secret? BFGoodrich and Michelin are essentially the same company! So I'm getting similar build quality and quality of materials for less cost (~$75ea.). Since I dealt with tires so much I could see inside out how they're built. The BFGoodrich feel substantially heavier, meatier and robust, more than any other tire in it's category. The shoulders have some reinforcement so the car handles like it's on rails. The sidewalls are tough and resist impact/curbing better than the others. Here's my opinion on the other tires discussed:

Sumitomos HTRs: Must say I am impressed with this tire at this cost and they wear well...but they are a budget tire....does a minimum job. Not too impressive, maybe good enough for a Sentra, much better tires out there for an E34!
Bridgestone Potenzas: Hear only good or very bad things with these tires....I know for sure they wear out VERY quick. I am not impressed with the handling though some swear by them. Don't think they're good for snow. Main reason these tires are so popular on the market are they are so commonly OEM on import cars. (Japaneese for some reason) I like the Turanzas even less but I hear their latest line is better.
Goodyear Tripletreads. Excellent all season tire! Very impressed with build quality, comparable to the BF Traction T/As. Very good in rain and decent in snow. VERY good warranty, wears hard. NOT a performance tire though. This tire is designed mostly for T-rated applications and some H-rated ones. They don't make any V-rated ones.
Kumho's: Stay away from these. Budget tires meant for those who probably are selling their car or something. Soft sidewall, bad ride, wears badly. The only decent Kumho line are those "Ecstas". The rest are not recommended. They're cheap but you gets what you pay fer.
Falken 512s: These sold like hot-cakes for 1 reason...Consumer reports put them #1 among H-rated tires last year. (I cannot understand why!) Oh yeah, 1 more reason: they're cheap! The tread design suggests decent peformance and good rain performance with v-shaped sipes, but they feel cheap. This tire was so lightweight I could fling them around. Sidewalls are thin and easy to damage. Most customers were so-so about them. I'd say they're lucky nothing went wrong. They come in H or V-rating.
Avon: Don't know much about these tires....Very rare. I think they were OEM on Rolls Royces back in the day.
BF Goodrich G-Force: Dosen't make much sense going for these....the numbers are not as good as the Traction T/As, they're more expensive and don't have a wear out warranty. Supposedly they're marginally better with dry grip that's it. Traction T/A is a more overall winner here.
Dunlop Sport A2s: Decent tire but only H-rated. So-so tire nothing special. You can get the Traction T/As for the same money in a V-rated as well as better traction/treadwear/temperture (UTQG- Uniform Tire Quality Grade) numbers.

Most people overlook their tire decision thinking they're all pretty similar. Most think well they're black and made of rubber, who cares, maybe I'll just choose on tread pattern. Study them and you'll see how very different they are. They have their own personalities. Budget is important but remember that safety is paramount so don't skimp on cheapo tires. I've seen so many people go for their 2nd set too fast because they wanted crap tires. Had they bought quality in the 1st place they would have longer time on better riding, efficient tires. Also just because some tires are approved with minimal standards don't make them so safe. They're cheap for some reason. There are differences in quality and some makers go well above the mark and make a much better product.

Well these are just my opinions, hope not to get anyone mad. :) It's just that I dealt with tires for awhile and specifically researched heavily for a set on my 540i and the choice was so clear and obvious: BF Goodrich Traction T/As V-rated. Get a good price and put em on, you won't look back.

[uscharalph]

I am very knowledgable on tires (used to sell em) so trust me on this one! I was never a huge fan of BF Goodrich, I'm more of a Michelin man. But when BF came out with the Traction T/As they were revolutionary. Check out tirerack.com if you don't believe me. My opinion is based not just on the numbers but by customer feedback. I got only the ocassional complaint of a little road noise but besides that I've never heard such exuburant praise for any other tire.

In it's class it's got some of the best treadwear, traction and temperature ratings. It comes in our size (hard to find a 225/60/15 nowadays and it comes V-rated. (never underestimate the upgrade from a trash H-rated tire. Our cars just like every German car, should have V-rated rubber or better) And get this! Hardly any V-rated tire carries a treadwear warranty. At most it may have 25k. These have 60k!! Beat that!

The block pattern is excellent for snow. I live in a hilly CT area and I don't have to switch to snow tires! Hydroplane resistance is excellent and wet grip even better! Very solid, stable handling, I can pull sharp turns at silly speeds even when wet. Dry grip so sticky, I have NEVER heard these tires squeal on high speed turns. I have yet to reach the outer envelope of the capabilities of these tires. :D I'd truly have to do something stupid to smack it out of line. My initial dream tires were the Michelin XGT-VR4s. Awesome tread pattern but no warranty and high price ($125ea.) A little known secret? BFGoodrich and Michelin are essentially the same company! So I'm getting similar build quality and quality of materials for less cost (~$75ea.). Since I dealt with tires so much I could see inside out how they're built. The BFGoodrich feel substantially heavier, meatier and robust, more than any other tire in it's category. The shoulders have some reinforcement so the car handles like it's on rails. The sidewalls are tough and resist impact/curbing better than the others. Here's my opinion on the other tires discussed:

Sumitomos HTRs: Must say I am impressed with this tire at this cost and they wear well...but they are a budget tire....does a minimum job. Not too impressive, maybe good enough for a Sentra, much better tires out there for an E34!
Bridgestone Potenzas: Hear only good or very bad things with these tires....I know for sure they wear out VERY quick. I am not impressed with the handling though some swear by them. Don't think they're good for snow. Main reason these tires are so popular on the market are they are so commonly OEM on import cars. (Japaneese for some reason) I like the Turanzas even less but I hear their latest line is better.
Goodyear Tripletreads. Excellent all season tire! Very impressed with build quality, comparable to the BF Traction T/As. Very good in rain and decent in snow. VERY good warranty, wears hard. NOT a performance tire though. This tire is designed mostly for T-rated applications and some H-rated ones. They don't make any V-rated ones.
Kumho's: Stay away from these. Budget tires meant for those who probably are selling their car or something. Soft sidewall, bad ride, wears badly. The only decent Kumho line are those "Ecstas". The rest are not recommended. They're cheap but you gets what you pay fer.
Falken 512s: These sold like hot-cakes for 1 reason...Consumer reports put them #1 among H-rated tires last year. (I cannot understand why!) Oh yeah, 1 more reason: they're cheap! The tread design suggests decent peformance and good rain performance with v-shaped sipes, but they feel cheap. This tire was so lightweight I could fling them around. Sidewalls are thin and easy to damage. Most customers were so-so about them. I'd say they're lucky nothing went wrong. They come in H or V-rating.
Avon: Don't know much about these tires....Very rare. I think they were OEM on Rolls Royces back in the day.
BF Goodrich G-Force: Dosen't make much sense going for these....the numbers are not as good as the Traction T/As, they're more expensive and don't have a wear out warranty. Supposedly they're marginally better with dry grip that's it. Traction T/A is a more overall winner here.
Dunlop Sport A2s: Decent tire but only H-rated. So-so tire nothing special. You can get the Traction T/As for the same money in a V-rated as well as better traction/treadwear/temperture (UTQG- Uniform Tire Quality Grade) numbers.

Most people overlook their tire decision thinking they're all pretty similar. Most think well they're black and made of rubber, who cares, maybe I'll just choose on tread pattern. Study them and you'll see how very different they are. They have their own personalities. Budget is important but remember that safety is paramount so don't skimp on cheapo tires. I've seen so many people go for their 2nd set too fast because they wanted crap tires. Had they bought quality in the 1st place they would have longer time on better riding, efficient tires. Also just because some tires are approved with minimal standards don't make them so safe. They're cheap for some reason. There are differences in quality and some makers go well above the mark and make a much better product.

Well these are just my opinions, hope not to get anyone mad. :) It's just that I dealt with tires for awhile and specifically researched heavily for a set on my 540i and the choice was so clear and obvious: BF Goodrich Traction T/As V-rated. Get a good price and put em on, you won't look back.
Time to go to bed, I just tried to read rockfeller's post and got dizzy. Se you guys tomorrow.

[python1]

I have just replaced the stock wheels and tires on mine with Beyern type mesh 17x8 and skinned them with Toyo proxes 235/45-17 and I love the way they handle in the rain and dry pavement.

[jhsmd666]

Nice review.

[granit_silber]

[QUOTE=rockyfeller]

In it's class it's got some of the best treadwear, traction and temperature ratings. It comes in our size (hard to find a 225/60/15 nowadays and it comes V-rated. (never underestimate the upgrade from a trash H-rated tire. Our cars just like every German car, should have V-rated rubber or better) And get this! Hardly any V-rated tire carries a treadwear warranty. At most it may have 25k. These have 60k!! Beat that!

The block pattern is excellent for snow. I live in a hilly CT area and I don't have to switch to snow tires! Hydroplane resistance is excellent and wet grip even better! Very solid, stable handling, I can pull sharp turns at silly speeds even when wet. Dry grip so sticky, I have NEVER heard these tires squeal on high speed turns. I have yet to reach the outer envelope of the capabilities of these tires. :D I'd truly have to do something stupid to smack it out of line. My initial dream tires were the Michelin XGT-VR4s. Awesome tread pattern but no warranty and high price ($125ea.) A little known secret? BFGoodrich and Michelin are essentially the same company! So I'm getting similar build quality and quality of materials for less cost (~$75ea.). Since I dealt with tires so much I could see inside out how they're built. The BFGoodrich feel substantially heavier, meatier and robust, more than any other tire in it's category. The shoulders have some reinforcement so the car handles like it's on rails. The sidewalls are tough and resist impact/curbing better than the others. Here's my opinion on the other tires discussed:

[/OUOTE]

Man, great reveiw of some different brands. I also run the BFG Traction T/A's and have been so very impressed with them. I haven't driven them in the snow (yet), but I can't wait for winter.
My 225/15's were $68 a piece and they are wearing great! I can only echo rockyfeller's comments about the grip, theser tire seem to be SUPER sticky!
When you purchase make sure you not only get a tire that meets your size requirement, but also speed rating (V or higher), and load rating (I think you need a 92 or higher). That load rating is really important!
Make sure to check out tirerack.com they usually have the best prices around.

Have Fun!
-ashley

[rockyfeller]

LOL, yeah I've talked about tires before but this time I kinda got carried away....I hope at least I helped someone. :)

[John in CT]

Check the Kumho brand on tirerack, dumb name, awesome inexpemsive tire,

John
1995 525im

[BMW4LIFE]

LOL, yeah I've talked about tires before but this time I kinda got carried away....I hope at least I helped someone. :)

**** bro you didnt just help me you damn near converted me!!!! :D

[rockyfeller]

I hope so ;) ...Do the research and you may change your name too.

BTW I"m not affiliated with BF Goodrich. LOL!

[BMW4LIFE]

I'm getting rdy also to get a set..

Are you running 225/60R15's? ...

is there an advantage in running the 225 rather than the 205???

[onewhippedpuppy]

A bit late to this thread, but with my previous Porsches tires were always a hot topic on Rennlist and Pelican BBS, and there was a Rennlister that was some sort of tire guru from Bridgestone. Opinions that I picked up from there:

Kumho are crap, for every person that liked them, there were ten that didn't. Lots of cases of tire failure early, and supposed to be awful for autoX.

Potenzas: lots of guys ran the top of the line Potenzas, they were thought of as being the ultimate street tire. There's lot of different Potenzas, I think the top is the SO3, around $200 per in 17" sizes.

Falken: suck, at least in my opinion. I replaced a set of dry rotted Yokohamas on my 911 with new Ziex 512s, and they were worse. Maybe not entirely worse, the car stuck better, but they were louder, and rode worse. Their R compound autoX tires supposedly are excellent.

Fuzion: the ZRi is an awesome tire, I put them on my 951. Great grip, and a much quieter and softer ride than the Sumitomos they replaced. The only downside to the ZRis is they are summer only. The tire guy on Rennlist always said that they had 90% of the technology from the Potenza SO3s, for half the price. Pretty much THE tire on Rennlist, I never read a negative review.

Along with the ratings on tire rack, they also have comparison tests, often times even using BMWs (E46). If I had to buy tires today I'd go with the Avons, supposedly great tires and all season rated. If I remember correctly, they are featured in one of the comparison tests.