The 3 tires I am thinking about for my new ZHP

[SoCalZman]

I am thinking of updating my tires. The PO put tires on it in January around 87,200 miles and the car now has 88,600 and some change. I only drive about 3k a year, so thats why the low mileage.

These Kumho Ecsta LE Sports (max summer) only have about 1400 miles on them. If anyone local in NorCal wants to purchase them off me let me know. Nothing wrong with them, they're highly rated on tirerack.com, I just like to be the one to chose something like tires for my car. Moving on....

Price is not a factor here. I value tire performance in BOTH wet/dry, and quiet/smooth operation over tread wear and price. I do what I would consider spirited driving rather than aggressive:

City driving: Around San Francisco once in awhile. Notoroiously cruddy roads. I slow down over any big imperfections, that stuck up hybrid driver behind me be damned. Usually only drive to get across town once a week, if that.
Twisty roads: NorCal is famous for them, and I do enjoy going for sunday drives on these special roads in the summer. Google Map Skyline drive for an example.
Highway: There is nothing like downshifting right before an onramp and getting on it before getting on the freeway. Put a smile on my face every time in my Turbo Z and cant wait to do it in this car. Planning a few road trips this summer up to Tahoe and/or Napa too. Here is where I value the quiet, smooth part of tires.
Performance: I am thinking of taking a few driver education (performance) courses. Not really autoX, but I might do it once or twice.

My attempts to make these hyperlinks failed, sorry....


Continental ExtremeContact DW - I had these on my E34 525i and was very impressed with how smooth/quiet they were and how well they gripped on such a big car like my 5. Also was happy with their wet grip. Since the 5 wasn't that sporty or light, I did not push them more than on onramps, haha. I am wondering if those wonderful traits would move up to a higher performance car like the ZHP and be enough for it....
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DW&frontTire=24YR8ECDWXL&rearTire=535YR8ECDW&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330i%20Sedan&autoModClar= (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DW&frontTire=24YR8ECDWXL&rearTire=535YR8ECDW&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330i%20Sedan&autoModClar=")

Continental ContiSportContact 3 - I am not sure what the difference is between these and the DWs since they are both listed as Max performance summer. I have no experience with these, and they are also the most expensive out of the 3
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ContiSportContact+3&frontTire=24YR8SPC3XLV2&rearTire=535YR8SPC3XLV2&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330i%20Sedan&autoModClar=

Michelin Pilot SuperSports - These seem to be the big daddies in the segment. I wouldn't mind buying them if they are the best of the best in all categories. I am just not sure how much I would be giving up to the DWs in terms of quiet, smooth operation on the highway and wet grip (if giving up anything at all). Or put it another way, would I be giving up too much performance if I went with the Continentals for comfort vs these.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Super+Sport&frontTire=24YR8PSSXL&rearTire=535YR8PSSXL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330i%20Sedan&autoModClar=

Things that make me go "hmmm....' on the weekends :)

[danewilson77]

The guys love Michelin Pilot SuperSports here. Period.

I have the Bridgestone Potenza RE960's.

[zhpnsnv]

Had the conti dws until one blew and there weren't any more available to replace. I liked them. Moved onto supersports and they're amazing. They won't last long but they're fun in the meantime!

[SoCalZman]

Had the conti dws until one blew and there weren't any more available to replace. I liked them. Moved onto supersports and they're amazing. They won't last long but they're fun in the meantime!

In your opinion, how quiet are they on the highway compared to your conti's? and how do they compare to the continentals on rough roads? I am kind of looking for the best balance of traits. If the SuperSports have supernatural grip like they say but are prone to having tons of tire noise on the freeway, I might be hesitant

[SoCalZman]

The guys love Michelin Pilot SuperSports here. Period.

I have the Bridgestone Potenza RE960's.

I have been gathering that on this board. and because of that I am leaning that way, I just wanted some input on their comfort/noise side.

off topic, do you write for The Truth About Cars? Or does someone on this forum write for them?

[danewilson77]

Mmmm...I do not...nor do I know if someone here does.

[SoCalZman]

Mmmm...I do not...nor do I know if someone here does.

My bad. I was reading through old posts and I could've sworn someone on here had written for them. maybe it was during one of my 1am browsing session. This forum is addictive :D

edit: I see. you linked to a TTAC review. Thats why I thought that. http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1376-Shark-Injector-Review-E46-BMW-330-ZHP

[spencers]

I love my Michelin PSS.

[derbo]

PSS are great. My buddy with a E39 540i have them. Low on noise, great treadwear and even great at the track!

[Taliben]

Dunlop Direzza DZ101 starspecs?

[Hermes]

I was actually looking at Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 since the Hankook RS3 don't seem to be available at the moment. Also, it says this on DiscountTire under the details on the PS2's:
The PS2 has been designed to meet the demands of today's best sports cars, and has become the OEM tire for BMW Motorsport, Mercedes AMG, Porsche and Audi.

[Jon D]

I love my Michelin PSS.

Me too

Jon D. Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[zhpnsnv]

In your opinion, how quiet are they on the highway compared to your conti's? and how do they compare to the continentals on rough roads? I am kind of looking for the best balance of traits. If the SuperSports have supernatural grip like they say but are prone to having tons of tire noise on the freeway, I might be hesitant

Contis were quieter/smoother but not by much. I am pleased with the supersports' noise/comfort considering their level of grip. Had the conti not blown, I'd have been happy living with them. I'd say balance award would go to conti dw, but the supersports are just so friggin good (and beefier looking).

[SoCalZman]

Dunlop Direzza DZ101 starspecs?

Ah, glad you brought those up. I actually had the Z1s (not Z101s) on my 300ZX Turbo. They were amazing tires, but I don't know how noisy they were because my Z was a pretty noisy car to begin with. And my Bilsteins and poly bushings made the car a bit stiff no matter what tire, I suspect. haha. I think if I was going to do Dunlops I would splurge all the way for the Z1s.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Direzza+Sport+Z1+Star+Spec&frontTire=24WR8Z1SS&rearTire=535WR8Z1SS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330i%20Performance%20Pkg&autoModClar=


Contis were quieter/smoother but not by much. I am pleased with the supersports' noise/comfort considering their level of grip. Had the conti not blown, I'd have been happy living with them. I'd say balance award would go to conti dw, but the supersports are just so friggin good (and beefier looking).

Interesting. I would like to think that drivers of our cars are a bit more discerning about how a tire behaves on their vehicle, so the fact that the everyone seems to love the SuperSports without any noise/ride complaints makes me think I would be able to live with them too. Im not a sissy (i swear!), its just after I put on my Continentals from the cheap tires that were on it before it was night and day difference in every category. I just want to keep that high standard on my ZHP :) I think I will go with the SuperSports.

found a review from a ZHP owner on the SuperSports on tire rack:
"Having owned many BMWs which I have driven daily, as well as an occasional track event, and having used many different tires on my cars, I can confidently say that no tire I have ever driven measures up to the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. These tires are simply phenomenal. The sense of confidence and connectedness that they give is unparalleled. They have superior turn-in, dry traction and wet traction. They are quiet and well-mannered on the road. They wear evenly, and as with other Michelins I have owned, I expecf to get excellent overall life out of these. You can pay less for tires... or more. But you simply will not find a betted summer high-performance tire."

[zhpnsnv]

They're great. Now, will they stay quiet as they wear? No clue.

And yes, we are a discerning bunch.

[spencers]

Dunlop Direzza DZ101 starspecs?

The DZ101 and StarSpecs are two drastically different tires.

[ranger]

We just bought a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS for my wife's 2007 Mercedes E350 Sport. I shop all over for tires including TireRack, COSTCO, SAM's, Discount Tire, etc. I got the best deal at the Atlanta Mercedes Benz dealer! I was amazed.

[terraphantm]

I love my PSS. Easily the best all-around tire I've driven on (and I've driven on just about every high-end tire)

[johnrando]

I may have missed it, what are the specs on your Kumhos?

[SoCalZman]

I may have missed it, what are the specs on your Kumhos?

Mine? I have stock wheels so they're the OE size tires: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+LE+Sport&frontTire=24YR8ELEXL&rearTire=535YR8ELEXL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2005&autoModel=330CI%20Performance%20Package&autoModClar=

[AzkotikBMW]

The DZ101 and StarSpecs are two drastically different tires.

I had the DZ101's on my ZHP when I had it. I was very pleased with them. I can't give a great idea for how loud they were on the highway however, because my ZHP was......well.....deafening for lack of a better term.

And the StarSpecs are not what you want at all. They are not meant for daily driving.

[aurelius]

I am thinking of updating my tires. The PO put tires on it in January around 87,200 miles and the car now has 88,600 and some change.

Apologies in advance if I missed something but why are you looking at new tires if yours are just 4 months old and have done only a thousand miles or so?

I just mounted a set of the Cont'l ExtremeContact DW. They don't have the grip of the Pilot Sports (v.1) I had previously but they're quiet and ride quality is good. IIRC, the wear rating is also a lot better on the DW's than on any version of the PS.

[SoCalZman]

No worries. I want new tires because I like to pick the types of tires on my car, and I know there are better tires out there. This is the 3rd car I have bought with Kumhos on them, and they were ok while I had them, but when I got upgraded tires I could tell the difference.

[UdubBadger]

i can personally vouch for the DW's being the best value buy you'll find. For the price they beat anything on the road even close. No they aren't RE-11's but then again you're not paying for them nor does a ZHP need something that sticky IMO (unless you are s/c'd maybe). Plus with the treadwear north of 300... the value in them compared to similar stuff in the 200's is off the chart. Been happy with mine an plan on continuing to go back when worn out.

[SoCalZman]

i can personally vouch for the DW's being the best value buy you'll find. For the price they beat anything on the road even close. No they aren't RE-11's but then again you're not paying for them nor does a ZHP need something that sticky IMO (unless you are s/c'd maybe). Plus with the treadwear north of 300... the value in them compared to similar stuff in the 200's is off the chart. Been happy with mine an plan on continuing to go back when worn out.

I agree, I really liked the DWs on my 5 series. I just looked and their treadwear rating is 340. The SuperSports are 300. I am not sure what kind of difference that would make in the real world, though.

I typically drive less than 5G a year too, so I think either tire would last me years.

[UdubBadger]

yeah I didn't know the SS were so high... its not a bad compairson now. I am used to comparing them to the PS2's which are like 220 (?) so its a no brainer there.

[johnnyrad]

Check out the Falken FK-452's. I run them on my xi for summertime and love em. Their quiet and grippy. I have the Michelin Pilot Sports on the ZHP and wish I had the Falkens on there as well.

[derbo]

yeah I didn't know the SS were so high... its not a bad compairson now. I am used to comparing them to the PS2's which are like 220 (?) so its a no brainer there.

The SS is a bi compound where the outside is stickier while the inner tread is more focused on slower wear. I think it's a pretty nifty idea.

I think you can't go wrong with either tire dw or ss


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[terraphantm]

The SS is a bi compound where the outside is stickier while the inner tread is more focused on slower wear. I think it's a pretty nifty idea.

I think you can't go wrong with either tire dw or ss


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are very different tires though. The SS are much grippier, but also a bit harsher and a bit louder. I personally love them, and I'm not a fan of Continental (*every* Continental tire I've ever tried ended up blowing out on me).

[Rovert]

I hope my DW's don't blow up on me. LOL. My tire pressure monitors will hopefully save me if that begins to happen. I love DW 's so far. They feel as grippy as what I used before. Toyo T1S,T1R, and Falken FK452's.

[bimmeryota]

You have TPM on your v710s? I'd like those for mine as well!

[Rovert]

Yup..got the Orange brand. Hella makes one too. Real time pressure and temp monitor.

[terraphantm]

I hope my DW's don't blow up on me. LOL. My tire pressure monitors will hopefully save me if that begins to happen. I love DW 's so far. They feel as grippy as what I used before. Toyo T1S,T1R, and Falken FK452's.

Haha, the blow outs I've had were fairly spectacular. Continentals (at least the ones I've driven on) don't tolerate pot holes very well. The few that didn't blow out ended up developing bubbles. I do try to avoid bumps, but sometimes it's impossible.

[Rovert]

You must have big bumps where you live!

[sna77]

I live in Boston and the roads here are a mess--potholes galore. I run the Michelin Pilot Super Sports also. They are awesome--except when I'm blowing out a sidewall--which happened 4x last summer. groan.

The Michelins and Contis grip great but the soft sidewalls are tough for bumpy areas...

Ahhh, the summer of 2011... Thank goodness for road hazard!

The order:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=410982&d=1311965932


Bubble #1:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=410980&d=1311965932

Bubble #2, Same front right tire. Same pothole also took out rear right tire:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=410981&d=1311965932

Bubble #3 on rear passenger side. Hard to see from pic, but its definitely there. Sucks.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=410979&d=1311965932

Bubble #4 front driver's side this time. UGH
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/pss91011.jpg

[Rovert]

I thought higher end tires have stiffer sidewalls to help with faster turn in and less roll?

[SoCalZman]

This will be interesting. San Francisco streets are like the surface of the moon. This is my first car with such big wheels too. Hm

[JohnnyGraphic]

SF wouldn't be exactly what I would call tire-friendly either! However, since you put very little mileage on your cars, the cost of the tire will amortize over time AND the likelihood of having a really 'bad' experience is lower. I would imagine that when you DO drive, your drives would probably take you out of town? If that were the case, then I wouldn't worry terribly too much about the SF streets-since most of those accumulated miles would be outside of SF.

That said, I have the Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my ZHP. I've always loved Michelin's and have never really liked other brands of tires as much. They're expensive-About $1,200 OTD for a set including alignment. In my situation, I drive mostly on the highways in commute traffic-680 in the East Bay. San Ramon to Walnut Creek. I don't use 10/10th's of it at all. But, I REALLY like to have the capability to do it when the time comes. Emergency maneuvers etc would be more predictable and I KNOW I can count on my tires to do what I need it to do. It's those 4 little contact patches between me & not-me. So, I justify it like that.

Just my 2 cents.

Whatever you decide, I hope you find something that you really like and can enjoy and feel the difference.

Johnny

[SoCalZman]

Yes the car is used for pleasure mostly, with drives to meet other ZHP owners ;) and some Sunday drives down Skyline blvd. a few drives across SF when I go out on the town mixed in for good measure.

And I am the same as you - I do not beat on my car, but having the ability to maneuver, brake better in an emergency is important. Not to mention those times when I come across a empty twisty road and the car downshifts somehow *grin*

I am putting new tires on hold for just a bit as Steve (sna77) has put the iPod-bluetooth seeds in my head with his DIY threads, but they will happen this summer hopefully!

[KevinC]

I have PSS's on my ZHP as of about 2 weeks ago, and have run PS2's on my M Coupe for some time. The PSS's are just outstanding - a huge upgrade over the PS2's IMHO. LOVE them!!

You guys talking about your brutal roads make me thankful for living in Phoenix nowadays. We have perhaps the best roads in the entire country, from my experience in the last decade or so. California roads were awesome 20+ years ago, but have fallen into a 3rd world state of disrepair. It may be 110+ all week here this week, but the odds of blowing out a tire or crunching a rim are about zero.

[JupiterBMW]

Yeah I have to agree. The roads here in Florida are all beautifully wide and in great shape. Unfortunately, they are also very flat and straight. The majority of the surface roads here are all in a big N-S, E-W grid... Sort of makes suspension mods kind of silly down here, but at least its easy on the wheels and tires. :biggrin

[Newjack]

Yeah I have to agree. The roads here in Florida are all beautifully wide and in great shape. Unfortunately, they are also very flat and straight. The majority of the surface roads here are all in a big N-S, E-W grid... Sort of makes suspension mods kind of silly down here, but at least its easy on the wheels and tires. :biggrin

90 degree turns are everywhere. Take one of those at 30mph. I promise you will smile.

[JupiterBMW]

Oh well yes, those are awesome but its rare that you come to one with a green light. The lights in Florida (at least around here) are almost all timed and not triggered, so even if no traffic, you may still have to stop and wait at the lights. It sucks...

But, there are 3 roundabouts right near my house, and I always take full advantage of those, especially when they're empty of other traffic! :biggrin

[tonyportnof]

Hello!

I just posted in the forum with a similar situation, Boston area too. It's desperation time: I'll sacrifice some performance to relieve this problem (just blew 2 tires, right side last night, never even saw the hole, I drive the road all the time! 1A in Revere) and I'm wondering if there's a combination of shocks, struts and stiffer sidewalls that might help. Currently ContiContacts, stock suspension...

Tony