[E90angeleyes]

Hey all, I'm looking into getting some new wheels for my car. I live in California so I'll be getting summer times and sticking with them year round. My first choice was a staggered set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S at 245/40/19 and 275/35/19. But why are they so much more expensive than other summer tires? Are they simply just that much better in every single way? Pilot Super Sports are only be about $20 cheaper.

These are other tires that are available in the sizes I’m looking for. Anybody have experiences/thoughts/opinions?

• Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2, ~$434 cheaper than the Michelin PS4S in the same size.
  
• Continental Extremecontact Sports, $230 cheaper.
  
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, $246 cheaper.
  
• Falken Azenis FK510, ~$436 cheaper.
  
• Pirelli P Zero, ~$100 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 5P, ~$218 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 6, ~$210 cheaper.
  
• General GMAX RS, ~$510 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Fleva V701, ~$338 cheaper.
  
• Nexen NFERA SU1, ~$428 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601, ~$312 cheaper.
  
• Nitto NT05, ~$132 cheaper
  
• Verdestein ULTRAC VORTI, ~$422 cheaper
  
• Firestone INDY 500, ~$403 cheaper.
  
• Sumitomo HTR Z5, ~$404 cheaper.
  
• Dunlop Direzza ZIII, ~$ 102 cheaper.

I'm okay with dismissing some of these as I don't think I have even heard of them, but I would appreciate it if anyone can chime in. Thanks in advance.

[ey2001]

I tried many summer tires... and Michelin ps4 are hands down the best summer tires... I am running 255/35/20 and 295/30/20....I am from California.. socal... I know tires cost a lot but those 4 tires are the ones that touch the ground and it will save you

[lsturbointeg]

are you looking at a budget point of view or you looking for more of a quality discussion?

[ChiNorm]

Quality is the only bargain. Everything I read says the Michelin is the best, look at
Conti if you want to save a few $$.

[lsturbointeg]

i would also think of your driving needs and habits to include into the equation. if you're just driving your BMW as a grocery getter there's no need to drop that much money on expensive tires. for the guys who do a lot of tracking, spirit driving i can see spending money on a very good tire.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

i would also think of your driving needs and habits to include into the equation. if you're just driving your BMW as a grocery getter there's no need to drop that much money on expensive tires. for the guys who do a lot of tracking, spirit driving i can see spending money on a very good tire.

What I wish is that top tier tires from a couple of generations ago would be available for significantly lower prices. Of course that would severely cut into sales of the current model so it will never happen.

If I could get a set of PS2s for half what PS4Ss cost, for instance, I'd jump for that option. I don't drive my F10 like I need PS4S, but it seems like some of the things I really like (resistance to squealing, fast turn in, progressive break away including when wet, starting round and staying round) can fall off very rapidly as you move to lower priced products.

[AZ_Bmw_550]

Falken Azenis FK510, ~$436 cheaper.

I've run these on a 550i and 650i and have been impressed. I've driven a friends 650i with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S back to back with mine on the Falkens and they both felt equally good on turn in and stability. Within a year he went to the 510s too.

[Rob09msport]

Nt05 are great but they are higher performance less tread life the dws and v12 are more I line with ps4 but the ps4 are the best imo dws 2 and v12 3 I have nt05s and as3 now i had ps4 pss , still have a extra set of v12s so only ones I'm not speaking first hand on are the dws. You have to decide if you want yr round or just summer tire and what your climate is then how many miles you want out of them.

[ezaircon4jc]

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

One thing to consider; a summer tire can get squirrely at lower (like below 40ºish) temperatures. My PSS's did OK at around 28º, but I was on the freeway doing 80ish. I kept checking the tire temps and the lowest I saw was about 58º.

I've had Falken, Yokohama, Continental, Cooper, Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear. Other than the Michelin's and Bridgestone's, they all got noisy and greasy towards the last half of their lives. I put Michelin & Bridgestonein the top tier, Goodyear, Yokohama & Continental in the 2nd and all the rest at the bottom.

Just my opinion.

[OnlyGerman]

I usually go with Pirelli. Great balance of performance and cost. I never cheap out on tires. I did one time and regretted spending that little extra money on something much better, and not like you can just return them!

[E90angeleyes]

Leaning towards the Falkens now... seem to a be a good balance between cost and performance. Again, this is a 5 and will not see the track. It's my daily.

Any words of encouragement (or not) on the Falken Azenis FK510?

[BurrNinja]

General makes a good all season tire. Im going with those when "when" i get my 20s. Tbh look for a good warranty also.

[Ven0ma]

I just put on the Hankook on the front axle and probably over the next week I would be able to share my opinion. Tyre are 245/45/18 though. However, I chose them because they have a good handling in the wet and aquaplaning which is the most important thing for me since it rains a lot in the UK.

[dzz]

Originally Posted by E90angeleyes

Hey all, I'm looking into getting some new wheels for my car. I live in California so I'll be getting summer times and sticking with them year round. My first choice was a staggered set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S at 245/40/19 and 275/35/19. But why are they so much more expensive than other summer tires? Are they simply just that much better in every single way? Pilot Super Sports are only be about $20 cheaper.

These are other tires that are available in the sizes I’m looking for. Anybody have experiences/thoughts/opinions?

• Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2, ~$434 cheaper than the Michelin PS4S in the same size.
  
• Continental Extremecontact Sports, $230 cheaper.
  
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, $246 cheaper.
  
• Falken Azenis FK510, ~$436 cheaper.
  
• Pirelli P Zero, ~$100 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 5P, ~$218 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 6, ~$210 cheaper.
  
• General GMAX RS, ~$510 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Fleva V701, ~$338 cheaper.
  
• Nexen NFERA SU1, ~$428 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601, ~$312 cheaper.
  
• Nitto NT05, ~$132 cheaper
  
• Verdestein ULTRAC VORTI, ~$422 cheaper
  
• Firestone INDY 500, ~$403 cheaper.
  
• Sumitomo HTR Z5, ~$404 cheaper.
  
• Dunlop Direzza ZIII, ~$ 102 cheaper.

I'm okay with dismissing some of these as I don't think I have even heard of them, but I would appreciate it if anyone can chime in. Thanks in advance.

I have Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and they are great tires. I also use Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 as my winter tires. Additional bonus for those not using run flat tires is that Michelin https://www.michelinman.com/generalWarranty.html and Continental https://www.continentaltire.com/warranty offer 3yrs flat tire assistance and towing up to 150 miles per incident. On top of that Continental offers free replacement if your tire becomes damaged in the first 12 months. I was able to take advantage of this, I hit a pothole of a size of bomb crater in DC, near Capitol building and one DWS06 tire was instantly busted. I called Continental towing number which you get after you complete warranty form and they sent a tow truck (the tow was about 40 miles to indy shop), then the shop shipped back damaged tire to Continental under warranty claim (Continental paid for shipping) and Continental issued me full refund for the damaged tire. It took about 2 months to get the refund but they did send it.

Other than great ride quality, Michelin and Continental tires come with other benefits which are worth considering.

[CommoN81]

Originally Posted by E90angeleyes

Hey all, I'm looking into getting some new wheels for my car. I live in California so I'll be getting summer times and sticking with them year round. My first choice was a staggered set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S at 245/40/19 and 275/35/19. But why are they so much more expensive than other summer tires? Are they simply just that much better in every single way? Pilot Super Sports are only be about $20 cheaper.

These are other tires that are available in the sizes I’m looking for. Anybody have experiences/thoughts/opinions?

• Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2, ~$434 cheaper than the Michelin PS4S in the same size.
  
• Continental Extremecontact Sports, $230 cheaper.
  
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, $246 cheaper.
  
• Falken Azenis FK510, ~$436 cheaper.
  
• Pirelli P Zero, ~$100 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 5P, ~$218 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 6, ~$210 cheaper.
  
• General GMAX RS, ~$510 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Fleva V701, ~$338 cheaper.
  
• Nexen NFERA SU1, ~$428 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601, ~$312 cheaper.
  
• Nitto NT05, ~$132 cheaper
  
• Verdestein ULTRAC VORTI, ~$422 cheaper
  
• Firestone INDY 500, ~$403 cheaper.
  
• Sumitomo HTR Z5, ~$404 cheaper.
  
• Dunlop Direzza ZIII, ~$ 102 cheaper.

I'm okay with dismissing some of these as I don't think I have even heard of them, but I would appreciate it if anyone can chime in. Thanks in advance.

I am on my 2nd set of the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 with two different cars. Love them. They can be noisy sometimes, but overall a great tire for the price. Wet traction is fantastic, they are comfortable and have great road manners. I highly recommend.

[Ickdeep]

I have Michelin Pilot Sport 4S on my M5 and they are worth every penny. I had Pirelli P Zero and they weren't as good (any drop of water or rain and they slipped compared to the PS4S that still work okay in the rain).

[T-Bone18]

Originally Posted by E90angeleyes

Hey all, I'm looking into getting some new wheels for my car. I live in California so I'll be getting summer times and sticking with them year round. My first choice was a staggered set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S at 245/40/19 and 275/35/19. But why are they so much more expensive than other summer tires? Are they simply just that much better in every single way? Pilot Super Sports are only be about $20 cheaper.

These are other tires that are available in the sizes I’m looking for. Anybody have experiences/thoughts/opinions?

• Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2, ~$434 cheaper than the Michelin PS4S in the same size.
  
• Continental Extremecontact Sports, $230 cheaper.
  
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, $246 cheaper.
  
• Falken Azenis FK510, ~$436 cheaper.
  
• Pirelli P Zero, ~$100 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 5P, ~$218 cheaper.
  
• Continental Sport Contact 6, ~$210 cheaper.
  
• General GMAX RS, ~$510 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Fleva V701, ~$338 cheaper.
  
• Nexen NFERA SU1, ~$428 cheaper.
  
• Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601, ~$312 cheaper.
  
• Nitto NT05, ~$132 cheaper
  
• Verdestein ULTRAC VORTI, ~$422 cheaper
  
• Firestone INDY 500, ~$403 cheaper.
  
• Sumitomo HTR Z5, ~$404 cheaper.
  
• Dunlop Direzza ZIII, ~$ 102 cheaper.

I'm okay with dismissing some of these as I don't think I have even heard of them, but I would appreciate it if anyone can chime in. Thanks in advance.

For me the best deal is the Firestone INDY 500, we had them in the past on the Civic Si and my wife MK6 GTI and you can't beat the quality for the price. Never had issue broking one, they stick to the road/curve, they are quiet and awesome wet traction. Our big surprise is they last longer than what we taught, 3years+ but we don't drive them in the winter.

I'm in the market for another summer set for the Stage 1 F10 Xdrive and I will probably go with them again. For what I am doing, I have hard time to spend the extra money for the Michelin. I use the car mostly to go to work and I daily do a pull or 2 on the highway but yeah, if you have play money, go with the Pilot Sports A/S 3+ or even better with the PS4S.

I was also interested for the Falken Azenis FK510, but they wear down pretty quick I hear. They sound descend but I don't think they will last me 3 years, might as well pay extra for the Michelin.

Another thing, do many of you ride an F10 Xdrive with the 275 in the back instead of 245 all over ? Thinking going Stage 2 next summer and considering getting more surface.
What do you think ?

[Gypsyking]

Hello there,

If you're not tracking your car and not pushing her to the limit continuously, I would vote for Falken Azenis FK 510.

I have had the opportunity to drive two 535i x-Drive cars of two of my friends one shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and the other with Falken Azenis FK 510 and on regular speeds, I was struggling to find a pointed difference between the two tires.

There's absolutely no doubt that Michelin Piolet Sport 4S is probably the best tire for these cars that money can buy but Falkens hit a sweet spot from a price/value equation perspective.

My 2016 535i x-Drive is shod with 20" Bridgestone Potenzas (RFTs) and in the next couple of years, I'm going to change over to Falkens (my car still has just 20,000 miles on the clock and I can't wait for these tires to wear down to 4mm tread depth).

Here's a Tirerack comparison for 4 different mid-priced high-performance summer tires if you want to dig a bit deeper:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...l=Azenis+FK510

[xxpanipuri]

Originally Posted by ey2001

I tried many summer tires... and Michelin ps4 are hands down the best summer tires... I am running 255/35/20 and 295/30/20....I am from California.. socal... I know tires cost a lot but those 4 tires are the ones that touch the ground and it will save you

Totally agree. Pilot Sport's for summer HP tires are un beatable IMHO.

They are pricey...but with the new pss and ps4s (i just got a set of ps4s) they have a longer treadwear rating 300 vs 220 (for the original ps and ps2's)

[Sylverlee]

Anyone have trouble with the Hankook's flat spotting quickly? I often get a slight shake during cold, can take a while to warm up and smoothen out

[ezaircon4jc]

Questions, questions, questions...

I just wore out the Pilot PSS's in just under 19K miles. Been looking around and wondered what the brain trust here thinks of the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate's. I know the LS2's are crap, but all manufactures make good and bad tires.

Dealer wants ~$1500 for the stock Michelin's.

[ezaircon4jc]

Never mind. Bought the stock Michelin RFT's at COSTCO for a smidge over $1300.