Street Tire Choices - HOT

[TXBDan]

I just put some Continental ExtremeContact Sports on my rad sportwagen. They're great summer season tires. Extremely good in the rain.

[blckstrm]

I did not get 30k out of PSS on either the 08M3 or 08 535xit.

I didn't get 15k out of my PS2s at stock settings, but got 30k out of my PSSs.

They DO have a warranty, though you need to be running stock suspension settings (no crazy camber, though I don't know if the E9X needs camber like an E36 does).

And if your E90 is staggered you only get half the mileage, too. But I'd think your 5er would have easily qualified.

I guess I'm just saying they warrant them because they deliver - and I've done it. We all play with our suspensions too much to fault any tire - on modified suspension - for wearing early. But if you can get to the warranted mileage on a tire like that (regardless of suspension settings), you really have to give credit to the tire.

[MauiM3Mania]

Used set of Bridgestone Turanza Serenity?

The Turanza Serenity Plus is a luxury sedan tire featuring solid performance in wet or dry conditions. Along with long wear life, this tire will deliver a quiet, comfortable ride.

I'm thinking that tire isn't what the designers of the M3 had in mind.

[BMWManiac]

These get a good rating on Tire Rack...Firestone is owned by Bridgestone I believe...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C8YUN3Y...v_ov_lig_dp_it

I just bought the Firestones for a grand total of $460 shipped for a staggered setup....even with 600+ hp, I'm going to give it a shot because of the great reviews, the price, and since I like something for cruising

[Gene V]

I just bought the Firestones for a grand total of $460 shipped for a staggered setup....even with 600+ hp, I'm going to give it a shot because of the great reviews, the price, and since I like something for cruising

Let us know how you like them. Since I've moved back to Hoosier A7s for autocross, I'm going to try these once the RE-71s are done...

[Moron95M3]

I just make sure to get directional, not asymmetric. This way I can flip them inside out mid-life. (I always get more inner tire wear).

BFG Gforce sports are a good go-to

[tjm3]

These get a good rating on Tire Rack...Firestone is owned by Bridgestone I believe...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C8YUN3Y...v_ov_lig_dp_it

I have these on a Dinan modded 325i. Not bad. Quiet and smooth. Handling is good. A better tire, I think, than the Sumitomos but also a little softer. The Sumitomo tends to get a lot noisier with a bunch of miles on them.

[TostitoBandito]

I just make sure to get directional, not asymmetric. This way I can flip them inside out mid-life. (I always get more inner tire wear).

BFG Gforce sports are a good go-to

Yeah my Hankook RS4 track tires are like that. Next spring I’ll have them flipped on the wheels so the shoulder wear gets evened out. My Michelin AS street tires aren’t, but I only drive a couple thousand miles a year so life isn’t a big concern.

[Xiphos]

Sumitomo HTR Z III are good alternatives to pilot sports in my experience. About the only downside, they're slightly louder. Grip wise, I couldn't really tell a difference.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...odel=HTR+Z+III

Pilot Sports are overrated in my view. They're no where near as grippy as competition tires, and only marginally or not any grippier than other summer tires.

Your $650 price, is that out the door (mounting and balance) or just the tires? If out the door, that's a really good price; I would buy PSS tires in that case.

I've been running these tires for a few years on a DD M3. They have great grip and good life for DD. I was never a fan of the Pilot Sports. They had great grip but their life was terrible and way too expensive.

[earthwormjim]

They're some of the better 300TW performance summer tires you can buy, and generally not too expensive. Sure, they don't compare to the stickier more track-oriented 200TW tires like the Hankook RS4's that I have (or Dunlop star specs, RE71R's, etc...), but they will also give a smoother and quieter ride, last way longer, and don't degrade in cold temperatures. I strongly discourage anyone from putting 200TW or lower tires on a car which is only driven on the street, unless money is no object.

You missread what I wrote. I wasn't advocating competition tires. Merely stating, summer tires are generally summer tires, they can only be so grippy, due to safety constraints and tread life. Summer tires made within the last few years, all grip just about the same. Where you find differences, are road noise, extra rubber to prevent curbing, and cost.

Have you driven other summer tires? I've used Sumitimo HTR Z III, Potenza Pole Positions, Contisports, Eagle F1, P Zeros, and Pilot Sports over the years. They all lasted around 20,000 miles.
I can honestly say, I noticed no difference in grip on these tires. Perhaps if I autocrossed in them, or took them to Willow Springs I might see a difference, but if I'm doing that, I would just use competition tires.
Sumitomo HTR Z III's are less than half the price of some of those tires, and none of them last longer. Perhaps the lack of brand recognition is your concern? Sumitomo is the parent company of Dunlop and Falken tires.