Kind of a lease-related question…
After lease inspection, I recently had to replace the tires on a 2016 320i or get charged. They were absolutely shot at 36k miles.
My newly leased 2019 330i w/xdrive came with Bridgestone Turanzas and these things just suck! Worst ride ever and they easily break loose with some spirited driving. Seriously thinking about switching to non-run flats because they’re cheaper and much smoother. And of course at the end of the lease just throw the crappy Bridgestones back.
Anyone have good experience doing this and can recommend a good tire that won’t break the bank? I live in Ohio so I need all season. I can grab a set of Goodyear Sport All-Season tires from a local shop here for $530 all in and after current rebates. Anyone ever use these on a 3-series?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
I live in Cleveland as well and noticed I was hydroplaning in my X1 with 12k miles on it. Thinking about doing the same thing… but mine are eagle run flat.
https://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/homepage.html
You need either dedicated summer/winter tires or grand touring all seasons. Some of the grand touring all season tires are so good in the snow that they could pass for winter tires (per tire rack). But none will ever come close to the capabilities of a summer tire. Personally I don’t see the need to switch between summer/winter setups anymore on a DD, tire technology has gotten so good the last few years.
You didn’t mention your tire size but for my Accord these are the choices:
I have the Yoko Avid Ascend GT’s and have been totally thrilled with them in the ~15k miles that I’ve had them. Handling, turn-in, wet and snow traction have all far exceeded my expectations and far better than the Eagle Tourings that the car came with. Only “issue” is they’re a little noisier but tbh the other cars in the house are so noisy and the Accord is so quiet to begin with that it’s not an issue. Probably not an issue for you but a big thing for me was the 65k treadlife warranty on these, I ate through my stock tires in 30k miles (thanks Hondata Stage 3 tune 
)
Conti DWS or the latest in the General G-max AS series. Of course the latest Michelin Pilots if you must have the best of the best, money no object, but the other two are much better value
Check out Tire Rack for more info, test data and reviews.
I can’t recommend switching to non RFT set of your choice enough… For one it’ll transform the car for the better, and for two, you don’t have to worry about having to buy a new set at lease end. Did this with both my 550i and X5.
Did you switch to new tires in the middle and switch back the old ones later at lease end? I’m think about getting a performance non-rft
Sure did. That aside, just the difference in ride quality of non - RFTs is tremendous.
Preaching to the choir.
My X3 M40i came with Bridgestone A/S RFTs and they’re awful. Probably going to run them in the winter and get some Michelin summers soon.
Don’t forget to put the OE tires in a closet to put back on at the end of the lease!
I have personally had horrible experiences with Goodyear tires. Had a nearly new set of Goodyear all-seasons (I believe the Eagle Sport) on my ZHP and spun out in the rain while going slowly around a turn. As @max_g said, the Conti DWS 06 and General G-Max A/S are good for the money. I would go Pilot Sport 4S, but it might be overkill for a 330i lease, and they’re summer tires. Look into the Pilot Sport A/S 3+.
I’m also gonna take this opportunity to rant about how much I hate runflats. They’re noisier, uncomfortable, and seem to be more prone to getting bubbles (I got four of them between my four 19" Pirelli Cinturato P7s within 4k miles on my M340i xDrive). That said, I got a flat in the first two weeks of having my Z4 (Pilot Super Sports), so they can come in handy.
Right after I placed my order online with Goodyear, I saw your response. Did some more research and you’re right. These tires are known for bad traction on wet and icy roads. Cancelled my order and decided to go with the Conti DWS instead.
I’ll update once they’re on my car next week.
Thanks for the save!
These are what I use on my 330e and I couldn’t be happier. They’re generally regarded as some of the best all season tires you can buy.
Happy to be of service!
I have Pilot Sport A/S 3s on my M5, they have been great.
Tires and brakes are the two items you do not go cheap on. Get a set of Michelin Pilot Sport all season tires and call it a day. No other all season will come close and you will get 3 years of use out of them.
Since you have the Bridgestones, you’re prob running the stock 18”ers. Might be a good time step up to a 19” wheel set up and run the 18s during winter.
The G20 just doesn’t look right with 18ers.
Just my 02 cents.
Like others have said, Go with Michelin. They’re $$$ but worth it.
Man, all of you guys are spoiling your lease hacked deals with these tire purchases! LOL
Tires have been a sticking point for me on leased cars as well… The tire performance aside, so many cars (BMWs in particular), won’t get much more than 25,000 miles out of them before they are below 4/32". i3 tires in particular seem to be difficult to get past 24 months (as they start out at only around 9/32 if memory serves). I literally drive like a little old lady (and not one from Pasadena.). This is a big reason why historically I have always preferred a 24 month lease.
Good idea on the 24 mo lease option. Either way, if you lease a BMW you’re getting stuck with the run flats and if you don’t like them, like me, you have to factor that cost into your effective monthly, I guess. I wish they would just stop with these sucky tires.
Sooooo, with standard tires and no spare now, anyone have suggestions for how best to deal with a flat?
There is a flash sale at Discount Tire at the moment. Not sure if the prices will be lower though. You can stack this with manufacturer rebates.
https://www.discounttiredirect.com/
I would also recommend Continental DWS 06 since you need performance in ice/snow.
Thanks for the link! Showing $159 each. I ordered the Continental DWS 06 tires from my local tire shop this morning (Conrad’s) and they agreed to price match. Installing next week so I’ll be sure to report back.
BTW-this will be my second time buying these. I got them for one of my previous Bimmers and they were awesome. It was a 2008 335 xi and what a difference those Conti’s made!
Man, I miss that car. It was a maintenance whore but when it ran right it was a BEAST. Ahhhh, the N54 engine!!! It was that car that made me turn to leasing vs buying. LOL