[drp087]

So I've been driving with the stock 20" Pirelli P-zero RFT's, and with one tire torn after hitting a pothole, and two nails in the last 9 months, along with uncomfortable ride quality in LA streets, finally got rid of them!

Continental DWS 06's are on now!

I have a snowboarding trip this weekend when its supposed to snow and dreaded putting chains on this car- I've been waiting until I wore out the treads so this was an early Christmas gift for myself.

With all the raving reviews here here's my take on the comparison with the X4:

1. The P-zero's mileage was not as bad for me as some say- Maybe something with production dates (Mine were from late 2014), but I still had about ~50% tread left at 15K miles. I do 90% city stop and go driving.

2. The Conti's ride quality is much better in absorbing small imperfections on the road- I can still feel them, but they are not jarring like they were on the P-zero's.

3. There is more body roll in the Conti's, but only in hard cornering.

Overall, for me, it wasn't a night and day difference as some say, but I definitely do appreciate the better ride quality on the Conti's. If it were any softer, I think I would miss the car-like handling of the X4.

Now it makes me wonder how the Michelin PSS's would feel........

[Tjalle]

I have 20" PZERO RFT:s and lowered vehicle (H&R). I have also tested M40i with PSS.

My impression was that M Performance has achieved about the same handling characteristics with their chassis tuning (without lowering) and PSS on the M40i as what I achieved with lowering and slightly worse chassis comfort. M40i with optional 20" PSS. Non-RFT.

When my tires are done, I will switch to PSS.

[FSociety]

MPSS are horrible in the rain too, only good in the Dry
I've removed my MPSS and on sale, DWS06 are so much better in all different weather and pavement (less road noise too)

[Tjalle]

Car and Driver of last year: Monsters of grip - 9 Ultra High Performance Tires, rate MPSS as "best" incl. very good performance in the wet. PZERO comes last.

Consumer Report of last year - only summing up - full report only if member, rates MPSS as best, with good performance in the wet.

None of them are comparing summers with A/S - just mentioning that there is - of course - difference in grip/handling. Also mentioning that A/S has very good wet traction due to open thread and soft rubber.

My reading: if you put a lot of weight on wet grip - and not sensitive to steering precision/handling, you can "get away" with DWS06.

I will, of course, go for MPSS.

[ctdw]

Normally I have two sets of wheels so I am running either summer or winter tires. My last car (Macan GTS) came with all seasons and I figured it would be nice to not swap wheels twice a year. I only had the Macan for seven months and did not care for how the all seasons handled this summer and noticed the difference. When I replaced the Macan with my X4 M40i, I went back to two sets of wheels. I only had a chance to drive on the MPSS tires for a couple of days since I got the car in December but really liked how the car handled with them...I also did a couple of test drives with them on another M40i before it got cold out and was impresssed. Not sure how they will perform on wet roads but I am hoping they will be OK.

[drp087]

Tjalle, no doubt the MPSS are one of the best performance summer tires. They are obviously going to outperform any A/S tire in the market in dry pavement.

Its the real-world, owner-reviews of "modifications" based on their individual needs that makes these forums so valuable. Some folks, myself included, don't need to have a dedicated winter set, and prefer the all-rounder A/S tires, with better comfort, road noise, at the expense of slight performance.

The DWS06 hits that sweet spot I think and probably why many BMW X Owners opt for them.

[Tjalle]

Fanatic, fine with me, I just wanted to set the records right.

[FSociety]

Just finished driving through more pouring rain with DWS06 in highway at 75-80mph and even through some puddles. The same rain MPSS would not feel confident at any speed above 65mph (rain + warmer weather). MPSS were very scary in rain and under 50F weather

[drp087]

Yea what worried me about the P-zero's was not so much just the rain/some snow, but the 30-40F that would come with it. I imagine MPSS would have been similar- MPSS in tire tests with simulated rain might have done fine, but rain+freezing temps? Thats what the forums are for

As for my month-in review of the DWS06, I "Unfortunately" did not encounter too much snow/ice in my last snowboard trip to really test out the tires, but definitely felt confident throughout the drive (30F, small ice patches, snow covered/frozen parking lots) I will admit however there was more body roll on the twisties in the DWS06 than the stock RFT P-Zero's. (I drove up the same mountain last summer with the P-Zero's)

Back in normal city driving, I've pretty much stopped caring for the minor loss in handling- Overall, I think these tires are a great match for the BMW X's.

[Crassus]

Hmmm an increase in bodyroll isn't desirable but if minor, an acceptable trade-off for a smoother ride. I rarely corner crazily hard because even if the standard seats offer good support they don't hold the driver in place as good as sport seats.

A few weeks ago I had a long nail in my left rear Pirelli P-zero RFT. A local shop repaired it for £20 but I cannot wait until I have an excuse to swap the tyres for the something better.

[drp087]

The increased bodyroll is only minor and only noticeable at hard cornering, which I rarely ever do anyways. Definitely worth it for the more comfortable ride.

Although I do recommend the DWS06's if you need a new set of tires, I wouldn't swap out perfectly good P-zero's just for the increased comfort. With 20" wheels, the difference is not as significant as you may think.

[Crassus]

Originally Posted by X4Fanatic

The increased bodyroll is only minor and only noticeable at hard cornering, which I rarely ever do anyways. Definitely worth it for the more comfortable ride.

Although I do recommend the DWS06's if you need a new set of tires, I wouldn't swap out perfectly good P-zero's just for the increased comfort. With 20" wheels, the difference is not as significant as you may think.

I am surprised to hear that you are not overwhelmed by the difference. Do you notice a difference in noise while on the motorway?

My rims are 19s what are yours?

[drp087]

I have the 20" 310M wheels, which probably attribute to the smaller noticeable difference between the two tires. Don't get me wrong, I definitely feel the increased ride comfort every day, and the road noise is lower.

However, assuming you have ~70% tread left, which if you put in $ amount, is almost $1000 worth of tire you'd be "throwing away" unless you want to go through the hassle of selling them online.

For me, I had about 50% tread (~$700), but two tires had been repaired, and I did not want to risk going up the mountains with the P-zeros in freezing Temps, so decided "losing" the $700 was worth it for me.

[skillick]

So I'm going to need to replace the 2 rears on my X4 in the next few weeks as I'm getting close to treadwear blocks and have a long trip coming up at the end of the month.

I currently have the standard Pirelli RFT's fitted, but seriously considering swapping to non-RFT. I have the 20" rims on my vehicle.

Am I going to be OK with just swapping them out and throwing a can of tyre-weld/gunk stuff in the back of the car as a backup?

Can I get away with just swapping the rears for non-RFT now and then do the same on fronts later in the year when they need doing?

Any issues with BMW if swapping to non-standard tyres?

[Tjalle]

This is a sensitive matter - a lot of different opinions - here is mine:
-I recommend Michelin PSS, non RFT, can be installed rear only. Compressor+gunk for peace of mind.

PSS are STD for M40i.

Mine rear tyres are also wearing out faster than front - probably due to more torque to rear.
Since I have wider rears - which I presume you also have - I can as well change all tyres at same time.

Edit: you should not buy a can, but a set with gunk and 12V compressor - from Amazon or elsewhere.

[drp087]

I'm carrying the slime/12v compressor kit AND a tire plug kit just for the worst case scenario.

But if I do end up with a flat I probably would plug/compressor or call BMW/Insurance Roadside before I try using the slime. The one I got is supposed to be TPMS safe, but did hear its still a hassle to get off the tire. the slime is for last resort.

BMW advises you not to run tires with different tread depths on the four tires because it may cause undue stress on the AWD system. Reasoning is that the outer tire circumference may be off, which also might apply if you get different brand tires or even different type (Summer vs All Season).
I think this is sales BS to some degree, but wouldn't completely neglect it. My general rule of thumb is that if front tires are <30% done when swapping out the rears, just get the whole set.

If you're really looking to maximize the tire usage, get a used pair of the oem rear tires on ebay for about ~150 each, and ride on those until your fronts wear out, then swap all four.