[g4gav]

good evening people, now I'm going to be taking my 305's off soon for refurb and just bought some 304's for when i do it.

but I'm after some advice on tyres as i keep coming across winter tyres! i never knew there was winter and summer etc, I'm use to just putting a tyre on and driving.

is there any good all round tyres that does the job of both?

[Scout10]

How much snow, slush, etc do you have and for how many months?

[JupiterBMW]

I do not use all season tires living in South Florida, however, I have heard great things about the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s. I am currently running Michelin Pilot Super Sport on my X3.

Good luck.

[alex_chung]

I ran winters when I had my E60 and tempted to do the same for my F25. Winters are not just used for snow, slush they run better in lower temps (below 7*) and the wet as well (which is mainly the type of weather we get in our UK Winters) They tyres have a different compound in them which makes them work better in lower temps and on icy slippery roads which have not been treated.
All round tyres tend to be a compromise and are not masters of doing both.
Options are you can buy a cheap set of Winter wheels and put winters tyres on them and then run them from November to March and then swap over to your summers during our so called summers. That way you keep your summers running for longer and also your nice alloys will be kept in better shape as its not hit by the grit, salt and other crap that is put on the roads during the winter.
Alex

[Schmullis]

I just installed Pirelli PZero All Season Plus with the improved tread compound. Great tires, no complaints

[TEF]

Typically, people measure the effectiveness of all-season tires by how well they handle snow, ice and slush. In short, if they can go up a snow covered hill or an inclined driveway, all is well. The other dimension is not going, but stopping. I live in a snow-belt area and the big advantage of dedicated winter tires is braking. The difference is significant. As a rule, winter tires are narrower so they penetrate snow and contact the road as opposed to wider summer tires that float on top of snow and slush.

I use a second set of "skinny" winter tires on 17" from fall through early spring. The standard 18" Goodyears are useless in heavy snow. One of the few times that one really sees the benefits of xDrive is after a storm - it's great fun driving the X3 in deep snow.

[Scout10]

Had a dedicated winter set for the Toyota . . . 4 wheels with Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60s.
i'm in northern Michigan just off Lake Michigan . . . we do get snow !

Haven't started the project of putting a set together for the X3.
But it will be Blizzak's again ! . . .

its another way of extending tire life . . . summer OR winter !!!!

[g4gav]

thanks for the replies chaps, much appreciated !

the wheels iv bought to put on come with winter tyres so I'm lucky in a way. and i prefer the look of my 305's too so the 304's and going to be my winter set. i still have a few thousand miles left in the 305's before the swap too.
going to cost a bit when i do the refurb and new tyres for the 305's but hence why i looking at my options for tyres.

thanks again for the info guys.

[TEF]

I am in snow belt of Lake Erie and my winter tires consist of 17" X5 wheels with General Altimax Arctic tires (235/55-17). Worked great in deep snow of last winter. Was big fan of Blizzaks, but do not see too much difference with many of the newer winter tires. Used wheels were only $60 each and entire setup fits perfect on X3. Did not bother with TPMS sensors. Compared to 18" Goodyear's, the 17" wheels and tires look narrow, but generally that's recommended for winter tires. Relative to OEM 18" wheel/tire combination, the 17" wheel/non run-flat tire is 11 lbs lighter.

[Scout10]

Originally Posted by TEF

I am in snow belt of Lake Erie and my winter tires consist of 17" X5 wheels with General Altimax Arctic tires (235/55-17). Worked great in deep snow of last winter. Was big fan of Blizzaks, but do not see too much difference with many of the newer winter tires. Used wheels were only $60 each and entire setup fits perfect on X3. Did not bother with TPMS sensors. Compared to 18" Goodyear's, the 17" wheels and tires look narrow, but generally that's recommended for winter tires. Relative to OEM 18" wheel/tire combination, the 17" wheel/non run-flat tire is 11 lbs lighter.

What was the vehicle reaction to no TPMS sensors ???? or

[g4gav]

good morning people, finally my tires are shot! I'm stuck at work and looking for new tyres, but as I have run flats on there do I need to put them back on?

[g4gav]

can any give any experience with Michelin CrossClimate please if they have fitted ? I'm currently looking at blackcircles and they not a bad price?

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by g4gav

good morning people, finally my tires are shot! I'm stuck at work and looking for new tyres, but as I have run flats on there do I need to put them back on?

No you do not need to confine yourself to RunFlat tyres. You can run with normal tyres. Many do. If you do, it is best to run on BMW * rated ones. I have been running on Pirelli Rosso PZERO BMW * rated Non Run Flat tyres for the past 10k miles. I am on 19" staggered set up. Naturally you can use the similar tyres for a standard set up.

If you do run with normal ones be sure to carry an emergency repair kit that consists of a can of gunge and a compressor. These are used as an emergency back up in case of puncture with many vehicles including some BMW modules.

A good comparison site in the UK for the appropriate tyres is to contact Black Circle Tyres. See the following site.....
https://www.blackcircles.com/?gclid=...oaAg-cEALw_wcB
It is best to ring them, because the do special deals.

You choose your tyre(s) and pay for everything in one go. You choose the garage closest to you and they (Black Circles) make all the arrangements including the appointment (after liaising with you) and the price of the fitting is included.

There are several top brand named tyre manufacturers in the UK making BMW * Non Run Flat Tyres for the F25.

EDITED
I have no experience with Cross Climate tyres. They came out after I purchased winter tyres from Pirrelli fitted to 18" BMW wheels. You should ensure that Cross Climate tyres are BMW* rated.

Be careful. If you do not use BMW* rated tyres and you have a problem with the car's transmission then BMW might not be helpful when it comes to problem solving. Put it this way if you do get a problem (not saying you will), the first question asked "is the car running on BMW * tyres".

[g4gav]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

No you do not need to confine yourself to RunFlat tyres. You can run with normal tyres. Many do. If you do, it is best to run on BMW * rated ones. I have been running on Pirelli Rosso PZERO BMW * rated Non Run Flat tyres for the past 10k miles. I am on 19" staggered set up. Naturally you can use the similar tyres for a standard set up.

If you do run with normal ones be sure to carry an emergency repair kit that consists of a can of gunge and a compressor. These are used as an emergency back up in case of puncture with many vehicles including some BMW modules.

A good comparison site in the UK for the appropriate tyres is to contact Black Circle Tyres. See the following site.....
https://www.blackcircles.com/?gclid=...oaAg-cEALw_wcB
It is best to ring them, because the do special deals.

You choose your tyre(s) and pay for everything in one go. You choose the garage closest to you and they (Black Circles) make all the arrangements including the appointment (after liaising with you) and the price of the fitting is included.

There are several top brand named tyre manufacturers in the UK making BMW * Non Run Flat Tyres for the F25.

EDITED
I have no experience with Cross Climate tyres. They came out after I purchased winter tyres from Pirrelli fitted to 18" BMW wheels. You should ensure that Cross Climate tyres are BMW* rated.

Be careful. If you do not use BMW* rated tyres and you have a problem with the car's transmission then BMW might not be helpful when it comes to problem solving. Put it this way if you do get a problem (not saying you will), the first question asked "is the car running on BMW * tyres".

thank you for this info, I was always lead to believe that if it come with run flats it had to stay with them......

well iv just got 4 Michelin primacy 3 for £560... needed ASAP but it was the best price I could afford at this time of year.

thanks again

[richardodn]

Run flat vs non-run flat. My opinion.

Non-runflats will always be the superior handling tire since they are not saddled with needing a rigid sidewall when the tire goes flat. However run-flats do have the benefit of being able to be driven after they've lost pressure. You'll need to decide for yourself what's more important; handling vs convenience.

For myself I went with non-run flats since the handling of the vehicle was the most important factor for me. I added a small compressor, tire plug kit and a jack from the earlier X3 to my kit. My reasoning went like this. In most cases a tire does not fail catastrophically. Instead a puncture allows a slow leak in the tire. It could be a day or so before it leaks down. So first line of defense is to pump it up to regular pressure and drive to a service center. If the leak is so bad that it can't hold air long enough, that's what the plug kit is for. Finally, if the tire is unpluggable, I have an auto club membership for a tow.