[HampshireUK]

Need 4 tyres soon and want to keep OEM 21” size, have BMW extended warranty. No big complaints with first 2 sets of Alenzas, maybe a bit noisy on certain surfaces.

Tempted by the Pirelli option but fronts are £70 more a tyre and rears about £30 a tyre more.

Has anyone made this change and did you notice any big improvements to justify the cost, notice they are 4db quieter too.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by HampshireUK

Need 4 tyres soon and want to keep OEM 21” size, have BMW extended warranty. No big complaints with first 2 sets of Alenzas, maybe a bit noisy on certain surfaces.

Tempted by the Pirelli option but fronts are £70 more a tyre and rears about £30 a tyre more.

Has anyone made this change and did you notice any big improvements to justify the cost, notice they are 3db quieter too.

Which Pirelli version ?

I don't need tyres at present but whenever I've looked out of curiosity the BMW * Pirelli's have either been not available for the front or rear at any given time LOL.

[HampshireUK]

No problem with stock at all the major tyre fitters just the cost difference compared to Alenza, this is the Kwikfit site

[HampshireUK]

Bridgestone equivalent

[avi66]

Same as these I think, but the Aleza is around £298 if you buy two.

[HampshireUK]

Yes that’s them looking for feedback on the value over the Bridgestone

[avi66]

Originally Posted by HampshireUK

Yes that’s them looking for feedback on the value over the Bridgestone

Honestly, I think the feedback will be hugely subjective.

My observation would be it's likely the Pirelli has a softer compound, which may lead to higher levels of wear, but is the trade-off for improved rating in some areas.

[jrveron]

If going with Pirelli P-Zero, I would also put wider tires: 255/40R21 front and 285/35R21 rear. They fit perfectly on OEM wheels.

Compared to the Alenzas, you will feel better traction, especially when wet. If you go up in size, as I suggested, you will also feel more comfortable (also consider RFT vs. Non-RFT). Finally, it will give you better wheel protection against accidentally hitting a curb.

I also suggest you buy the one rated for BMW (*), XL, Sport, PNCS (Pirelli noise-canceling system), and Seal Inside (extra layer to protect against punctures).

Front: https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-gb/...ncs-sealinside
Back: https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-gb/...bmw-sealinside

[Jen4BMW]

Skip the run flats is my first hand advice and go Conti DWS or Michelin PS4. You’ll have better everything for roughly the same money.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Jen4BMW

Skip the run flats is my first hand advice and go Conti DWS or Michelin PS4. You’ll have better everything for roughly the same money.

No doubt, those two excellent tires will outperform the RFTs.

But, I cannot quite go along with "everything". What won't be as much is the level of safety, security, and convenience if/when a flat tire occurs in an insecure/unsafe/bad location, a bad weather condition (change a tire/fiddle with inflation kit in a suit/gown in the rain/snow??? ), a long wait time for road service, etc. With an RFT, if in an urban or suburban area, one would almost always be able to drive home securely and deal with the situation more comfortably. For those who live in or drive in/through areas when you would not want to have to stop along a street or highway shoulder one dark and wet night, an RFT provides a lot of additional security. Trade-off of safety for performance is an individual decision. I would never go so far as to get the oft-reviled Alenza, but the Duelers are surprisingly good and I would get another set of those or a Michelin equivalent perhaps.

[Blacktemplar]

Originally Posted by HampshireUK

Need 4 tyres soon and want to keep OEM 21” size, have BMW extended warranty. No big complaints with first 2 sets of Alenzas, maybe a bit noisy on certain surfaces.

Tempted by the Pirelli option but fronts are £70 more a tyre and rears about £30 a tyre more.

Has anyone made this change and did you notice any big improvements to justify the cost, notice they are 4db quieter too.

Moved from OEM 21” Alenzas to RFT PZeros about 18 months ago and they’ve been a definite improvement. Quieter and wear better, would also say safer at lower temps < 8C

[HampshireUK]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Moved from OEM 21” Alenzas to RFT PZeros about 18 months ago and they’ve been a definite improvement. Quieter and wear better, would also say safer at lower temps < 8C

Thanks for the update, please could you share the Treadwear rating from the BMW Pirelli tyre.

[Leem40i]

Going from one RF to another is the equivalent of going from a tire that sucks to one that sucks less. If you really want to enjoy the handling, quiet ride, and more comfort ditch the RF.

[Blacktemplar]

Originally Posted by Leem40i

Going from one RF to another is the equivalent of going from a tire that sucks to one that sucks less. If you really want to enjoy the handling, quiet ride, and more comfort ditch the RF.

All well and good if you can get 4 tyres the same for 21" offset wheels. Which you can't easily do in the UK.

At the moment, the only option I can find is the Conti SportContact 6 without changing tyre sizes to something different. Some have used the X3M 21" sizing (255/40F & 265/40R) which gives a much wider range of non-RFT options. When I last changed tyres about 2 years ago, this wasn't even an option - Bridgestone or Pirelli RFT's was the only choice.

BMW have severely limited choices for the M40i by going with the OEM 21" setup at 245/40F & 275/35R

I have nothing to compare to in the non-RFT world, but I can't say the RFT ride/handling is bad. This is a vehicle tht spends most of its time on local urban potholed roads, with occasional motorway trips. If our roads were better and I was driving everywhere like a loon at 10/10ths I'm sure non RFT's would be an improvement

The Pirellis have worn better than the Bridgestones after about 12K miles, fromts slightly more worn than the rears but nothing significant. When I need to replace them again, I'll see what's available on non-RFTs and make the call then.

[johnny_utah]

Moved to Pirelli and would never go back. Aside from the Alenza's having terrible roadware/lifespan, the Pirelli's for me are more quiet, more comfortable and just as much performance.