Runflat > Non Funflat

[Busterboo]

Go for the best.

Michelin.

It ain’t necessarily so!

I know. I use Pirelli P Zeros.

I was just stirring the pot.

[Tinker15]

Not another pot stirrer!

[mcbutler]

I know this has been asked a zillion times, but would appreciate some up to date info.

So, my 2011 e89 20i m-sport has the standard 18" wheels with:

Front - 225/40/18 92W Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Rear - 255/35/18 90W Bridgestone Potenza RE050A

Its done about 55k and I got it last March (the same weekend as the mini-beast from the east). I doubt they are the original tyres, but suspect they are the same brand/model as OEM as my wife has a 1'er from new with those tyres.

My rear tyres are down to the treadwear indicator, so need replacing. Not sure how much is on the front, but I reckon less than half of tread...certainly not enough to cry about ditching them.

I'm considering replacing for nft (if I did, I'd do all 4 at once, if I stay with the current tyres, i'd just do the rears now).

So my questions are:
1. Is it recommended to swap them, i.e. is ride quality worth the tradeoff of losing the RF peace of mind?
2. Which Brand/Model is generally considered good?
3. Do I change the tyre size (if think I saw some posts saying to increase the side wall depth???).

I appreciate all the above questions are subjective, but is there any consensus?

My main requirement is ride quality, i.e. less harsh over bumps (therefore I'm only interested if it really does help). We have potholes all over the place (ha, so does the whole country!) and another thing (that might not be improved) is my car has intermittent rattles and creaks which are affected by road surface, would nrf make enough difference to affect that?

Any advice would be appreciated.

1. YES
2. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (best tyre in practically every review, and in my experience)
3. Nope, or pressure.

[ihadablackdog]

So the Michelin work out about £30 more expensive than the Goodyear, which I don't mind, but the fuel indicator is worse and they are louder....how much do these actually matter?

Which ones would offer better wear (i.e. last longer)? - again, lots of variables, but generally speaking are all roughly the same?

[RustyZ4]

So the Michelin work out about £30 more expensive than the Goodyear, which I don't mind, but the fuel indicator is worse and they are louder....how much do these actually matter?

Which ones would offer better wear (i.e. last longer)? - again, lots of variables, but generally speaking are all roughly the same?

I am lucky enough to drive on both, E85 with Michelin and a E89 on Goodyear,, so not maybe a great comparison as different cars but TBH the differences are really minimal unless you drive on the edge, I would say the Goodyear's are quieter and certainly seem to wear better, the Michelins when pushed do seem to offer more grip, but honestly they are both great tyres, others seem to rate the uniroyals, but I have never used them, I think as long as you go for a premium brand you cant really go wrong

[ihadablackdog]

Based on that it would seem the Goodyears are a better choice for "me" over the Michelin, as they are cheaper (only by £30, but its still £30, part of which can go towards the cans of tyre gunk) and they might last a bit longer, which again is better value.

The only way I drive on the edge is my ability, not the tyres performance

So the message I am hearing is that there isn't 1 clear "winner" as there are several different opinions, and the premium tyres are all pretty close, so there isn't really a "wrong" answer. Therefore other variables come into play, i.e. driving style, brand loyalty, cost etc.

And add to that the improvement over runflats, anything is going to be better than what I currently have!

I think I've decided on the Goodyears. This thread could go round in circles so I've got to make a choice at some point. Thanks everyone for your input.

[ihadablackdog]

oh, another question I just thought of:

How do non-rft tyres in general stand up to potholes etc? On my way to work they re-surfaced the road, but for some reason didn't raise the drain covers, and as its a twisty narrow country road, you have no choice but to drive over them (or into the oncoming traffic). So they aren't "potholes" but still "holes".

They should be gentler due to softer sidewalls, but what about prone to damage?

[Tinker15]

There is nothing wrong with the Goodyears so you have made a decent choice. The non runflats will be more forgiving than the run flats of bumps, ruts etc. Run flats were also well known for causing cracks in aluminium wheels so all round they are a better choice.

[Nick9one1]

I can thoroughly recommend the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

rears are £125 each on black circles.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Vrede ... -Vorti.htm

Arguably as good as the Michelin pilot sport 4's and £40 a corner cheaper.

[davidrew]

Have been following the tyre debate with interest as at some point will need to change the current 19" wheels original factory run flats.

Just want to chuck these in to the mix … has anyone tried Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 Run Flats? According to Black Circles they have better fuel and noise levels than the three non-run flats that seem popular on the forum. They are not quite as good in the rain and would the ride quality be any better?

Planning on:
Front: 235 35 R19 91Y
Rear: 255 35 R19 96Y (current 30 profile)

Uniroyal RainSport 3: Fuel: C Rain: A DB: 73
Goodyear Eagle F1: Fuel: C Rain: A DB: 69
Michelin Pilot Sport 4: Fuel: C Rain: A DB: 71
Goodyear Eagle Asym 3 (RF): Fuel: B Rain: B DB: 67

[Nick9one1]

Personally I think its a good idea to go up a profile on the fronts if you are doing so on the rear.

This probably explains it better than I can:

untitled.png (288.59 KiB) Viewed 676 times

[davidrew]

Thanks Nick9one1 a very good point (and diagram ) and I can see the rationale for upping the profile front and back.

I presume there are no issues with the increased profiles front and back catching the bodywork? We have a completely standard 2014 e89 2.0 M-Sport Auto with 326M 19" Wheel Rims.

[ihadablackdog]

Just to confirm, as Anubiszed thinks at the beginning of the thread, no need to change the profile on 18" wheels?

[Frano]

New z4 owner and had a real mix of tyres on the car when bought. Some rfs, some not. Ride was awful. After a load of research I took advice from local tyre shop who I have used for years. They recommended Lassa Driveway Sport which are basically a Bridgestone. Had the a couple of weeks and have transformed the car. All non run flats.

[Gabz]

Had terrible ride with the runflats. Goodyear Eagle F1s are great performance tire options with a relatively soft and comfy sidewall (compared to rivals). Ride is still shockingly hard but the non-runflats definitely help.