[richatha]

Hi all,

UK based X3 M40i owner. I have a split set up

Front 245 40 r21
Rear 275 35 r21

I don’t really care much for run flats anymore I’d rather get none run flat and a better all round tyre but I’m struggling to find any for it.

When I add the sizes into black circles or Costco only Bridgestone run flats come back and I am a Michelin man or Pirelli rather than Bridgestone.

Anyone got any guidance on what they went for recently?

Thanks!

[alex2364]

Michelin PS4S if you’re looking for a summer tire.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by richatha

Hi all,

UK based X3 M40i owner. I have a split set up

Front 245 40 r21
Rear 275 35 r21

I don’t really care much for run flats anymore I’d rather get none run flat and a better all round tyre but I’m struggling to find any for it.

When I add the sizes into black circles or Costco only Bridgestone run flats come back and I am a Michelin man or Pirelli rather than Bridgestone.

Anyone got any guidance on what they went for recently?

Thanks!

Are you bothered about them being BMW * rated ? These are apparently specifically developed for BMW cars, and are different to the the same size and brand without the * mark.

BMW appear to setup the M40 suspension and Xdrive based on * run flat tyre characteristics.

Discussion from another forum -

“ From my contact at Michelin:

"It’s hard to define exactly what the construction differences are between standard and BMW tyres, as this is never disclosed. What we can say is that you only have to look at R117 labelling to see there are differences to these tyres, they’re certainly not the same. The * marked tyre will be tuned to meet the specific vehicle handling characteristics from BMW to offer best performance for a certain model. There will be differences in weight of each tyre, different attributes in terms of wet/dry/Rolling Resistance performance which could also include a slight change to tread pattern and tread depth & compound."

So while a non-star tyre might well be compatible in terms of rolling circumference I think it would be worthwhile getting the star marked version when there is one available. Shop around and the price difference shouldn't be too great.”

[g11hoonigan]

There's really not much options for OE 21" size. It's mostly Michelin and Pirellis. Here in the US, there's also Dunlop on the same OE size, but I'm not sure in UK and if you trust Dunlop enough.

[Leem40i]

I have the same setup but with the 20 inch wheels and I changed to the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4S. These tires are a game changer for this vehicle. I'm familiar with the 4S because I had them on all of my other performance vehicles but decided to go with the all season so I wouldn't have to worry in the winter about the cold temps and summer tires. The all-season version does not sacrifice much and what it does sacrifice it makes up for in being able to be used all year long. The feel is 10 times better than any run-flat.

[g11hoonigan]

Originally Posted by Leem40i

I have the same setup but with the 20 inch wheels and I changed to the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4S. These tires are a game changer for this vehicle. I'm familiar with the 4S because I had them on all of my other performance vehicles but decided to go with the all season so I wouldn't have to worry in the winter about the cold temps and summer tires. The all-season version does not sacrifice much and what it does sacrifice it makes up for in being able to be used all year long. The feel is 10 times better than any run-flat.

Such a bold claim. Seems you have not tried the 'better ones' yet

[richatha]

Thanks all for the suggestions! I am not bothered about having the * tbh! I’m not going to be reaching the performance limit that BMW would spec.

Interesting about the 4s all season I couldn’t see them anywhere inc the Michelin website. I saw standard 4s cross climate & primacy 4+.

Not sure cross climate would be great in the summer which leads me to the 4s but I wonder how useless they’ll be in the winter.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by richatha

Thanks all for the suggestions! I am not bothered about having the * tbh! I’m not going to be reaching the performance limit that BMW would spec.

Interesting about the 4s all season I couldn’t see them anywhere inc the Michelin website. I saw standard 4s cross climate & primacy 4+.

Not sure cross climate would be great in the summer which leads me to the 4s but I wonder how useless they’ll be in the winter.

You can get Pirelli BMW * RFT in the correct size, but I’m not sure Costco will source.

The 245 Alenza * is around £296 fitted at my local Costco, and there are no multiple discounts on that manufacturer at present.

I don’t think * is about pushing the performance limit or anywhere close. Non * tyres can invalidate warranty claims for Xdrive, as apparently, the * tyre shoulder design is different, as is weight tolerance for xdrive.

My understanding is BMW use their custom tyre spec in the design and testing process for a specific model, including suspension setup etc, which is setup around this, particularly RFT characteristics. So the concepts of I prefer brand X as always being best for any car is a myth imo. A little like wanting to use your favourite brand oil which doesn’t meet BMW spec lol.

If you’re out of warranty then just cost to you.

[Leem40i]

Originally Posted by g11hoonigan

Such a bold claim. Seems you have not tried the 'better ones' yet

I've owned a lot of performance cars in my time and have tried them all. The Michelin Pilot Sport series are the best at what they do