My local tire dealer informed me that Continental is no longer producing the "ContiTouring Contact" tires which were the original tires on my 2006 530xi.

I live in the North East, so I need an "all season" tire that can handle a small amount of snow. Anyone know what BMW is recommending now or any suggestions on a decent alternative tire?

 

I just went to Blizzaks, but I'm only using these for winter. I have a summer wheel set-up as well. Supposedly, the Dunlop M3's are good for winter and performance driving.

 

I am planning to install Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position on the xi and use it all year round. Snow is only occasional in Seattle and RE960AS seems to be reasonbly good in light snow. Tell me if I am wrong.

 

Not too sure. I came from the Bridgestone Potenza RFT's that came stock on my 18" OEM wheels. I hated them, but that was probably bc they were runflats. The Blizzaks are hard core winter tires. They're the best for winter driving conditions, but aren't practical for summer use. This is why I have 2 sets of wheels and tires. I should get plenty of use out of both sets of tires for years to come, as opposed to having to buy new tires after 30K miles.

 

My '06 530xi came standard with Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires. They have the "star" designation on the sidewall that the owners manual recommends.

These tires were actually made in Germany for some reason. They have performed well in all driving conditions, including a couple of inches of snow. I usually buy Michelin but I have to say that these tires have performed well and they have 25K miles on them.

 

I presume you mean Eagle RS-A EMT, right? Look not ideal, but decent. However, many people actually complain about snow performance - maybe more about deeper snow and ice traction.