love the Continental DWS....very smooth, very quiet, great traction. I don't care if I have to replace in 30k miles...I drive the car like it was meant to be driven! Sticky tires make such a difference over those run flats!

 

Went from dunlop RFTs and Hankook V12s are so much better. Grips well and quiet ride. Have 16k miles on them thus far and should be able to get an additional 4-5k more on them.

However, I am going to consider Conti DWS next as they also have great reviews and should last longer. See below for the treadwear comparison: (although this differs by the manufacturer)

Hankook Ventus V12: 280
Conti ExtremeContact DWS: 540

DWS is a little bit more costly(10-15% more) but should last longer (1.5 times or more?) compared to V12? Maybe others can chime in (^wedgehead98 mentioned 30k with spirited driving). I'm interested to find out as well.

 

I had Conti DWS on my Boxster S... They are excellent all-around tires. Amazing wet grip. Decent dry grip. And good bad weather performance. However they don't match the grip and handling of a max perf summer-only tire. So you have to decide if you want all around goodness or exceptional 3-season performance.

If you decide to stick with RFTs, the Bridgestone RE050A are the quietest and smoothest of the bunch and are a good max perf summer tire. I have them on my 535 and like them, however when they wear out I am definitely switching to non-RFT since even these are harsh over sharp bumps and expansion joints.

You should consider using Tire Rack's survey results to help guide you. I have been buying tires based on their results for years -- I usually choose one of the top two ranked tires in the category I'm shopping and have never been disappointed. Once I chose a middle of the pack tire largely on its low cost and it truly was a mediocre tire, so in my experience the survey results are quite a good reflection of each tire's relative performance.

 

My replacement all-seasons (use them for 3-season driving on my '07 530xi) will also be the Conti's DWS from Tirerack. Next month I'm having my CSL Reps powdercoated and the General UHP replaced. They served me well for 3 years and more than 35K miles but don't have enough tread depth to suit my preferences for this upcoming winter season.. My rebate easily pays for the shipping! (see my signature)

 

I still have the stock RFTs that grip like crazy, but ride really rough. I will probably go with the Michelin Super Sports next year. I will continue my research when time gets closer. Even if they RFTs have tread left, they gotta go!
BTW the Hankook V12 have an $80 rebate through November making them major cheap!

 

I bought my 2008 550 with Sports Package (19") with 50,000 miles. It had new Yokohama S-Drives mounted from the dealer. I have 20,000 miles on them now and the rears look like they will last to 25,000 and the front will last until I think there is too much cupping (maybe 28,000). (Spirited Driving) At about 13,000 miles I had all four tires flipped on the wheels so i could rotate side to side to gain mileage. I also had an alignment done (seems the rear was out a little). These tires are "soft" to me and are very smooth!! I beleive the Michelin or the Bridgestone tires would give a better handling, sharper turn in and a more spirited drive. I am unfamiliar with the Continentals and there characteristics. When I change tires I will probably go with the new Bridgestone S04 or the Potenza 760. I had the 760's on my 2006 330 and thought the tires handled really well.