While I am reluctant to clog the forum with another "which tire to get" topic, I haven't been able to find recommendations given the below criteria for replacing the RFT's on my '05 545 Sport. I've pored over many threads of the past and the majority opinion seems to be to replace the RFTs with non-RFTs which I plan on doing. Beyond that, I've read several recommendations for the Falkens, Nittos, Dunlops and others. As much as there is to dislike about the ride of RFTs, one thing I distinctly liked was the cornering ability of them-it was like the car was on rails. I replaced the RFTs on my previous '04 530 Sport with General Exclaim UHPs and, while I loved the improved ride, it did not corner nearly as well.

I understand that the stiffer sidewalls of the RFTs contribute significantly to its cornering ability but is there a tire that strikes a perfect (or close to it) balance between cornering, ride comfort and tread wear? And, if that answer is yes, which tire(s) would that be? Thanks.

 

Curious on this topic. I bought some non-RFT Yokohama's for my 528i as a lease replacement tire. However, the dealer took that car in as a trade, so I didnt have to use the tires. They will work on the front tires of my 550i and I would just need to buy the rears.

Just not sure if I should do that or try to re-sell my set of 4 Yokohamas....

 

Well,BMW choose to fit non RFT's made by Continental,so that's what I will stick with.

 

True summer performance tires will never have high treadwear because the rubber compound is so soft, which wile makes them super sticky in the twisties, makes them short lived.

If long treadwear is your goal, UHP All Season Tires might be for you. If you want to croner on rails, go with summer performance tires.

Due to the lower treadwear of summer performance tires and me not wanting to spend $400 per tire every 12K miles for new ones (the approximately price of the top tier Michelin PS2s). I went with the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo summer performance tires. They have done really well in tire comparos and they are more like $185 per tire for rears and less for fronts on the 550i Sport.

Bottom line is thatI don't think that there is a tire out there that combines class leading grip/corning performance and class leading high treadware. You tend to trade one for the other.

 

Personally, I found that the *only* thing that RFT's bring to the party is their initial response on turn-in (due, as you say, to the stiff sidewall). That said, better non-RFT tires will turn-in just about as well and will give much more cornering grip and much better feel. Ride and handling is transformed on the E60 with a high quality standard tire. I had the Eagle F1 GS-D3 on my 545 and on my 550 and it was a phenomenal tire. A PS2, a GS-D3 or an equivalent tire will bring your car back to where it ought to be from a ride/handling standpoint and, if you're comfortable making the trade-off in terms of absolute safety by going with a non-RFT, you'll get much more out of your car.

 

Sorry, it took me a while to get back (RL got in the way). I actually put a pair of the GS-D3s on my 530 and, it was a wonderfully handling tire especially when wet. My only complaints were that they got noisy quick and they would never stay balanced. Maybe I'll just invest in some of those Hankooks to see how they handle and, if they don't last as long at least they're fairly inexpensive but highly rated.

 

I justy ordered a set of Hankook Ventis V12's from Tire Rack; unfortunately I won't get a chance to run them until the Winters come off in April...

 

toyo's

 

Congrats and use them well. I only had my new rear Hankook Ventus V12 Evos on for a week before I switched to my winter set. But it was a fun week.