I know that there have been a lot of threads similiar to this but none answer my question exactly..so here
is another tire(some) thread.

I have a replacement E-500 (non-sport) or order. My dealer tells me that he called MB production and told them I was whining about not wanting the Continentals again. They told him that the Continentals are the only tire shipped on the non-sport E-500 and that was what I was going to get.

I want to change to Michelins. I am looking for Quiet and Confort and A/S. I don't know any reason why I would need any rating higher than "H". The "W" wears much too fast as I understand it and I don't know where I would be driving the the H rating would not be good enough traction for me.

The choices seem to be:

Energy MXV4 Plus (not MXV-A)
Pilot XGT H4
???

I have gone thru Tirerack.com several times, the Michelin site and still don't have a clear answer as to what would be best for me.
They really all seem to be close to the same.

I drove 15,000 miles plus on the CH95's and don't like them. I found that at high speeds the handling was really scary. Felt like I was in a strong wind and being blown (as in a small car in the wind).

Any help on the above tires? Anyone with personal experience.
I will still have to figure out how to get some credit back on the new Continentals on the replacement car.

Ed

 

The Energy MXV4 Plus is a very good tire IMHO- not as "sticky" in the handling dept as Z or W rated rubber; but it lasts longer, won't "morning flat spot" as badly, is well-made, doesn't develop tread roar as it wears and balances out nicely. It's generally better than the Conti CH95s IMHO (it also costs more). BUT, unless things have changed very recently, the Energy MXV4 Plus is not made in a 245/45-17, and so you won't be able to put them on your E500.

 

That would explain why I couldn't get them to come up on the Tire Rack site I did a lot of work to come up with that tire but never thought that it might not be made in the right size.

Any suggestions in a Michelin that will come in the 245/45/17 size with the same type of specs?

Ed

 

i have the mich pilot HX MXM4 245/45 r17 95h. i have been satisfied so far. i've only had them for 2 weeks. they handle great and are very quiet.

 

I think the HX-MXM4 would be a great tire too. Oddly, though, they don't show up on the Michelin website as available in a 245/45-17:

http://michelinman.com/assets/pdfs/doc_pilotmxm4.pdf

Tire Rack doesn't show them for the E500 either. If bmw2mb has them, they must be available. I wonder why Michelin and Tire Rack doesn't show them? Strange!

Go to the Tire Rack website and read the reviews of the tires you're considering. I find this to be helpful.

 

standard on my 2000 bmw, pretty sure they come in all sizes. Have had them on my 528 and are very good, if you want an upgrade pilot sport a/s. these are year round tires suitable for light snow conditions Tirerack.com will give you the info on all tires . BMW also come with Coni crap tires, but insisted on theMichelins and I have not been dissapointed, handle well
and are very quiet,(so far 17500 miles .now)

 

I can't find the HX-MXM4's in the 245/45/17 on any site either. Bummer.

The only tire that Tire Rack shows for the E-500 if you rate quiet #1, wear #2, and performance #3, is the Pilot XGT H4.

 

Yep, I can't figure out why neither the Tire Rack nor the Michelin websites show HX-MXM4's in the 245/45-17size. They must exist, since bmw2mb has them. Maybe you can Private Message him to find out how he got his tires, or maybe you can call Tire Rack to see if they carry the HX-MXM4's in the 245/45-17 size even though they aren't listed on the Tire Rack website.

If you read the reviews on the Tire Rack website for the Pilot XGT H4's, they aren't exactly glowing. I'd probably go with the Pilot Sport A/S over the XGT H4. The reviews of the Pilot Sport A/S tires are very good, and, even though they are Z or W rated tires they still carry a 400 wear rating and are reported to last well. They will probably ride harder than H rated tires, though.

Good luck!

 

Ed,

Glad you started this thread, as I rate tire importance the same as you and have wondered about the answer. I, too, do not feel the tire threads have been as informative as I would like given my priorities. I've always used Michelins in the past. The Continentals haven't been bad, but the roads here in Houston sure are. I haven't driven much this year (~4800 miles since October), but I did get it up to 125 or so once and the tires seemed fine and the car steady. I look forward to see the final results of this thread.

 

I did post the same basic question on the tire forum and asked Luke (Tire Rack) the same questions we are asking here. Hopefully he can shed some light on this.
It is really amazing how difficult it is to zero in on the tire you want or need when you are just looking at one brand. Throw in a couple more brands and I guess I would never come up with an answer.


CHRIS:
I am hoping that we can come up with something that is quiet, smooth and wears. I don't think I need the "W" or higher rated tires and I think all of the performance "H" tires will give us all the traction we need. Most of the other threads seem to be about the "W" rated tires.

My problem with the Continentals was that when cruising around 80-85 mph, the car was very squirrelly (sp?). Felt like a little car in a high wind. I drove from the West Coast to the East Coast and back so had a lot of opportunity to experience it. Changing the suspension did improve the handling but I was convinced the problem was the tires.

Ed

 

Luke from the tirerack (and Moderator on the tire forum) responded on the tire forum. I had asked the same basic question.

His response:


/Quote/
"From your post info I recommend you look into these tires

P245/45R17 CO EXTREME CONTACT 110.00

P245/45ZR17 DU SPORT 5000 140.00

245/45ZR17 MI PILOT SPORT AS 213.00

P245/45R17 PI P-ZERO NERO MS 156.00

P245/45R17 YO AVS DB S2 144.00

as you can see the Pilot Sport A/S is quite expensive but, it is an excellent tire .... if it was my choice I would get the P-Zero because I am an aggressive driver and love the steering response and grip they offer but, for you the Sport 5000 would probably meet your needs better or maybe the AVS DB series 2" /Quote/


__________________
Luke

 

I have the Dunlop Sport 5000's, and they are a pretty good tire, and actually are pretty good in the snow, as well, if you get snow in your area. Tread life has been good so far, with over 20K miles on them, and showing minimal wear, with a semi-agressive driving style. Given my own mix of driving, I would spend the extra money and get the Pilot's. They are probably one of the best all around tires on the market right now.

I'm not sure if anything has changed on the AVS db's, but I have known them to be very quiet to begin, but got louder as they weared.

Note that the Mich XGT series is an older style of tire now, and has more or less been replaced with the Pilot series of tires.

If you are very easy on your cars, Mich Energy MXV4's are good tires, but are on the soft side.

And yes, tires are a very confusing and perplexing subject, and unless you have the ability to have several cars that are very task based, you will always be compromising on some aspect of performace, wear, ride, noise, wet/snow traction, price.

 

I just changed my CONTI SPORT CONTACT 2 against MICHELIN PRIMACY after 30000 km (19000 Miles).

They are nearly 50 % more expensive....

The ride is smoother, they are more silencious but the handling is less precise. So I had to increase a little the pressure.

Lets see if they lasting longer.

 

EXCELLENT tire.I have had them on several cars and they have been excellent in all aspects, except of course snow.I had the choice of any tire I wanted on my new Lorinser,and stayed with the tried and true Pilot sport.I do not have personal experience with the Pilot A/S but have heard excellent things.Its basically everything the regular pilot sport is,but will get you through the sloppy stuff easily.The only difference may be a slightly softer ride.

 

I am very happy with my Michelin Pilot A/S tires. They represent the best of all the tire worlds. See my other replies. The Contis are hard, harsh and of inferior quality (high spots, off rounds, compound variability). Others I won't mention. I you are not club racing, and want to be a happy deiver year round, try the A/Ss