IMullen

I just bought an '02 E55 and, while I don't intend to drive it much in the winter, all-season tires are a must on most cars up here in the PNW. What are some suggestions for tires that are good in the rain but will still stick to the road in the summer?

billbillw

The only all-season tires that come in our sizes will typically be in category of Ultra High Performance All Season.

In that category, the standouts are the Bridgestone RE970AS, Michelin Pilot Sport AS+, Kuhmo Ecsta 4x, Conti ExtremeContact DWS, and the General G-Max. There are also some very good reviews coming in on the new Nitto Motivo as well, but so far, I haven't seen a head to head comparison (TireRack is the few who does this and they don't carry Nitto).

I've been running the Michelins (on my 3rd set of rears) because they keep giving me a good deal on warranty replacements (they are 45k rated, but I can only manage ~15k on the rears and 22k on the fronts). They are very smooth riding with good steering feel, but can be noisy on certain road surfaces. Very good grip in dry and wet, but I haven't had them in the snow at all. The Conti DWS is supposed to be the best in snow but it gives up some in the handling department. I've seen many happy DWS users in the PNW. When you do get dumped on, it may be the only AS tire that will get you through.

My next set may very well be the Nitto Motivo, but I'm waiting to see how the long term reviews are. If the Motivo long term reviews are not great, I may go to the Bridgestone or the DWS next.

IMullen

The existing tires probably have another 5k miles left in them, then maybe I'll check out those Nittos. Have you had any experience with Pirelli P Zero Nero AS tires? I've run Pirelli on a lot of my cars previously, but never on anything with this much power.

billbillw

The Pirellis are good in the dry, but not as good as the others in the wet. Probably equal to the others in snow (except for the Contis which stand above the rest).

One of the best things going for the Nittos is the warranty. They are 60k mile tires, but of course, they cut that in half for staggered setups like ours. I haven't seen any reports on how the Nittos are in the snow, but they have a tread pattern that should do pretty well. I wouldn't expect them to be as good as Conti DWS though.

WBE55

I just ordered a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS , have these on my Audi , No complaints. The reviews where good , So Far they are good, we had our first bit of snow Weds , No issues .

IMullen

Maybe I'll get some Nittos and see how they fare. What's the worst that could happen?

RustbucketRacer

Just put Nitto Motivos on the wife's car. Bought them from Americas Tire, I'm in SoCal. These are new tires and many shops don't yet have them. I bought them for the great tread wear rating. As I drove home, I got a humming noise at exactly 92 MPH. The humming is similar to when crossing perpendicular groves on a highway. I thought it was the radio at first or maybe the HVAC system, but it was the tires. I called the salesman at the shop, he said they're speed rated well over 90, and since they're a new tire they haven't had any feedback yet. So I'm the first. He said he would gladly replace them, but since it's the wife's car and never see's anything north of 75MPH, I'll wait to see how the hold up. It's been 2 weeks and so far so good. Strange though. Never experienced that before. It's slight but noticicable. Doesn't seem dangerous, just an audible humming.
Apologies for long read.

billbillw

A year later, my 3rd set of Pilot AS+ rears has worn away to baldness. I actually stretched the rears to just over 18k miles, but they were probably to the point of being dangerous in the last couple months. The fronts were worn to nothing on both edges again, about 22k miles.

I decided to try something different this time since the AS+ is discontinued and the AS3 is more expensive. My local DiscountTire has always worked the mileage warranty on the Michelins to give me pretty good credit. I didn't think they would apply the credit if I went with a different brand of tire, but the manager actually worked the credit in on a set of Nitto Motivos. Got a set for just over $600 installed yesterday. So far, they seem pretty good. They are every bit as quiet as the AS+, nice and smooth at highway speeds. I can't comment on handling yet since they are still covered in the mold release compound.

I will report back over the course of the tire's life noting tread wear, noise, ride quality, wet performance, and if needed, snow traction.

I'm hoping the 60k tread warranty isn't just lip service. Of course, we all know they knock it in half with the staggered fi, but I'll be happy if the rears last anywhere near 30k.

BTW, I don't consider myself an aggressive driver. I never spin my rears. Never turn off traction control, and generally drive pretty smooth (average 21mpg). The rears should be lasting longer than 15k.

snooozie

I just bought a set of the Michelin Pilot Sport AS+ from the discount tire store on ebay. I really have no problem with them and my car always been shod with these since I got the car. My last pair for the rears I had them for about two years. So, just about 23k+ for these. I drive my car solely for work, three times per week....and yeah, I do drive fast with them.

benzokirk

I seem to be the only one, so far, with the Ultra High Performance All Weather Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position rubber. I can tell you that I won't run anything else, unless I find reviews that beat my experience. Virtually no noise. Very solid smooth ride at speeds of 120+ mph on dry pavement. Excellent grip in wet conditions, rain and snow, and I am in the Chicago West Suburbs an hour from the city. They're confidence builders when it comes to handling. I love 'em. Many of the others mentioned will give you superior performance in one category or another, but these RE970's seem to be a great all around tire.

Dan04mcs

I'm running these on mine.
http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Perfo...EON-RS3-A.aspx

Just drove from Colorado Springs to L.A. and back.
Worst mpg was 23, best was 26.6, averaged 24.5.
Never went above the speed limit unless neeeded

Hit some rain/slush mix coming back over Vail pass and Loveland pass.
Perfomed great. Of course used some common sense and slowed way down.

Did a track day with them on the car also.
http://www.highplainsraceway.com/track.html
Did great considering they were all seasons.

My next tire on the E55 will be like benzokirk though, Bridgestone RE970AS.

Had Conti DWS on my Mini. First tire I ever got sidewall bubbles in from pot hole impacts.
205/50/16 on a 2600lb car shoudn't be getting sidewall bubbles. 3 of the 4 did it.
Switched those to the Bridgestone RE970AS, handle much better due to the stiffer sidwall.
Super quiet and smooth.
The DWS were a little better in the snow, but not my much.

my .02 cents

Schweinhund

I second that. I've had two sets and have run performance tires for most of my driving life (28 years). Crap I'm old.

billbillw

A month later, I'm still loving the Motivos. They are definitely quieter than the Michelins ever were. Handling, steering feel, and ride quality on the roads are all comparable to the Michelins. Overall, they inspire confidence.